A Tale of Two Powers
Note from Jesus Dear Precious Child of God, Two powers — God and Satan — are at war over your eternal destiny. The story below illustrates the different goals of these two powers. No matter how alluring temptation may seem to you, the ultimate goal of the tempter — Satan, the evil deceiver, the devil, the evil one — and all the forces of hell can be seen from the condition of the man called Battalion. When you meet the man identified as Battalion, the forces of evil are literally hell-bent on his destruction. This devastation is Satan’s intent for you. However, the ultimate goal of your Father in heaven is for you to be in your right mind, for you to be learning from Me how to have purpose for your life, and for you to live out that purpose in your daily life. Notice the ways Battalion is described at the beginning of the events recorded in the verses below: He is isolated — actually driven into isolation by the demonic powers that control him. He is filled with destructive power. He is naked. He lives and sleeps in a cemetery — the place of the dead. He is uncontrollable. He has lost his sense of self-identity — he doesn’t even know his real name. He is aware of all of these problems in himself. However, as much as this man is in bondage to demonic powers, notice this one truth: he can still come to Me and fall at My feet despite the power of the demons in him wanting to be rid of Me! I AM more powerful than all of these demons. So notice what I do to bless this man despite the demons trying to use My identity to gain power over Me and send Me away. I deliver him from the demonic powers oppressing him. I return this man to a normal life and a right mind. I welcome the man into My fellowship and friendship. I send the man out on a mission to share his good news and My story of grace. Satan’s goal for you is clear: he wants to do with you what he did with Battalion. He wants to introduce hell on earth into your life. His temptations may look enticing. There may be no apparent signs of Satan’s destructive and evil intent in these temptations — at least not at first. But behind each temptation, there are traps designed to enslave you. I can help you break your bondage to these traps, although you are much better off if you avoid the traps all together! I have a goal for you. I want you to be My disciple. I want you to sit by Me and learn the way of true life from Me. I want to defeat the powers that desire to hold you in bondage and enslave you to self-destruction. I want you in your right mind — in control of your life and your decisions. I want you to find your purpose in Me. I want you to have a positive and influential relationship with your family and friends. But you have to choose Me… you must call out to Me for help… and you must ask Me to take control of your life and be willing for Me to do so! Not everyone will be happy if you choose Me. Some prefer to live out-of-control lives rather than to yield their lives to Me. In addition, the lure for you to go into a life under Satan’s control — to have that uncontrollable power at work in you — is just as destructive as it is strong. You must recognize that you cannot defeat the power of evil on your own. However, I can defeat it. In fact, I have defeated it through My death and resurrection. Do not despair in the face of great evil. Cry out to Me. Trust Me. Follow Me. Learn from Me. Share your story about Me with others. And when you do, you can know this: I will never leave you or forsake you. Verses to Live Notice how the “friends” of Battalion react when he is set free of the demonic spirits. They order Me to leave after I have liberated him and put him in his right mind. They cannot deal with Me. They don’t know what to do with a power they cannot control or understand. So rather than inviting Me into their small little world, they ask Me to leave. What about you? Will you ask Me into your world or order Me to leave? When they [Jesus and His disciples] get to the other side of the lake, in the Gerasene country opposite Galilee, a man from the city is waiting for Jesus when He steps out of the boat. The man is full of demonic spirits. He’s been running around for a long time stark naked, and he’s homeless, sleeping among the dead in a cemetery. This man has on many occasions been tied up and chained and kept under guard, but each time he has broken free and the demonic power has driven him back into remote places away from human contact. Jesus commands the demonic force to leave him. The man looks at Jesus and starts screaming. He falls down in front of Jesus. Possessed Man (shouting): Don’t torment me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! Why are You here? Jesus (calmly and simply): What’s your name? Possessed Man: Battalion. He says this because an army of demons is inside of him. The demons start begging Jesus not to send them into the bottomless pit. They plead instead to enter into a herd of pigs feeding on a steep hillside near the shore. Jesus gives them permission to do so. Suddenly the man is liberated from the demons, but the pigs — they stampede, squealing down the hill and into the lake where they drown themselves. The
30 Jan 2026
The Holy Spirit is a deposit or seal for every believer, guaranteeing the genuineness of our faith. He is also our helper on our journey on the earth. We need Him to be able to live a fruitful Christian life. Ephesians 1:13-14.
