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Christmas and Fiery Darts?

Dec22

Secular Iconic Christmas image

What do fiery darts have to do with Christmas anyway?

   Maybe I should ask another question.

Is there anything about the way we here in America celebrate Christmas that bothers you? Whoa! Hold on, I can’t type that fast!

   Yes, it does seem that we have lost sight of the true meaning of Christmas. So much so, that we find ourselves in the midst of a cultural war  attempting to prevent us from even saying Merry Christmas in public places. 

   You see, Satan’s hidden agenda (Um, maybe not so hidden anymore) is to get us to focus more (a lot more) on Santa or some magical substitutional Christmas spirit than we do Jesus. Eventually, pushing Jesus out of the picture altogether, I’m sure!

   That is just a sampling of the problems with which we contend during Christmas. And if we aren’t careful  fiery darts like frustration, depression, selfishness, loneliness, greed, stress, or anger and certainly the lack of personal and world peace will find us vulnerable targets!

   The side affects of an over-commercialized Christmas are burdensome but added to that the persecution of Christians, especially in middle eastern countries, the heaviness of such a load is more than any of us could carry and the joy of Christmas seems beyond our grasp. 

But do not despair!

Armed with the following Truth thoughts we can wage a successful war on such fiery darts  and reclaim the blessedness of Christmas in spite of the darkness that tempts us to despair.  

   Jesus came to this earth as a baby, grew up and preached to all He could that God had sent Him to save the world. He accomplished this by dying on the cross and coming back to life–that’s what we refer to as the Resurrection. When we accept that personally then we have the promised hope of heaven and peace reigns in our hearts. (Fiery darts fizzle in the face of such Truth!)

And there’s absolutely nothing about Santa or a Christmas spirit that can compare to that; much less change that.

   We have the ability by God’s grace to resist the fiery darts, like the ones I mentioned previously, that accompanies an over-commercialized Christmas, and, instead, partake of the splendors of a Christmas centered on the love, joy, and peace inspired by faith in the Christ-child. 

And what about the cultural war on Christmas? Do you realize that all this upheaval only serves to broadcast the good news to anyone who has ears to listen. (I call that a fiery dart that backfired)

   Does the persecution tempt you to despair? Listen my dear readers, as horrible as it is, remember this–when a Christian leaves this earth they have Jesus and heaven waiting on them. For those they leave behind, this is their comfort! And their loved ones who believe in Jesus too, have the confidence that at some point in the future they will be reunited.

And why is this?

   Because a babe was born in a manger! 

Religious Icon of Christmas

Press Release for Fiery Darts

Nov18

READ THIS AND FIND OUT WHAT FIERY DARTS IS ALL ABOUT

 copy-book-pic1.jpg

“Did God really say…?” With one, seemingly, simple question Satan has been effective at casting a seed of doubt in the minds of believers since Adam and Eve. Satan has used the distortion of truth to try to destroy humanity from the time of creation. In Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice ($10.99, paperback, 978-1-936989-22-5), Janet Warren Lane explains how truth that is enveloped within a subtle lie can thwart God’s plan for Christians and devastate them spiritually.

As Lane explains, the lie enters as a negative thought or— a fiery dart from the Enemy. Although, Satan’s tactics are not new, when the lie is well-blended with some truth within the recesses of the mind, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between the truth and the lie. Believers accept the lie as truth and become accustomed to this pattern of negative thinking. This sets them on the path toward a destructive life course. “What we think determines how we feel and what we feel influences our actions,” says Lane.

The weapon of choice for Satan has always been getting the Christian to doubt God. He will disguise the fiery dart in such a way that believers will not even know they are teetering from its sharp sting. The result is a life plagued with unfulfilled dreams, shattered relationships, and maybe even— a turning away from God.

How do you discern between a lie and the truth before the lie defeats you? In order to recognize the counterfeit, that which is authentic must be known. Scripture is the weapon for every believer. “Knowing the words that proceed from the mouth of God, in other words, The Bible, we have those TRUTHS with which to contrast the fiery darts from Satan,” says Lane. She shares examples of verses that will help you neutralize the negative thoughts as they come in. The counter attack must be as swift as the fiery dart approaching.

