Ruler of the Kingdom Air

Did I qualify for that as a member of the PFA? No. No. I didn't qualify, but I had an invite from a man who did. Forgive the analogy, but Christ walks with us into the Eternal VIP Lounge. Okay? And when we're challenged at the entrance, the reply comes back. It's okay. They're with me. That's where we're at. They're with me. We're with him. He's with us. He's qualified us. His grace qualifies us. We are in that place. We are the redeemed of the Lord. Saved, blessed, guided, loved, cared for. There is nothing we lack. [00:39:12] (71 seconds)  #GraceQualifiesUs

So I find this lord at work. Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. We don't like using evil, but, you know, this is evil. This is what the word of God says. For in my inner being, I delight in God's law, but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am. Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? [00:22:51] (36 seconds)  #WrestlingWithSin

So what does Paul say? He said, look, our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world's darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. There's a spiritual battle going on, and we're in the midst of it. And I don't get it all. Absolutely not. I don't understand it all, but I know it's real. And that's why we're called to put put on the whole armor of God. Put on the whole armor of God. Equip ourselves to be ready, not once in a blue moon, but every day to be equipped, to be ready for what we face because of the devil's schemes going around like a roaring lion. [00:14:14] (55 seconds)  #PutOnTheArmor

And then God says and he challenged him. If you weren't to have all that, how would that be? And God says, okay. And God sets the parameters for what Satan can do. God is in control. God has the authority. And he allows Satan in this circumstance to test Job, but he sets the parameters. It's God who is Lord. It's God who's omniscient. It's God who's omnipresent. It's God who loves us and his grace is phenomenal. Satan does not have those qualities. Let's be absolutely clear. He's in one place at one time. When that when he had that conversation with with God, he he was God said, where have you been? And he'd be rushing around the world, having a look around at what was going on because he hasn't got an omnipresence. Let's not give Satan a an authority and a quality that he clearly does not have. [00:04:49] (63 seconds)  #GodSetsTheLimits

So, you know, like Paul said, take every thought captive. When you get those rubbishy thoughts coming in or the wrong attitude coming in, we can speak the word of to ourselves. And here, in that circumstance, Jesus spoke the word of God to Satan to rebuke him. The word of God is so important for us to know. It says, let the word of God dwell in you richly, dwell in you, not just be on the page. It's gonna be in us, part of us. [00:18:48] (32 seconds)  #LetTheWordDwellInYou

See, he takes full responsibility for our sin through faith in him, and he qualifies us for relationship and eternity. Hallelujah. Amen. Here we go. I remember still the PFA player of the year awards at the Grosvenor Hotel London. 04/13/1997. That is phenomenal memory. I looked at the card yesterday. Sitting at the table with Alan Shearer and other players I can't remember. Phil Wood. I didn't know even how to tie a black tie, but I know I managed it in the toilet. It was it was helping people. Did I qualify for that as a player? No. Did I qualify for that as a coach? No. [00:38:04] (70 seconds)  #SavedByGraceNotWorks

But thanks be to God, it's not about works. It's about grace. So when we go back to what Paul was saying, Here he is having this law, having this battle within himself, struggling through this wonderful Saint Paul. And at the end, which I didn't include last time, is verse 25 where he says, thanks be to God who delivers me through Christ our Lord. Hallelujah. Amen. [00:41:01] (27 seconds)  #DeliveredThroughChrist

God's love for us despite our existing state. Fantastic. God's love for us despite ourselves. Let me say, never doubt God's love for you despite yourself. Never doubt God's love for you despite yourself. So whatever we are, well, whatever circumstance we're in, whatever mess we've made of something, it's unchanging. It's unfathomable. It doesn't waver. It's ultra consistent. It's it's ridiculously generous. It's fantastic. It's to be received. We need to receive. [00:24:34] (54 seconds)  #NeverDoubtGodsLove