Posted on by Christian Armetta

Tempted yet Triumphant

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

freedom

In order to fully understand this passage, we must back up just a bit and read Matthew 3:16-17, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'”

After this mountaintop revelation and spiritual experience, Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. As the reader, you almost want to look up from the Bible, tilt your head, and simply contemplate the sequencing of events between these verses…in turn, you really want to say, “Huh? What just happened here?” In one sense, there is pure joy, celebration, and affirmation. Then in the blink of an eye, there is trial, tribulation, and pain. What I truly love about this Biblical application is how familiar this sounds to our everyday lives. This just might sound like your life too. How many times have you gone from mountaintop moments to deep valley difficulties within a blink of an eye? See, you can relate! This is why God is a personable Father! He can relate to absolutely every one of life’s moments! The common denominator is that Jesus experiences VICTORY in both mountaintop moments and deep valley difficulties. We can most certainly learn from Him and we must lean on Him daily. 

First, there is victory in God the Father affirming the identity and mission of His Son, Jesus Christ, as we witness the trinity converge during Jesus’ baptism. Secondly, there is victory in trials as Jesus used the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, to successfully defeat the devil despite being physically weakened from hunger. We are taught in Ephesians chapter 10 to put on the full armor of God. Most of the armor is defensive in nature: belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, gospel of peace fitted over your feet, shield of faith, helmet of salvation. Yet, there appears to be one offensive tool: sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Why is there only one offensive measure? Because you only need one to defeat the devil! The word of God is that powerful! Yes and amen! The most amazing thing is that devil knows it too! Do not stand for his lies. He cannot control you when you are under the authority of Jesus Christ. James 4:7 clearly states, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” AMEN!

armor of god

Question: How can you learn to achieve victory in life’s mountaintop moments and deep valley difficulties?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Rooted

Colossians 2:7

7 Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.

Rooted

I received a drawing from my wife today that stated, “Rooted in Him.” First of all, it’s refreshing to receive a word from the Lord through your spouse as I pray over her daily before leaving for work early in the morning. I pray that God will equip her and gift her to share His message of love, faith, and salvation to all those she comes into contact with daily. It’s not uncommon to see her sitting in her favorite chair with countless Bibles and reference books at her side digging into Scripture. To me, I see a godly woman planting roots in Christ. What a wonderful example!

Rooted in Him

We are reminded that developing spiritually deep roots takes work. One must truly dig into God’s Word to learn about Him. We must also communicate with our Creator daily. This is more than “checking off the list” that you said your morning and evening prayers. To me, this involves true interpersonal communication with your Savior throughout the day. This is what “praying without ceasing” means to me. I want to be so “deep rooted” that my thoughts automatically go to Him in time of praise, request, petition, or need.

My biggest personal revelation regarding being rooted in Christ involved being “deep rooted” as mentioned above. What does this really mean? In plant science, we know that deep roots aid in drawing nutrient rich minerals, water, and elements to the plant. Roots that are embedded deep within nutrient rich soil are most certainly healthier. Nutrient rich soil aids in preventing diseases and builds a strong foundation.

Do we see the connection?

Growing deep spiritual roots in the vine of Christ ensures spiritual health and stability. This does not guarantee freedom from storms and floods. Yet, strong spiritual roots anchored in the vine of Christ will never fail or be destroyed by the things of this world. The trials we persevere while on this earth will not destroy those who are rooted in Him.

Question: How will you develop deep spiritual roots in Christ?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Miracle

Luke 8:50

Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

healed

I pray that you continue to lift up the Allen family and sweet Elley as she recovers from brain surgery. There is power in prayer, and I believe fully that the prayers of this community and those afar are flooding Heaven’s throne with heartfelt petitions for a true miracle. The amazing part is that God hears each and every one of them!

