Deliverance is defined as “a rescue from bondage or danger.” Deliverance in scripture are the acts of God whereby He rescues His people from peril. In the Old Testament, deliverance is focused primarily on God’s removal of those amid trouble or danger. In the New Testament, we are offered deliverance from humankind’s greatest peril: sin, evil, death and judgment. By God’s power, believers are delivered from this present evil age and the power of Satan’s reign. All aspects of deliverance are available only through the person and work of Jesus Christ. 

While believers are delivered once and for all time from eternal punishment, we can also be delivered from the trials of this life. Sometimes, that deliverance is God simply walking through the trials by our side, comforting and encouraging us through them as He uses them to mature us in the faith. Paul assured the Corinthian believers that “no temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). 

Deliverance is often sought from the evil Spirit of lust, jealousy, etc. It’s important to understand that, as believers, we already have victory over Satan and demons. We can be delivered from their influence in our lives by using two weapons God has given us as part of our spiritual armour with which we battle “against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. We can defend ourselves with the shield of faith and the Word of God. By holding up the shield of faith, we extinguish the flaming spiritual arrows they send against us, arrows of lust, doubt, guilt, jealousy, evil speech, and temptations. With the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God), we overcome the evil one by proving his temptations to be lies. 

Deliverance from sin, rescue from trials, and escape from the influence of a world in the control of the evil one come only through Christ, who has come and “has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:19-20 NIV). 

Years ago, while on Exercise Brace Lion in Norway, I witnessed a friend of mine embarrass himself. Sadly, he was a know-it-all with no experience to match his arrogance. He continually ignored his peers’ and superiors’ advice and guidance and never asked for help from his staff. His attitude was a recipe for disaster because you cannot lead or follow in the military without seeking or listening for guidance. 

One morning, while eating breakfast, I watched an individual standing outside the mess tent fumbling with a map. At the same time, I noticed my friend walk towards the map holder. They exchanged a few words, and then my friend grabbed the map from the individual’s hands and began trying to orientate it himself. The individual who initially had the map walked away, entered the mess tent and sat with his friends. Within seconds of sitting down, he and his group burst into laughter. Wondering what was so funny, I walked towards my friend and asked him what he was doing, to which he replied, “Orienting the map”. (It should be noted that we were standing in a field surrounded by Norwegian Mountains). As I moved closer to my friend, I could not help but notice that he was trying to orientate a map of Wainwright Alberta to the Norwegian landscape. 

Accepting guidance requires wisdom and discernment. We don’t have to receive guidance given. We can listen and then decide if it is appropriate for the situation. We must be aware of the one giving guidance because what we ask may be beyond their understanding or capability. In the book of Psalms, King David often turned to God for guidance, recognizing that human wisdom was limited compared to God’s omniscience. Psalm 32:8 captures this sentiment, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you”. This verse highlights God’s promise to guide and counsel His people in their journey. 

My friend did not acknowledge his error, blaming the person from whom he took the map. Unfortunately, this Norwegian map orientation episode followed him from posting to posting, as did his habit of ignoring the counsel of others. Trying to do it alone is difficult and frustrating, making living more complicated especially when face with difficult decisions. 

We have access to the greatest resource needed to navigate life and help us live it to the fullest. Don’t be stubborn and arrogant. Pray, asking to receive and recognize God’s guidance. Receiving and recognizing God’s guidance requires a heart attuned to His voice and willing to follow His leading. 

• Pray for Wisdom and Discernment: 

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” – James 1:5

• Pray for an Open Heart to God’s Leading: 

“Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it.” – Psalm 119:35

• Pray for Clarity in Decision-Making: 

“Make me know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.” – Psalm 25:4

• Pray for Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit: 

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” – John 14:26

• Pray for Patience in Waiting: 

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” – Psalm 27:14

• Pray for Surrender to God’s Plan: 

“Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” – Proverbs 16:3

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” 
  Romans 8:14 (NIV) 

Christian blogs, magazines and even friends often offer advice on ways to improve ourselves so we can become “better” Christians. They list activities or actions that, if followed, could lead us closer to God. Although the advice comes from the heart and is meant for good, it often leaves out a vital component of the change: “the needed influence of the Holy Spirit”. We don’t become Christians unless God chooses us, and we don’t change unless the Holy Spirit transforms us. It is not about willpower but God’s power. 
 
Scripture tells us that we have choices, including whether to follow Jesus or not. Being a Christ follower requires a mindset that points to God. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans that we must be transformed by renewing our minds (see Romans 12:2). We must intentionally choose to become followers to honour and glorify God. We must purposefully seek to love God with all our mind, heart, soul and strength, and we can’t do that without the Holy Spirit’s help.  
 
There is an expression that states, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. God does not want us to flatter Jesus, as flattery can also suggest an insincere act or word used to impress the recipient. God wants our actions to be sincere and pure. God want us to be as Jesus is. Our actions and behaviours should become Christ-like when the Holy Spirit gets involved. They, then should become immediate responses to the Holy Spirit’s activity in our lives, not responses motivated by a desire to please God or get something from Him.   
 
