WHO'S ON THE THRONE?

 WHO'S ON THE THRONE by Mary Carothers 

   "What I want to share this month is really directed to those who are born again in the Lord. With those who have been lifted our of Satan's kingdom of darkness into God's Kingdom of Light and Love; where Jesus is King (see Colossians 1:13).

   At the very center of our being, Jesus is to be enthroned, signifying His Lordship over our hearts and lives. But too often we allow Him to be lord over certain areas--while holding back parts we do not want to relinquish to God.

   We may allow Jesus to be lord in other areas of our lives, but cling to the right to choose our own friends and relationships, regardless of the Bible's command to not be unequally yoked with those of the world.

 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (NIV) says: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Satan? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

   When Paul used the word yoked, he was using it in the sense of being joined together with, committed to, or under obligation to someone who does not belong to Christ. He was not saying that we should not speak to or associate with people of the world -- we would have to leave this world to do that (see 1 Corinthians 5:10). He meant that we are not to hold them close to our hearts.

Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard you affections. For they influence everything else in your life." The enemy relentlessly tries to entice our affections away from Jesus. He really doesn't care who or what takes Jesus' place -- just as long as he can succeed in dethroning Christ.

   It can be with someone we live with or are friends with. It can be success in business, achieving skill and recognition in sports, academics or some other area. It is even possible for us to allow our ministry -- whether singing, preaching, writing, pastoring, teaching or whatever -- to gradually become more and more important to us than our Lord for whom we minister.

   Another area we often want to control is entertainment. It's okay to have fun. God has given us the ability to enjoy ourselves. But we need to ask ourselves some questions such as, "Does this bring glory to the Lord?"

"Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31).

   Some other questions might be, "How important is this to me? Do I care too much about it? If I had to give this up, how would I react?" Remember, whatever we give ourselves over to, that is what becomes our master and we become enslaved to it (see 2 Peter 2:19). The good news is that Jesus came to set us free from bondage (see Luke 4:18). Then we, like Paul, can say, "Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).

   Jesus encourages us in Matthew 26:41 to watch and pray so we won't fall into Satan's temptations. 1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us "to be alert and on guard." Why? So that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:11). 

Let's keep Jesus on the throne of our hearts and lives."

Our Prayer-

   Father, please help us recognize what may turn us away from focussing on Jesus! Make us alert to the devil's schemes, so we can outsmart him in his determination to get our eyes off Jesus and onto worldly things. Set us free from bondages that keep us from having freedom in our spiritual lives. In the name of Jesus we pray for Your help!  Amen!

Some Encouragement:

Jessie Penn-Lewis-"By faith in the risen Christ we walk on with Him, refusing all temptation to look within or turn back upon yourself at all. Let His Word dwell in you richly, teaching you His will for your manner of life, and pour out your heart's longings to Him that He might show Himself through you to all around."

Church notes:  BE READY TO SHARE

Live lives that give others a better understanding of Christ.
Our responses to situations show what we believe.
We're to stay away from evil, to be forgiving and to love others.

We're to say, "Yes, Lord!"

When we've experienced forgiveness, He can help us forgive others!

We'll become like Jesus.

God loves us as we are, but when we receive Jesus, 

He'll be determined to change us into Christ's image over time.

We're to care for the Body of believers and to be good examples. 

Today's Hymn: #148 

"I Need Thee Every Hour' was written on a bright June morning in 1872. Annie Sherwood wrote, 'One day as a young wife and mother of 37 years of age, I was busy with regular household tasks. Suddenly, I became so filled with the sense of nearness of the Master that, wondering how one could live without Him, either in joy or pain,  these words, 'I Need Thee Every Hour,' were ushered into my mind, the thought at once taking full possession of me." The next Sunday, Annie handed these words to Dr. Lowry, who wrote the tune and chorus while seated at the little organ in the living room of His Brooklyn parsonage. Later that year, it was sung for the first time at the National Baptist Sunday School Association meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, and published in a hymnbook the following year.