Satan persistently attempts to frustrate the plans God has for each believer. It is time to become aware of the Enemy’s devices and reclaim what he has taken from you. Learn how to break free from the bondage of complacency and negative thinking in your life. You can now start enjoying the abundant life God has prepared for you. Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice will help you to clearly detect the imminent darts and ground you in your spiritual journey toward illumination.

For more information on Janet Warren Lane and Fiery Darts, please visit http://www.CertaPublishing.com/FieryDarts

AND PURCHASE A COPY FOR YOURSELF, OR A LOVED ONE, OR SOMEONE WHO YOU FEEL NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS LIBERATING MESSAGE!

 

Fear leads to panic! Prayer leads to calmness! We have a choice to make!

Oct26

Dear Readers,

Could we just ponder this post for another week? In light of all that’s going on in our country just now, perhaps it would do us well to pause here to rearm ourselves.

Every time we turn on the tv, browse the internet, or listen to the radio, the poisonous venom of fear attempts to snake its way into our minds. Fear mongers roam the earth seeking whom they may devour. From the looks of it, the fear mongers are progressing with increasing speed in taking victims hostage. 

You know what concerns me in all this? That Christians are suffering from a dangerous loss of memory!

THEY ARE FORGETTING:

 that ‘the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.'(1 Corinthians 4:20 NIV)

 about His all-consuming power, ‘who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations—let not the rebellious exalt themselves.’Psalm 66:7

 that ‘the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world’. 1 John 4:4 (NIV)

Beware the Spirit of Fear running rampant in our world!

The Spirit of Fear is armed and powerful. It’s agents such as terrorists, deadly diseases, weak and dysfunctional leadership, and vulnerable borders (to name the most obvious at present) stage a formidable force. Believe me, this is powerful fodder on which fiery darts feed. So, what’s a Christian to do?

Remember these Truth thoughts?

 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

Focusing on fear leads to panic.

Focusing on what God has given us–power, love, and a sound mind–gives us the power to resist fear and equips us to utterly defeat and destroy its agents. Reminding us that our God, is greater than any, ABSOLUTELY ANY, of our fears. 

Remember the following next time the headlines tempt you to fear:

Lord, so the headlines would like us all to lose our heads,
to be fear-driven instead of faith-still,
to panic instead of pray,
to be scared silly instead of courageously calm.
And no matter what’s swirling around us,
Your words come like the relief of a gentle, steadying refrain:
“Don’t fear… Don’t panic. God, *your God*, is right there with you” Deu.20:1MSG
And there’s this peace that is transferrable… from Your hand to our hearts…

And all the brave & trusting smiled & whispered their quiet Amen.

Ann Voskamp

Reclaiming Your Self-Worth–God’s Way!

Oct14

My Dramatic Transformation

As God exposed the weapons of fiery darts that for years Satan had skillfully used against me, my spiritual walk underwent a dramatic transformation. By teaching me what fiery darts were and how to counter their attack, my walk along the path God had set before me so many years before was illuminated to such an extent that my skill in recognizing Satan’s tactics dramatically improved along with my ability to successfully fight against the fiery darts. FD p. 6

A Pivotal Question!

For am I now trying to win the favor of people, or God? Or am I striving to please people?. . . Galatians 1:10 (HCSB)

     No Christian ever wants to admit that they are more concerned about pleasing people than they are pleasing God. But that is exactly what I, the people pleaser, was doing! God revealed this to me several years ago in the midst of a tumultuous episode when a particular decision I had made resulted in creating discord among many.

     For the first time in my adult life, people were severely displeased with me and I couldn’t handle that! At first! But after much counsel and doing some honest soul searching about the Galations verse, my course was redirected. My downward spiral was interrupted as God reached down and rescued me from the plans that Satan had concocted.

    Pleasing God now trumped pleasing people! It was quite liberating to live life that way! And on top of that I had the reassurance that,

When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7 (HCSB)

    Another powerful lesson learned during those days was how something that Satan meant for bad was turned into something good by God. Therefore, I saw all those involved as instruments of God’s will in helping me understand how important it was to please Him above all others. As a result there was no anger or bitterness on my part towards anyone.