There is nothing more precious than watching a child demonstrate such strength and courage in the midst of a storm. In essence, I would say this is a perfect example of encountering Jesus. You see, Elley’s testimony will impact the masses. Her childlike faith will be a beacon of light that will shatter darkness and dispel doubt and fear. Her story of trial and healing will draw others to Jesus for our God does not waste a single moment to increase His Kingdom. However, you must see this through the eyes of Jesus.

Matthew 18:3 says, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” What is Jesus saying here? We must enter His presence with meekness, humility, and submissiveness. There is absolutely zero tolerance for pride and egocentrism. Sadly, as we grow older we trade maturity and wisdom for pride. I beg you to crucify the flesh daily and seek His ways with childlike faith.

Dear friends, have you truly encountered Jesus? Have you witnessed a miracle? First and foremost, the mere fact that you are taking in oxygen and your organs are functioning without your voluntary control is indeed a miracle. I pray that we never become desensitized to that. Secondly, watching the video of this precious child walk and talk following brain surgery is most certainly a miracle. I give God all the praise and honor for His watch-care. Psalm 139:1-3 says, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.” You see dear friends, we never escape His eye! He is acquainted with all our ways. Therefore, trusting in Him is the only answer.

I believe in miracles! I am praying for a continued miracle. Even more, I pray that God will turn what Satan meant for tragedy into testimony. I simply smile at the fact that Satan lost! The Allen family refused to curse God for they know He is worth of praise despite the trials. Furthermore, we could all learn from the childlike faith of Elley. Allow this testimony to take root and grow. Praise God for Elley’s faith and the outpouring of love. We give You all the honor and praise for You are worthy.

Question: Have you approached God with childlike faith?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Glory and Priase

Revelation 7:12

They sang, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to our God forever and ever! Amen.”


Reflection is a powerful action. It requires one to engage in serious thought. I also believe that in moments of true reflection, you step into pure humility. Can we all just admit that we are not as important as we would like to think we are! 

Pride is a dangerous attribute. James 4:6 says, “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, ‘God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'” So the question becomes…when you reflect upon your life,  do you place your focus on yourself or your Creator?

Stepping outside of yourself is not only humbling it is freeing. I pray that God equips each of you with the very best gifts to further His Kingdom. Yet, we tarnish these precious and perfect gifts by our own interference. For He alone is perfect, holy, and just. 

This passage in Revelation brings such clarity in praise. It is almost as if the descriptors which reflect God’s character could go on forever. In fact…they do. Every praise is to our God! The entire world’s vocabulary including all components of language therein from semantics to syntactic cannot begin to describe His glory and grace! He absorbs all things pure because He emulates perfection. 

As you reflect on God our Father today, I pray that you first approach the throne with humility. Then strip off all things “self”; that might be your biggest challenge but it’s required. Then you will only be able to utter praise and worship for He is worthy! Dear friends, no matter what you faced today or will face tomorrow, He is worthy of our praise!

Question: Have you stopped and reflected lately?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 6 Comments

Letting Go

“14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

faith

How many of us would admit to always trying to help God?—o.k., yes me too. My heart is heavy today. I find myself wanting to help the brokenhearted, but I just can’t. Well…not in a physical sense I cannot. As a natural problem solver and overly logical thinker, I find myself analyzing every possible solution to problems that only God can fully comprehend. Yet, there we go entering the Holy of Holies with tablet and pen ready to show God just how amazing our analytical outlines are—boy He should be proud, and I’m certain He must need my input….wrong!

Throughout God’s Word we hear repeatedly…be still! The Almighty does not need your assistance dear friend. Now don’t get me wrong; He might call you, but that is different than seeking your opinion because He cannot form His own! Trust me, God is not pacing back and forth, pondering life’s most difficult questions while biting His nails. In fact, He is so in control, He set the course of time before time existed…is our mind blown yet?

Our world changes in an instant. Laughter at the dinner table quickly turns to sadness when someone calls to deliver devastating news. You see your daughter’s dreams vanishing from her eyes as the nurses wheel her away for emergency surgery. The joys of motherhood turn into mourning when you no longer feel the flutters from deep within. Yes, our world does change in an instant, but our God fights for us when we remain still — IN HIM!