Don’t ignore the advice and guidance from sources that want you to be Christ-like. Educate yourself as to what scripture describes as God’s attributes. Choose to become aware of the Holy Spirit’s nudging by listening and following His guidance. Seek confirmation from Christian friends or a pastor about what you hear. However, always remember that your desire to be Christ-like should be for no reason other than to worship God.  It is not how we seek but why. 

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23 NKJV 

The most challenging admission we must make to ourselves and God is that we are sinners. We struggle to visualize ourselves as sinners because, compared to others, we are not as bad. God knows our nature, and this is why Jesus was sacrificed: to prevent our sins from permanently breaking our relationship with God. We live in a world with inflated egos, narcissism at all levels, corruption, slander, vile language, promiscuity, theft, and violence. So, we tend to imply we are not as bad as serial killers, sexual deviants and so on. We have been commanded to love God with our whole being and our neighbours, yet our behaviour continues to insult our fellow inhabitants of this earth and the creator of all life because we pursue this goal of love under our terms.   

We face two truths each day when we wake: (1) We are surrounded by the temptation to behave contrary to God’s intent for us and so must be alert because: “Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8b NIV) and (2) we need not fear because “God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV). Simply put, Satan entices us to sin while God says you don’t have to sin.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can be forewarned that our actions would be deemed offensive to God, yet we often ignore this divine nudging because our cultural mindset suggests God is good, but the world knows how we should behave.  

God knows our guilt can beat us down. Guilt reminds us of wrongdoing, and our loving Father wants us to know that if we approach Him with a “broken and contrite heart”, He forgives us. He will help us overcome the guilt and guide us to avoid similar experiences in the future. God desires us to live in harmony with His creation. He wants us to acknowledge we can only do this with His help. He wants us to remember that when we fall, He is there, full of grace and forgiveness for those who want it. 

A bird chirps, my eyes open, and I think to myself “I’m alive”. I walk into the kitchen a little groggy but not affected in the least bit by the earth’s rotational spin of approximately 1000 mph. I walk to my back porch and look at the sun, giving no thought to the fact we are hurtling through space at approximately 67,000 mph. I feel the warmth on my face, and while looking at the 5500 °C surface of the sun, I wonder if the temperature in my commuinity will climb to 25 °C. I take a deep breath and inhale a lungful of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide.

Science taught me that any amount of all those chemicals (except oxygen) could cause severe harm or even death, but I only know it’s the atmosphere, and I’m safe. I sit in a comfy chair and wonder what I shall say to God. “Thank you, God. Please help me with, please fix, please get, please heal, and please give. PS – only if it is your will”. I get dressed, say goodbye to my family, walk across my manicured lawn, hop into my car and head to work to “bring home the bacon”. I sit with a fellow believer, and we talk about how difficult it can be sometimes to know how to thank God. The day ends, and I head home thinking of BBQ spare ribs, pushing my foot harder on the pedal. Dinner is finished, the dishwasher loaded, and I relax with my arm around a spouse who loves me. As I drift off to sleep, my last thoughts are “I’m alive”.

Do you find it difficult to thank God when you pray? Every day, you open your eyes and witness the things you can give thanks to. Before you go to bed tonight, reflect on your day and then thank God.  

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Do you know of any Christ followers who struggle to talk with others about their faith? The number is probably much higher than we can imagine, and that is very sad considering we have been “given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13: 11). There are common reasons people cite as the cause of their struggle but mostly it is linked to the uncertainty about what to say. Most feel they must try to convince the listener of God’s existence and feel underqualified. When Jesus discussed sharing scripture, He quoted Isaiah saying, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn“. This is a crucial statement because He told the disciples and us that God chooses who and when the truth will be revealed. If we forget this, we could have an issue, as we forget that it is God’s message we are sharing and not our own and that He must be involved in the sharing. The Isaiah quote ends with the words “and I would heal them,” reminding us that God alone will open eyes and ears to His truth. 
 
So, if God allows those around us to get the message, do we have any role? The answer, of course, is yes, as outlined in our great commission (Matthew 28:16-20). Jesus tells us to go out and say to the world, and He told us that the Holy Spirit would be given to us to help us explain the truth. God will create circumstances that will put us in a position to tell someone about our faith, and we should be prepared. We can share our story, starting with our life before becoming a follower, the event that led to becoming a follower of Jesus and our life after accepting Jesus. All believers should know their own story, which is what Jesus wants us to share. 
 