     As I look back on events such as the one I just described through the lens of fighting fiery darts, I gain clarity about the work of Satan’s manipulation. Of how he can take my weaknesses and victimize me with my own thoughts. Now when those fiery darts try to infiltrate my thinking, by God’s design, I have a plan in place to reject them thus averting the devastation those weapons formerly imposed. 

No more downward spirals; depression has been defeated!

Who’s Messing With Your Self Worth?

Oct7
The Cognitive Triangle

The Cognitive Triangle

First we entertain a thought. That thought will cause certain related feelings. Thus, behavior is based on our thoughts and feelings.  p.16, FD

     Several years ago and over a two year period of time, I suffered from a serious bout of depression. I remember battling suicidal thoughts and deep sadness to the point that my prayers became a desperate cry for God to hold on to me because I had no strength left to hold on to Him.  I survived that dark time in my life but that’s about it. It wouldn’t be until several years later as God initiated my training in fiery dart recognition that I would be able to recognize the bondage that defined my existence during those two years. 

Here’s what happened to me and I see this same overused but deadly effective tactic of Satan’s still being used today!

     Refer to the diagram above. In my case I was a people pleaser. If I felt significant people in my life approved of me, then life was good and I felt good about myself. On the other hand, if there was strife or conflict in these relationships life was not good and I became convinced I had little reason to feel good about myself. Self approval you see was strongly connected to what others thought of me. (Or what I thought they thought!)

Do you see the pattern?

     First this negative thought (fiery dart remember) would plant itself into my head producing some very negative feelings or emotions. Never mind that these negative thoughts had no basis in Truth! The poison of these fiery darts seeped into my thinking producing destructive attitudes and behavior. 

     The purpose of these fiery darts, you see, was to diminish any sense of self worth that I might still possess. I was an easy target because it was way too important for me to have the good opinion of those significant people in my life. As relationships with these people deteriorated, so did my self worth.

I wonder if I have touched a nerve? 

     Are you sad seemingly all the time? Are you convinced you don’t measure up and that significant persons in your life don’t approve of you? Does the dangerous thought that your family would be better off without you ever sneak into your mind? Please hold on, for I have glorious news for you in my next post. In the meantime hold on to the following verse,

For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. To give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

Refusing Admittance!

Sep29

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     In observing the effect fiery dart thinking has on people, I am drawing some disturbing conclusions. I have listened and observed as people (whose lives exhibit some semblance of Christianity) describe a lifestyle that is in direct contradiction to the one given to us by God. They attend church ( perhaps not regularly) and know all the familiar Christian lingo. But they live as if there is no contradiction in their lifestyle.

How can this be?

     Could it be that they have lost their sensitivity to sin? They seemingly are not bothered with conviction about their lifestyle. Even though their lives are marked with pain and unfulfilled dreams, the realization that their disobedience could be the source of their disillusionment never kicks in.
     I know that when we are first convicted about sin in our lives, the temptation is to ignore it, deny it, or to begin justifying it. And though this is where the Enemy is most easily conquered, this is where for many Satan gains full entry.
“Above all, we must be especially alert against the beginnings of temptation, for the enemy is more easily conquered if he is refused admittance to the mind and is met beyond the threshold when he knocks. . . .Thus, because he is not resisted in the beginning, Satan gains full entry. And the longer a man delays in resisting, so much the weaker does he become each day, while the strength of the enemy grows against him.” p. 46 FD (Thomas Kempis)
     This, I conclude, is how an individual can live contrary to God and in alliance with the world without apparent guilt! The fiery darts that justifies their sin, if not resisted, will eventually release so much poison into their thinking that they become blinded to God’s Truth. Therefore, they may be convinced they are something they are not! You know, right becomes wrong!

But there’s good news!