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We will never fully understand His ways because frankly…they are HIS WAYS and not ours. But what I do know is He is kind, He is loving, He is merciful, He is good, He is peaceful, and He is always working for our good.

If you are in the middle of a storm, I want to encourage you today. Continue to be faithful! 1 Corinthians 1:9 says, “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” No matter how deep your valley, God’s faithfulness will find you there. Therefore, be still my friend and let God fight your battles for you!

Prayer Request: As prayer warriors, I ask that you lift up a dear family today. Please remember the Allen family as their daughter has undergone brain surgery. We lift her up into God’s hands for complete healing and recovery. I pray in the name of Jesus that this healing will be a testimony to bring a whole community into Your presence and Kingdom. This precious child will speak Your life, Jesus, onto all those she comes into contact with. In Jesus name I pray-Amen.

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Inadequacy

Luke 5:18-26

18 Some men took a man who was not able to move his body to Jesus. He was carried on a bed. They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was. 19 But they could not find a way to take him in because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

21 The teachers of the Law and the proud religious law-keepers thought to themselves, “Who is this Man Who speaks as if He is God? Who can forgive sins but God only?” 22 Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to them, “Why do you think this way in your hearts? 23 Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’?

24 “So that you may know the Son of Man has the right and the power on earth to forgive sins,” He said to the man who could not move his body, “I say to you, get up. Take your bed and go to your home.” 25 At once the sick man got up in front of them. He took his bed and went to his home thanking God. 26 All those who were there were surprised and gave thanks to God, saying, “We have seen very special things today.”

Praying

God has spoken loud and clear today! He speaks everyday; yet, I’m thankful for the affirmations of His voice through various entities. Today, He has spoken deeply through three dear friends. Even more, these messages are in agreement with each other, which makes this even more special. The lesson: personal inadequacy, God’s love, and following God’s will.

In our struggle to remain in control, we find that we sit at the table with anxiety, stress, worry, fear, and doubt. We push back the chair and shout, “Enough!” I refuse to invite these demons as intimate company to my table. I no longer choose to sit in the presence of anything that goes against God’s promises and His commands. You turn around and something changes; you now see the filthy and ugly spirits that inhabit your personal space. How did this happen? I don’t want them here! Your eyes have been unveiled and the lies are uncovered. You are weak, bruised, and unable to carry your burdens alone! In what feels like the last ounce of strength, you call out for prayer! Your spirit begins to rebound and you find just enough strength to crawl into the inner sanctuary where Father God gently picks you up and places you softly under His wing – you rest! Yes – VICTORY! There is no defeat in surrendering to God! His strength is made perfect in our weakness.

In humble spirit, God places before you a vision while you rest. You see flashes of light breaking through the darkness and eliminating the doubts. You see warriors rushing into spiritual battle waging war through prayer and petition on your behalf – warrior angels all around! Legions upon legions of His mighty army are called to your right hand as your enemies fall. A path is created by the mighty arm of God’s protection where you see your prayer warriors reaching in to lift you up. Each one bearing a special gift. You are lifted effortlessly and carried into the inner sanctuary and placed at the throne!

You awaken in God’s arms feeling refreshed and full of light. You feel your questions leaping off your mind into God’s ears without uttering a single word. Your mouth remains closed as in full reverence – as it appears as though the tongue would taint the atmosphere. Yet, He hears you! He answers without hesitation and without prompting for He knows all things, “My child your sins are forgiven. You were brought here on the prayers of your friends. You were carried by those you entrusted, and they await your return.” In full abandonment, you can only utter, “I’m inadequate, my Lord! I cannot do these things you are asking.” With the tilt of His head and a piercing eye, He breathes His Word upon your spirit, “20 Now may the God of peace, who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus—the great Shepherd of the sheep—with the blood of the everlasting covenant,21 equip you with all that is good to do His will, working in us what is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. Glory belongs to Him forever and ever. Amen.