It need not be a struggle to talk about our faith if we approach it by remembering that God is preparing people to hear our story. Millions of people know about God because a handful of disciples obeyed the Holy Spirit’s nudge and shared the stories they knew about Jesus. We can be part of this tradition and should start by asking God to strengthen us and help us recognize our story. Our family, friends, neighbours, and colleagues see a difference in us, so we must be ready to tell them about it.  We should recall, recognize, and rehearse our story to recite it to those who Jesus prepared to listen. The only struggle we genuinely face is between us and the evil one. He wants us to keep the truth to ourselves because our story includes him as the defeated enemy of God. Galatians says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). The Holy Spirit lives in followers and wants us to share God’s news. Let’s work with Him.

Praise God in his sanctuary; 
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. (Psalm 150:1-6 NIV)

This passage relates to events that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sufferings of Christ begin to come to the fore at this point. Jesus is suffering according to the will of God but commits himself to his Father’s will, even if it turns unpleasant. Judas arrives at Gethsemane with a band of armed men to arrest Jesus, and Jesus submits to arrest. The disciples resist at first, but when they see Christ’s submission to arrest, they flee. The disciples rejected the idea of a suffering Messiah, and when they saw that Jesus was indeed committed to it, they abandoned him. 
 
How often have your prayers ended with words such as, “Your will, not mine”? What do you mean by this sentiment? Are you offering these words because you acknowledge God as omnipotent (all-powerful), Omnipresent (everywhere present), Omnibenevolent (all-loving), and He is omniscient (all-knowing)? Are you agreeing that the activities God has ordained for His creation since the beginning of time and for all eternity are righteous, wise and proper?
 
What happens when life’s rubber meets reality’s road? What happens when you are sitting in a hospital room, amongst the whirring and beeping of machine monitoring the vitals of a family member who is teetering between life and death? You pray, “God heal them”. You may add, “Not my will but yours,” but you want God’s will to align with yours. We pray, wishing to change God’s mind when forgetting we are invited to pray so, God can change ours. 
 
A large part of following Christ is allowing him to form our expectations. Failing to do so sets us up for disappointment and failure when His will goes in a direction we do not accept. We don’t want that ill family member to die. But if they do, we must not question whether we prayed enough, had weak faith, or whether God was listening. As hard as it is, we need to seek understanding from our prayers and experiences to continue pursuing and following God.  

“You are the light of the world”. Matthew 5:14 a

Today, many of us visit retail stores such as coffee, grocery, clothing, etc. Often, we are in a hurry and want to go in and out and sometimes our frustration spills over, and some innocent clerk feels the brunt of our attitude. Retail is not an easy line of work because staff often meet people unmasked, without the image they portray to their friends, work colleagues, or even brothers and sisters from church. They meet those who want something, and they become different when they do not get the service they expect. Although the staff will encounter many more nice people during their day, one grouch can ruin it and cause the staff’s emotions to spill over at home.  
 
Before you step out your door today, or any day this week, will you speak with God? Will you ask the Holy Spirit to go with you throughout your day and guard your unflattering emotions? Will you ask God to use you as a messenger of the Good News? When you arrive at the store you visit, will you choose not to be that impatient grouch? Most retail staff wear a name tag, so as you approach them, take the time to look at it and then address them by their name. Thank them for whatever kind of service you get. 
 
When your day is done, and you reflect on God’s grace, pray for the retail staff you encountered (you should know their names) that day. Ask God to reveal Himself to them so they can choose to be followers or that their lives as followers are blessed. 

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you.
     Take this cup from me.
     Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36

This passage relates to events that took place in the Garden of Gethsemane. The sufferings of Christ begin to come to the fore at this point. Jesus is suffering according to the will of God but commits himself to his Father’s will, even if it turns unpleasant. Judas arrives at Gethsemane with a band of armed men to arrest Jesus, and Jesus submits to arrest. The disciples resist at first, but when they see Christ’s submission to arrest, they flee. The disciples rejected the idea of a suffering Messiah, and when they saw that Jesus was indeed committed to it, they abandoned him. 
 
How often have your prayers ended with words such as, “Your will, not mine”? What do you mean by this sentiment? Are you offering these words because you acknowledge God as omnipotent (all-powerful), Omnipresent (everywhere present), Omnibenevolent (all-loving), and He is omniscient (all-knowing)? Are you agreeing that the activities God has ordained for His creation since the beginning of time and for all eternity are righteous, wise and proper?
 
What happens when life’s rubber meets reality’s road? What happens when you are sitting in a hospital room, amongst the whirring and beeping of machine monitoring the vitals of a family member who is teetering between life and death? You pray, “God heal them”. You may add, “Not my will but yours,” but you want God’s will to align with yours. We pray, wishing to change God’s mind when forgetting we are invited to pray so, God can change ours. 
 
A large part of following Christ is allowing him to form our expectations. Failing to do so sets us up for disappointment and failure when His will goes in a direction we do not accept. We don’t want that ill family member to die. But if they do, we must not question whether we prayed enough, had weak faith, or whether God was listening. As hard as it is, we need to seek understanding from our prayers and experiences to continue pursuing and following God.