Affirming Their Best and Not Giving Up in Their Stumbles
I can’t help but believe that every time Peter heard a rooster crow, he also remembered the Lord’s words of affirmation and assurance. Shortly before his crucifixion, Jesus gave his closest disciples the following words of praise: “You are those who have stood by me in my trials” (Luke 22:28). What? How could Jesus say this to the loose lug nuts that we call his apostles? Didn’t he know they would all abandon him? Absolutely! Didn’t he know that Peter was about to deny him, and Judas would betray him? Certainly! Didn’t he know, especially after three years of being with them, that they were sometimes undependable, unpredictable, and petty? Of course, Jesus knew. Listen to the context in which Jesus spoke his words of affirmation and assurance: A dispute also arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. … “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials. And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” But he replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me” (Luke 22:24-34). Jesus knew the awful events that were unfolding before him. He knew that his disciples were weak and that their resolve would waver during his arrest, trials, beating, crucifixion, and entombment. He knew his apostles were loose lug nuts who made a lot of noise and were thoroughly undependable. He also knew there was goodness, strength, courage, resolve, passion, toughness, and hope, woven into the fiber of their faith. He chose to affirm the good even before the bad was fully demonstrated. The Lord made clear that Peter, his lead apostle, would stumble and fall but that his faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-32). Failure would have been for Peter to quit when he stumbled and abandoned his Lord for a time. Failure would have meant he wouldn’t have shown up to be with his fellow disciples after the Lord’s death. Failure would have meant that Peter would have quit in his sorrow and shame of denying he knew his Lord (Luke 22:54-62). Peter didn’t. And in his struggles, we find our hope. In Jesus’ handling of Peter, we find our example of how we need to treat each other in our stumbling moments. Jesus looked past Peter’s immediate and embarrassing denials to his potential to lead his fellow apostles to greatness: “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” I can’t help but believe that every time Peter heard a rooster crow, he also remembered the Lord’s words of affirmation and assurance. Jesus saw and affirmed the good in Peter, even though he knew Peter would stumble. Jesus did the same kind of thing with the other apostles. The Lord’s affirmation of their standing by him in his trials was not vain praise. They all would eventually give their lives to sharing Jesus’ story. Despite knowing that his closest friends would let him down, Jesus saw the good in them and the strength in them. He entrusted the message of grace with them. Doesn’t that say something important to us about our behavior in the bite-and-devour-world of hyper-criticism, shame-casting, name-calling, and blame-passing? If Jesus believed the best while knowing the worst in those whom he loved, shouldn’t we? Aren’t we all too eager to give up on a friendship, ditch a spouse, throw in the towel on those we once trusted, or turn our back on someone who let us down? Unlike Jesus, we let the worst day, the worst moment, the worst action of a friend, become the defining one in our relationship. We see their worst and we forever plaster it to them. That’s how we choose to permanently view them. We don’t practice forgiveness. We don’t remember the good. We don’t see the best. We label them with their worst. We can do better. We must do better because of the Spirit of Christ in us. We must do better because people matter eternally. We must do better because everyone we call a friend, a lover, a spouse, a confidant, or a mentor, is just as fallible and breakable, as we are. Each of them is as vulnerable to stumbling and letting down someone they love, as we have been. Yes, each of their stumbles could crush us, mar our friendship, and leave us wounded. But, should we forever define them by their stumble or by the years of faithfulness or their future years of goodness? What if Jesus treated us based on our worst moments and not when we are best selves? Thank God, Jesus doesn’t. He doesn’t see our horrible missteps as a final failure, but as a stumble from which we can turn, come back, and be able to strengthen others. Isn’t this affirming their best and not giving up on their stumble what Jesus is calling us to do in our family of faith? (See, Matthew 18:15-35.) After all, Jesus views us as those who have stood by him in his trials, people he looks forward to blessing in the presence of the Father! Special thanks for the use of images related to Jesus’
God’s Good Creation