These poisonous thoughts (fiery darts) CAN BE conquered dear reader! Not overnight, but by attacking one thought at a time, as directed by the prayer and Bible study I refer to in Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice! It will take some longer than others depending on the amount of poison that has infected their thinking, but there is a future for them that is free of this bondage! It’s God’s plan:
“‘For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future,’” (NIV) Jeremiah 29:11

Tempted to fear? Then read on!

Sep14

These are perilous days in which we are living!

      Over the weekend another beheading took place and an attack on an US embassy by a terrorist group was foiled in a major African country. U.S. citizens there are being asked to be watchful and careful!

      Fighting in Israel has disrupted daily life now for months. In my own country, a Jewish friend fears for her safety when attending the synagogue to celebrate upcoming holy days. I understand that it’s typical to have armed guards surrounding the synagogue during these events.

        All over the world, persecution of Christians is on the rise. Much of it originating within terrorists cells, not only targeting Christians but Jews as well.

        I have friends in the city where the US embassy was put on guard. They are okay at present but have been warned to be careful and alert. I also have family members living in a not too distant area from there.

Am I tempted to fear? You bet, I am!

Do I give into fear? Not as long as I do the following:

First, as soon as the temptation to fear enters my mind, I RECOGNIZE it as a fiery dart.

Second, I put up my shield of faith and RESIST it.

Third, I REPLACE the fearful thought with a Truth thought, and in this case it’s 2 Timothy 1:7,For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Every single time a fearful thought seeks to embed itself into my thinking, I shift into Recognize, Resist, and Replace mode of behavior.

What is the effect of this behavior?

God tells me that fear is not something from Him. So on that fact alone, I reject it! ! ! ! ! 

   God tells me He has given me the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind, instead. Therefore, any action I take, any words I speak, or thoughts I think, having to do with the evil running rampant in this world today should be defined by what God has given me–

NOT FEAR! ! ! ! ! ! 

Based on the following blog post:  https://fierydarts.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/the-3-rs-of-fighting-fiery-darts-revised-plan/

What is our calling in this era of persecution? What are the fiery darts that will distract us from that calling?

Aug12

     Slowly but surely the Sleeping Church is being awakened to the horrific persecution against Christians in Iraq. Those who react with disbelief cannot deny the pictorial reports of innocent children lying dead in the arms of ISIS soldiers. Suffering and persecution seems rampant from Africa, to China, to the Middle East, and even America (remember 911?)

AND STILL THE CHURCH SLEEPS?

MAYBE NOT!

WAKE UP TO SATAN’S TACTICS TO KEEP US DISTRACTED WITH FIERY DARTS.

RECOGNIZE that Fiery Dart thinking will insure the Church remains dormant!

-Of course, the initial response for many is to pray.  But the fiery darts will attempt to convince us that praying is a hopeless effort. 

-The fiery darts will have us focus on the horrendous images in the news, on the internet to the extent that we will be overwhelmed. We will begin to despair that the evil cannot be overcome and will continue to spread, no matter what we do.

-Guilt, is one of the most effective of fiery darts. It’s poison will have us feeling guilty for every blessing that is ours, feeling guilty because we aren’t over there trying to help, feeling guilty because the fiery darts have tricked us into believing there is nothing we can do. The guilt will increasingly weigh us down with every passing day.

-We turn our eyes and thoughts away from the genocide because the fiery darts induce us to think it’s too horrible to bear. So we coil up within ourselves and hide from the evil. Besides it’s far far away from us. Perhaps, it will eventually die down and just go away!

BUT HERE IS WHAT GOD HAS TO SAY IN RESPONSE!

-First and foremost Pray!

     Especially, Christians all over the world, but especially those of us in the USA. Can you imagine anything more horrible than children being beheaded and entire Christian communities being assaulted by rape and death? I can’t. Then what would only add to this gruesome image would be for Christians to think that praying was a feeble act.

(REJECT THIS THOUGHT)

(REPLACE  THE FIERY DART THOUGHT WITH THIS TRUTH THOUGHT)

But here’s how Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 felt about prayers: 

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,2 of mthe affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us nrely not on ourselves bout on God pwho raises the dead. 10 qHe delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. rOn him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 sYou also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf tfor the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.-

I would like to share with you a commentary made by a fellow blogger about the above verse as it relates to the heinous events taking place in Iraq and around the world.