You begin to feel His love pour over your soul, pressed down, shaken, and running over. You are renewed, delivered, and sanctified. Through continued prayer and fasting, you gain an even deeper understanding of His calling on your life, your purpose, and your mission to do His will! You fully understand that in your own strength you will fail; however, with the strength of the Lord, all things are possible for you can do anything through Christ who gives you strength. Therefore, go and do as the good Lord has called you. Moreover, seek to remain under His wing and watch Him do far more than you could ever imagine! The seasons will change, your children will get older, and you’ll turn around one morning and remember the day you surrendered to His will – all for His glory!

Thankful for Christian friends and prayer warriors. Thank you Sarah F., Jeremy F., Aimee A., Leslie M., Katie T., Tanya J., Rita H. for all your spoken words today. You will never fully understand how your separate messages throughout the entire day were used collectively to speak God’s message today!

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Harmony

Romans 15:5

“5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement allow you to live in harmony with one another, according to the command of Christ Jesus”

Seaside1

I am often reminded of my previous therapy team that I had the distinct privilege of managing in Plano, Texas. We were just so different; however, we all recognized our common bond as human beings and citizens of this earth. I speak globally because this team represented just that – citizens from various countries across the world.  We had staff members from China, India, Iran, Mexico, Philippines, and South Africa to name a few. What made us different? Harmony!

Our physical features were definitely different from each other. We each had an accent of origin, varying worldviews, and degrees of beliefs. Are you surprised to hear that we enjoyed each other’s company? Even more, we enjoyed working as partners and co-workers for many years before several of us moved on to other locations. I will say that it is through the encouragement of our Savior Jesus Christ that we are to live in harmony with one another.

Sadly, we live in a world where the color of your skin is enough variance to pass judgement yet we bleed the same and Jesus died for all mankind. Even more, we live in a world where the origin of your birth is enough to persecute your neighbor. Furthermore, we congregate within our own cities and towns with those who only think like we do and most certainly believe exactly like we do because pride is soul-deafening.

My eyes span the masses and it’s always the same. We speak of unity and harmony yet our cognition succumbs to the traditionalism and habitual patterns of our existence resulting in stagnate character. This does not exemplify Jesus Christ! He was a master at seeking the different, the strange, the…shall we say, “Sinner!” This can only represent ever single human being – even the one staring right back at you in the mirror. His very existence emulated unity and love! In fact, I had a wonderful conversation with a very dear friend of mine just yesterday who shared this same sentiment. We truly cannot comprehend the depth and breadth of God’s love for us in that while we were still sinners He sent His Son to die for us! I fall on my face at the mere thought!

I pray that we spend each day seeking unity and love for our fellow man…in essence, living like Jesus!

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 2 Comments

Don’t Judge

Romans 14:12-14

“12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.14 I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean.”

judgement

This passage delivers such conviction! I strongly believe that each encounter, every single one, is inspired to teach. What are you learning from those you encounter each and every day? You are not simply on a hamster wheel without purpose and most importantly without destination. Your life is God-inspired and perfectly designed by your Creator.

I almost could not see through the endless piles of documents, patient charts, and mail as I opened by office door this Wednesday morning. You see, being away from work for over a week can be relaxing from some, but for others, let’s just say – stress awaits! In my organizational attempt to outline and complete my “to-do” list, I almost missed the most important part of my day – interacting with people – learning from others.

The “old me” would have basically locked my door and knocked out all my tasks until fully completed – to essentially achieve peace in accomplishment. However, let me emphasize, the “old me.” I’m not perfect, but I placed my worries and stress into the hands of Father God and kept my door open. Don’t get me wrong…you’re thinking, “What’s the big deal?” Leaving my office door open signifies, “I’m available to you!” Meaning, I will drop whatever I’m doing to listen and engage in your request, your problem, your story no matter what is in front of me or what deadline I must meet. For someone with a task-oriented personality, this can be rather difficulty – but I did it!

