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Suffering? Nope that’s not for me!

Apr14

It’s only been a month since I returned from my 2 1/2 month stay in Africa where my son, daughter-in-law, and newborn grandson serve as missionaries.  And I am still processing the numerous lessons I was introduced to while there.  But there’s been one on my mind that continues to surface on a regular basis.

One of the conversations I had with my son as he was helping me get through a difficult time was the conflicting attitude many Christians here in the U.S. seem to portray.  It has to do with our attitude towards suffering.

SUFFERING?  Nope that’s not for me!

If I have lived my life as a good Christian should, then God will bless me.  And if something bad happens to me, I am going to pray and get as many  as I can to join with me, asking God to deliver me from this bad thing.

Please notice the following excerpt from my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, p. 38

Ever noticed how reluctant we are to suffer for Christ?  When someone gets sick, we automatically ask God to heal.  Take the suffering away and we deprive ourselves from learning how to handle suffering and as a result grow more like Christ.  Does anyone think that this life can be lived without suffering?  Not really, so why do we recoil from it when it comes our way?

Life can’t be lived without experiencing difficulty.  Yet the fiery darts persist in trying to convince us that if we live our lives as a good Christian should then our lives will be blessed and that should result in an easier life.  I don’t really think any Christian would say they believe such nonsense, but by the way we ‘recoil’ from suffering and automatically begin praying to be delivered or be healed, I think we are acting as if we do.  You think?

We want an easy life, or at least that’s what the fiery darts will try to convince us of.  But we experience salvation, the hope of eternal life, abundant life in the here and now–and the list goes on and on–JUST BECAUSE someone was willing to suffer on our behalf.

Be ever so careful my dear ones when hard times come your way.  There’s a sweetness in that trial that will only be tasted as we submit our wills to God and trust Him to work it all out for our good.  (Just like Romans 8:28 says)

James 1 encourages us to count it all joy when we suffer from trials and tribulations.  Why? Because there is something lacking in our lives and if we will only cooperate with God as we go through these trials, then whatever is lacking will be supplied by that trial.

Oh, I can just hear that fiery dart being whispered in your head about now.

“Are you kidding me? Whatever it is that’s lacking, I’m sure is something you would rather live without, right?”

You see, the fiery darts want to cloudy up your thinking so that you won’t remember verses like Jeremiah 29:11, where God reminds us that His plans for us are good plans that will give us a hopeful future.  The Holy Spirit reminds us, we have to cooperate with God as He works out those plans.

Are you going through a hard time right now?  As God to help you identify the fiery dart thinking that is keeping you from identifying the power God supplies you with to be victorious.  As a matter of fact, refer to p. 79 in my book and learn how to attack the fiery darts that are designed to pull you down so you will know NOTHING of the victory God has planned for you in that trial!

Thinking Happy Thoughts!

Apr3

While in Africa visiting my newborn grandson and working along side my son and daughter-in-law, I had pointed out to me by God a verse of Scripture that is powerful in fighting off fiery darts.  Here it is:

“Finally, brothers and sisters whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” Philippines 4:8

For some reason I can’t explain, that verse had been totally overlooked by me until now.  You see my ‘go to’ verse to fight off fiery darts has been

“No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;” Isaiah 54:17

In my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, (p. 79) I urge my readers to do the following:

Afterword

Here are five simple steps to keep in mind when you are faced with a fiery dart:

 1.  Examine the negative thought.

 2. Ask yourself this question:  What is the purpose of this thought?

 3.  Acknowledge it as a fiery dart, if the purpose is to pull you down in any way.  Then, personalize this prayer based on Isaiah 54:17, “May this weapon formed against me not prevail.” (Keep in mind that conviction brings restoration, a fiery dart brings condemnation.)

 4.  Search your concordance for a Scripture that addresses that issue, after determining the TRUTH you need to combat the lie of the fiery dart.

 5.  Call upon the TRUTH of the Scripture from Step 4, every time you are tempted with the fiery dart.  

If you’ll notice in Step 4, I instruct my readers to search the Scriptures for a truth that will combat the lie of a fiery dart.  This is what I believe the verse in Philippines is making reference to.