Why such a sour look on our faces? We tend to forget that Christianity was formed in the womb of Judaism. Born into first-century Hebrew culture. Received and interpreted to us by apostles and evangelists who knew Jesus in the context of his Jewishness. Yet most of us know the Christian faith as it has been passed through the vocabulary, culture, and mindset of Greco-Roman culture. So what? One of the major “so-what’s” is the difference the two mindsets take toward material things. The human body in particular. And pleasure. Greek religion and philosophy separate material and spiritual, body and soul in a way foreign to Judaism. Hebrew thought sees persons as “living souls” in their totality. The invisible, spiritual part of a person is not trapped in a body (i.e., the Greek idea), but is made real and functional by means of it. Thus the goal is not to escape or to chastise the body but to direct its energy God-ward. Pleasure is not wicked. Laughter is God’s gift! But, that is hardly the notion most non-Christians reflect back to believers. They see us as a pretty joyless crowd. Rather prune-faced. And more inclined to scowl than to laugh. We seem to have worked hard to create that unhealthy – and, I might add, uninviting – image. Our “saints” tend to be dour, rather than smiling. They look austere, rather than lovable. They often appear rigid and forbidding, rather than humane and merciful. What a pity! Jesus went to parties. He enjoyed life so much that his critics tried to make him out to be a drunk and a glutton. He had friends. Enjoyed being with people. And made people feel comfortable around him. I have no problem whatever in seeing him raise a glass to say, “L’chaim.” To life! A long list of negatives is a poor way to define the gospel. The very idea of “redemption” is less about going to heaven when we die as it is making life here something positive and holy. Paul says Jesus “gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). Peter reminds Christians “that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you” (1 Peter 1:18). Steak, golf, sunsets, music, sex, money – not one is unholy. All are given by God to meet human needs. Directed toward him, each is both a celebration of his goodness and a participation in his fullness. Divorced from him, both pleasure and pain become vulgar. Not the act, but its God-ward direction makes it holy. In a world of wrinkled brows and wringing hands, one has to wonder if the rediscovery of godly joy might be our best advertisement for the faith we profess. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4-5 TNIV). About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades, been a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities and a med school. He is currently Professor of Philosophy & Religion at Lipscomb University. He is the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles.
Daily Prayer for January 30
Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. Isaiah 45:22-23, NIV Lord God, we kneel before you and worship you, for you do mighty deeds in heaven and on earth and allow us to become your children and your servants. You have done great things for many people, enabling them to serve you, and you will do still more. For you have promised that all our paths will be made straight. You have promised that all we do may be a service to you through Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, whom we follow. He will be revealed to the whole world, so that the nations will be called to serve you and your will may be done on earth as in heaven. Praised be your name, Lord our God! We open our hearts to you. In death and in life we are yours. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Hidden Life of Duck Women Elizabeth Wainwright James Rebanks learns from women who gather eiderdown on remote Norwegian islands. Read now My Childhood Friend, Renee Good Jane Clark Scharl Long before a federal agent shot her and she became a headline and a symbol, Renee was the best singer – and listener – in my church youth group. Read now How to Love Your Neighbor Simone Weil The sympathy of the strong for the weak is against nature. Read now The Backwoods Sculptor Chris Voll Barney Boller, a Bruderhof artist, shapes steel, bronze, clay, and wood. Read now The Science of Revenge Tim Maendel A new book helps us understand and overcome the world’s deadliest addiction. Read now
Today’s Verse – Mark 9:35
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” —Mark 9:35 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Did you hear that? Last! Last? Nobody likes to be last. When it comes to lines, we all hate to be last! Many of us have a hard time settling for second place, much less last place. Jesus, however, reverses the way the world ranks people (Luke 22:25-27). The person who is most important to him is not the person seeking status, Facebook® likes, a big following on social media, notoriety, or a place of honor at “bigwig” gatherings (events centered on status and influence). The most important person is like Jesus himself: they are willing to give up their rank, status, and place importance to serve the least, last, and lost. Why? Because that’s how Jesus was. For Jesus, being last meant being first in service and first in the eyes of God. My Prayer… Magnificent God, my Savior, you have made the world wonderful for me and have given your Son to redeem me. How can I ever thank you or repay you for your grace and kindness? Help me serve others with grace and kindness just as my LORD did. Please give me eyes to see people as you do, not judging by mere appearances, but valuing and treating people like Jesus did in his earthly ministry. I want to be willing to serve; to be last. So, where you place me (Luke 14:7-14) is in your hands. I pray in the name of the LORD Jesus, the one who washed his disciples’ feet to show them his love and the place of proper importance. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Questions You Need to Ask!