During one late afternoon open door encounter, I was brought to such conviction and quietness as one individual began to ask for prayer for a new onset of significant medical complications. My soul rested and peace filled the atmosphere as God appeared to say, “This is what life is about my child” – listening, engaging, sympathizing, ministering, and praying. This individual shared a profound prospective that is worth spreading to the world.

Through her eyes, she sees and has experienced judgement herself. People can truly be cruel, hateful, jealous, and down right mean. In her words, “After dealing with the loss of a child and a near death encounter myself, I choose to love others and show compassion. There is no time for hypocrisy, backstabbing, jealously, and rudeness.” These words were sharp yet needed to be spoken. It was almost like a cleansing. Truth and light are power. Darkness will be exposed and lies will be crushed! The devil has convinced many that it is our right to judge others. I mean, I have “better taste” than she does so that gives me the right to judge how she chooses to live; I have advanced educational degrees so that gives me the right to judge him for his lack of knowledge. I have lived in large metropolitan areas so that gives me a right to judge those who never left “small-town” living; I have worked in this job for a lot longer than she has so that gives me the right to judge her for her errors…o.k. you see how silly this sounds! We would never stand for this if someone outright verbalized this type of thinking. However, we ALL believe some form of this as it relates to our own lives. Let’s stop the cycle now!

We are not qualified, justified, or deemed righteousness enough to judge anyone; this can only be fulfilled by the hands of the Lord. Let us seek peace and understanding as we draw others closer to God the Father, not farther away!

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta

Living Water

John 7:37-38

37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

Living Water

After a long run on a rather humid Saturday morning, there is nothing more refreshing than walking into a cool room and grabbing a cold bottle of water. The liquid appears to cascade through valleys deep within the throat with a purpose to plunge into your core for complete and utter satisfaction; you initially almost cannot get enough. You pause only moments to catch your breath and then continue aggressively swallowing an overflowing amount of liquid until you are completely satisfied.

However, the sad truth about our earthly bodies is that this is only temporary satisfaction. While we experience immediate satiety, we realize this cycle must continue for complete wellness and hydration. This reminds me so much of everything this world “tries” to offer in place of God’s promise. There is absolutely nothing this world can offer that will fully satisfy you. Even more, there is nothing this world can offer that will save you! Earthly promises guarantee addiction. What do I mean by that? The initial promise is to satisfy a graving or an urge. Yet, you soon realize this promise never materializes. If anything, it punishes, takes away, and requires you to seek more.

My God offers a living water, a promise, that will not only fully satisfy your soul but will save you from eternal separation from your Maker. The only requirement -“Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!'” I am pained by all the religious rules and regulations we humanistically impose upon mankind. When Jesus bore the sins of every human, the veil was torn! There is no separation for those who simply…come!

So, today, I ask you this very important question – are you thirsty? Are you tired of not being satisfied? Jesus is offering living water for ALL who come! Don’t delay!

Thankful,

Christian Armetta 

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 3 Comments

Path

Proverbs 4:26

“Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established.”


I love God’s promises. They are well-established and true. I am sadly often reminded that we “trip” on our life’s path when we veer right and left from a straight path – God’s path. 

It starts with a glance. We quickly take our eyes off the cross ahead. Yet it’s only a glance; what harm can that cause in my life? However the seed has already been planted. Without rebuke and forgiveness, this seed grows in the cognitive soil of pollution. What grows is not a beautiful example of Christ’s character; instead, choking weeds sprout deep and entangle the soul – temptation! 

It starts with taking your eyes off your path. The evil one entices as a lure. Before you know it, you are clearly off your path and into the traps of the world. However, I am here to say that it only takes one action, one moment, one decision to make it right – forgiveness. Through God’s sovereignty, He graciously forgives those who humbly ask. You then place your feet firmly back on your straight path protected under His wing. 

No matter how far you’ve gone – there is absolutely no place untouchable by God. You can never be “too far!” Search Him today; seek His path, and set your feet firmly on His ways. Bask in His promises for your life. 

Thankful,

Christian Armetta