You see, the verse communicates that we are to fill our minds with thoughts that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and/or praiseworthy.

Why should we do that?

It’s simple, really.  When you are bombarded with a fiery dart, it won’t turn loose of your thoughts very easily.  It will return. Consider the following verses:

Matthew 12:43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”

I thought of this verse as I contemplated what happens in our minds after we have rejected a fiery dart with Isaiah 54:17.  When we rid our mind of the fiery dart thought it’s imperative that we fill the space the fiery dart occupied with a positive thought.  (Philippine 4:8) Right?

So, the smart thing to do would to fill that space with a Truth given to you by God based on His Word that nullifies that fiery dart.  See, I told you it was simple!

It is so disheartening to me as I listen to my fellow Christians who by their conversation I can tell they are loosing the battle against fiery darts.  These are dear ones who haven’t developed the sensitivity to recognize the fiery darts that are bent on destroying them.

Please dear ones, learn how to recognize those fiery darts and how to wage war on them.  You shouldn’t be having so much defeat in your lives; you should be glorifying your Heavenly Father by accepting the power He extends to you to be victorious over them.

Fiery Darts? Oh I know what that is!

Mar27

FYI I have recently returned from a 2 1/2 months stay in the land of Uganda in order to visit with my son, daughter-in-law, and brand-new grandson.  And while I went there on a grandmother’s mission, God added an aspect to my mission that was quite unexpected.

I won’t go into any details here about the alterations God made in my trip but I invite you to read about that in my other blog:

http://missionarysmom.wordpress.com

I mention my trip because of the insight God gave me due to my experiences there into what He continues to teach me about fiery darts.

* * * *

First of all, I’d like to address something that became apparent to me during my stay in Uganda.  I am concerned that the term ‘fiery darts’ is a term perhaps overly familiar to Christians.  Why would that cause me concern?

If you are overly familiar with something, you tend to take it for granted.  Right?  So in applying this thought to the term fiery darts, it is becoming apparent to me that when I bring up fiery darts in a conversation most people (esp. Christians) assume that they know  what I’m talking about.  And I believe they do too; just not as much as they think they do.

It took an in-depth study and lots of years of personal experience for me to be able to identify the fiery darts that were plaguing my mind.  Then after God introduced me to what fiery darts were (and who was responsible for wielding this weapon against me), He began teaching me as to how I could counter their attacks.

From all of that came the book:

Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice

Once you start reading the book or even just glancing over the table of contents, you’ll discover that there’s so much more to know about fiery darts than just being able to define them.

I encounter Christians who are unknowingly being victimized by fiery darts. While they might  even acknowledge a negative thought as a fiery dart, they are unskilled when it comes to preventing these fiery darts from defining attitudes and/or actions. Or worse yet, they aren’t able to recognize the fiery darts that’s victimizing them!

So what am I trying to say here?

What these Christians need to do is to educate themselves about this term they are so-o-o familiar with, because defining the term ‘fiery darts’ is just the tip of the iceberg.  Obviously, getting your hands on my book (or even rereading with the intent of studying it if you already have one) is something I strongly suggest.  The benefit of studying my book is that I have gone through the trials that taught me how to recognize and fight fiery darts.  You can benefit from the lessons I learned in those trials by making my book an object of your personal study. (You can’t imagine how much better that will be for you!)

Or do an in-depth study of your own on this subject.  Whatever you do find out all that you can to thwart the attacks of fiery darts.

In my next post, I’d like to share with my readers a little jewel God gave me while in Africa which added to my own arsenal to counter the attack of fiery darts.

How to get my book

All you have to do is to google the title of my book:  Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice  to locate my book online.  And for you e-readers it’s available on Kindle!

Or type in the following website:  http://newbookpublishing.com     to order a book from them. (they have it on Kindle as well)

And for those of you who live in my area, you can get a book from me personally.  Contact me at     janetwarrenlane@gmail.com   for details as to cost.