Note from Jesus Dear Friend, How’s your boat? No, I’m not talking about a literal boat you may own. I’m talking about the things in your life that furnish you security, a sense of safety, identity, order, or purpose. So let Me ask you again. How’s your boat? Are your investments up or down? Do you own your stuff or does your stuff own you? Has the job or person you trusted for security let you down? Are you working madly to keep your body and your appearance looking young and vibrant while fearing that aging is stealing away your identity and usefulness? Is your family all that you hoped it would be? Have your achievements brought you joy and a sense of fulfillment, or do you feel as if you have to accomplish more to be significant? Your boat is whatever you have used as your sense of safety, security, identity, order, or purpose. So how’s your boat? Here’s the truth: Sooner or later, something much bigger than you, something you can’t control, is going to rock your boat! So what are you going to do then? How are you going to face the raging storms of life if you are depending on a fragile and temporal boat? Today’s verses speak directly to one of life’s harshest truths: no mortal can protect or even navigate his or her boat in the face of life’s raging realities. Many who claim to follow Me have had Me along as a sleeping passenger, a mere mascot, someone to talk to through some of the minor squalls of life when they needed something fixed. They never really have given Me control of their boat. They’ve never handed Me control of the sails and rudder. Then when life’s storms hit, they want to know why I’ve let the troubles of life threaten them. So when the next storm hits and rocks your boat and scares you down to the depths of your soul, what are you going to do? I hope it will be this: I hope you will wake Me from being your sleeping mascot. I hope you will ask Me for help. And most of all, I hope when it is all done, you will ask the questions My disciples did when the storm rocked their boat: Who is this man? How can He command wind and water so they do what He says? Then, I hope you will make Me your boat and not just your mascot! Better yet, why not make Me your boat, your Master, your Lord, today… before the next storm hits and the waves pound and the wind blows? Verses to Live As you read today’s verses, ask yourself, “What is my boat?” Answer as honestly as you can. Then invite Me to be more than your passenger or your mascot; ask Me to be your Boat — to provide you security, direction, and your future. Picture this: One day Jesus and His disciples get into a boat. Jesus: Let’s cross the lake. So they push off from shore and begin sailing to the far side. As they progress across the lake, Jesus falls sound asleep. Soon a raging storm blows in. The waves wash over the sides of the boat, and the boat starts filling up with water. Every second the situation becomes more dangerous. The disciples shake Jesus and wake Him. Disciples (shouting): Master! Master! We’re all going to die! Jesus wakes up and tells the wind to stop whipping them around, and He tells the furious waves to calm down. They do just that. Then Jesus turns to the disciples. Jesus: What happened to your faith? The disciples had been terrified during the storm, but now they’re afraid in another way. They turn to each other and start whispering, chattering, and wondering. Disciples: Who is this man? How can He command wind and water so they do what He says? (Luke 8:22-25) Response in Prayer Lord Jesus, forgive me for making other things in my life my basis of security. I want You to be Lord of my life and the basis of my security. Please help me as I make You my Boat! Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2026, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
29 Jan 2026
Nothing that happens to us catches God by surprise. He called us to Himself even before we knew ourselves. Our task is to choose to walk with Him, to accept His invitation to be His close friend. Our second task is to learn what His will for us is. This understanding and hope is the anchor we need to keep us grounded in Him, no matter what happens. Ephesians 1:3-12.
Finding God’s Will
How in the world do we know what God wants? Ever have trouble determining God’s will for your future? You’re not alone. The questions are endless. Every new responsibility brings new decisions. How in the world do we know what God wants? To know God’s will, we must totally surrender to God’s will. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him (Romans 12:1 MESSAGE). Our tendency is to make God’s decision for him. Don’t go to God with options and expect him to choose one of your preferences. Go to him with empty hands – no hidden agendas, no crossed fingers, nothing behind your back. Go to him with a willingness to do whatever he says. Have trouble determining God’s will for you? The Bible says that if you surrender your will, then he will “equip you with everything good for doing his will” (Hebrews 13:21). It’s a promise! From Max’s book God is With You Everyday © Max Lucado. Used by permission. All rights reserved. About the author: Max is the best selling author of many many Christian books, a sought out speaker, and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Max is in real life what you see in his book — someone who loves Jesus and loves the same kind of people that Jesus loves!
Trust God to Lead
Why do we worry about what lies ahead when we know the One Who is already there? Worrying is one job you cannot farm out – but you can overcome it! And there’s no better place to begin than David’s beloved “Shepherd Psalm”: He leads me beside the still waters… (Psalm 23:2 ESV). David declares: “He leads me!” God isn’t behind me, yelling, “Go!” He’s ahead of me bidding, “Come!” He’s in front, clearing the path and cutting the brush. Standing next to the rocks, He warns watch your step there. Isn’t this what God gave the children of Israel? He promised to supply them with manna each day, but He told them to collect only one day’s supply at a time. Jesus reminded us to give our entire attention to what God is doing right now; don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow (Matthew 6:34). God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. God is leading you – so, leave tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow. Adapted from Max’s book Traveling Light. © Max Lucado. Used by permission. All rights reserved. About the author: Max is the best selling author of many many Christian books, a sought out speaker, and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Max is in real life what you see in his book — someone who loves Jesus and loves the same kind of people that Jesus loves!