The grievous trial that made them despair of even living was given so that they would not trust in themselves, but in the God who raises even the dead (He became their ONLY hope) AND the PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS HELPED HIM!  Can I just shout it again?  THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS DELIVERED A GIFT TO HIM THAT EVEN THEIR PRESENCE COULD NOT

http://robertsfamilyhope.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/awake-oh-sleeper/

Don’t know how to word your prayers? Here’s some help!

http://www.radical.net/blog/2014/08/take-action-looming-humanitarian-catastrophe/

  • Ask the Lord to awaken the world to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Iraq and to provide pathways for Christians and others to respond.

  • Ask God to miraculously protect the Yazidis and other Kurds who fled into the mountains; ask Him to provide a means of rescue and temporary homes for the refugees.

  • Pray that ISIS leaders and soldiers would experience the love of Jesus Christ and that their lives would be transformed.

  • Ask God to preserve and embolden the small remnant of believers in Mosul and Kurdistan, so that one day through their witness, every Iraqi might have the opportunity to hear the Gospel.

AND MIGHT I ADD TO FERVENTLY PRAY 2 CHRONICLES 7:14. 

You can also GIVE and here’s how!

BP: “Help respond to Iraq’s refugee crisis by donating to the International Mission Board’s general relief fund or by texting imbrelief to 80888, which will donate $10 to that fund. To give through Baptist Global Response, visit gobgr.org/donate or text bgr to 80888.” (More info here)

Christians at the polls; or not! Point No. 5

Aug7
OR, No Vote; no voice!

OR, No Vote; no voice!

Point No. 5

I can’t get to the polls on election day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGfXr88iYE

The Fiery Dart of Excuse No. 5

I am confident that many Christians have legitimate reasons for not being able to vote or get to the polls.  These are particularly susceptible to the fiery dart that if you can’t get to the polls then it’s okay not to vote. If we do not possess the conviction that voting is a God-given responsibility, then we are prime targets for this fiery dart.

However,

If you do possess the conviction that voting is a God-given responsibility, then you will find a way to vote!  If you need someone to come pick you up so you can go vote, you will find someone who is willing to give you a ride.  If you are physically impaired, then you will find out how you can vote; perhaps by absentee ballot.  But remember, where there is conviction, there is action and you will find a way to express your voice.

And by the way fellow Christians, get out there and find those people who legitimately can’t get to the polls and offer your assistance. It’s the Christian thing to do! Remember, there are those with ulterior motives who will beat you to the punch if you don’t.

*     *     *     *

The window of opportunity to save this country for ourselves, our children, our grandchildren and future generations grows smaller every day.  But I firmly feel, if those 60 million eligible Christian voters would accept their God-given responsibility to vote, (and get registered, if they aren’t already) our beloved America could be saved! No more excuses, you hear me! Just Vote!

 

 

Christians at the polls; or not! Point No. 4

Aug6
OR, No Vote; no voice!

OR, No Vote; no voice!

 

Point No. 4

My one vote doesn’t matter.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiGfXr88iYE

The Fiery Dart of Excuse No. 4

This fiery dart has been used for so long that you would think people would be wise to it.  Alas, it still finds receptive minds and successfully imbeds its poison into these minds. Satan blinds Christians (those who don’t bear the conviction that voting is a God given responsibility) from seeing that they are 60 million strong!  He isolates them and thus convinces them that they are alone! A dangerous place for anyone to be, much less a Christian.

However,

Here’s the truth that shoots the above excuse clear out of the water!

The video puts it this way, ‘You take one vote, based on biblical values, and multiply it by millions of other votes based on biblical values and what do you get? A landslide! It starts with one vote!’  Our beloved America is in trouble. Christians, we need to remember that we are a formidable force, if we will only band together!

I came across an article that proves and I mean proves the power of one vote. You have just got to read this:

 http://www.adawipartnership.org/Attachments/Voting_OneVote.htm

Wrapping things up next post, Point No. 5