The Fiery Darts of Parenting Series – Negative Teasing!

Sep8

Because my book only contains two areas of application (marriage and adolescence) where fiery darts are concerned, I am being impressed to include a series of posts having to do with the application of how to fight the fiery darts encountered in parenting!  Up until now, the theme of my blogs have been a bit random.  Well, maybe not a bit but a whole lot random.  It was suggested to me way back when I began blogging to do something like I am now attempting, but it just never happened.  So, here goes people.  As always, I welcome and appreciate your feedback.

NEGATIVE TEASING!

Oh, mom, I was only teasing!  You know I don’t really mean that!  Lighten up, we were only having fun.  

Are you kidding me? !  Since when has it been okay to put someone down or say all manner of false things about them as long as you say it in a kidding way?  Since our day, that’s when.  And may I be more specific here–since our kids (and us adults) have been exposed to a steady diet of negative teasing disguised as humor on almost any sitcom you care to watch.  TV and movies are masters (and I emphasize the word, ‘masters’) at this type of negative humor and the power of their influence can be seen and felt whenever a group of people are hanging out together. (It makes me sad to write that!) 

Given the fallen nature of man, we shouldn’t be surprised that we have succumbed to thinking that humor is a lot more funny if the words we use are negative!  And while I’m not surprised that people who reject Christ and His teachings have embraced this type of humor, it bothers me DEEPLY that Christians have bought into this LIE! (I’m just calling it like I see it folks)  Actually, it’s one of the most popular and successful fiery darts in use today! Um!

I was disturbed about this when my own children were small.  So much so that I became very selective about what they watched on tv and videos (no dvd’s back then) and I limited their amount of exposure to both.  That’s when the family rule, NO NEGATIVE TEASING, came to be established.

Here’s an example of it’s early beginnings.  When anger is being expressed, it’s only natural to verbally express that anger.  Right?  And you can’t use just any words!  It has to be words that pack a punch!  So, whenever my children expressed anger in the midst of some conflict they were having with each other, out would come those words that had been sitting there in their minds just waiting for the opportunity to be released!  It would be at times such as these that they would hear me say something like the following:

  “Your sister (or brother) has a perfectly good name.  You will use that name when addressing each other.”

My children figured out that they could get away with using hurtful or negative words as long as they cloaked it in humor.  (Do you suppose the idea originated with Mary Poppins?  You know, “A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down! There goes that fallen nature again, taking a good idea and perverting it!)

Well, just like Barney Fife, I nipped that negative teasing in the bud!  Whenever, I heard negative teasing disrupting the peace of our home, I countered with what became a very familiar phrase around our house,

“That’s negative teasing!”

It worked pretty good, I’m pleased to say.  And you can be sure that as my children grew older and wiser, they wouldn’t hesitate to call their father or I down when they heard either one of us violate the family rule!  (Parent’s struggle with that ole fallen nature too, you know! Not an excuse; just stating a fact:(  My children held my feet to the fire on that WHENEVER they had the opportunity.  (Don’t you just love the accountability factor that can prevail in a family!)

Actually, it’s all about making memories (which I’ll cover in another post).  I was keenly aware that my children would be making all sorts of memories as they grew up in our home.  I was determined and deliberate that most of those memories would be positive.  Therefore, negative teasing had no place in our home.  And apparently, God agreed!  Note the following verse:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Taking this verse to heart then we will examine the words that are coming out of our mouths either in anger or in jest and if those words don’t build up those who are listening to us according to their needs, then we need to zip it! And keep it zipped until we have determined what our hearers need to hear and thereafter, fashion our words accordingly.  Good idea?

 

Just something from my heart!

Jun27

  “And it came about when all our enemies heard of it, (that the wall was completed in 52 days) and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God.”  Nehemiah 6:16

Ever read the account from Nehemiah about the rebuilding of the wall?

 “The book of Nehemiah is an account of the returning exiles from Babylonia–the third and last, and the one in which the wall was rebuilt.  Nehemiah, the governor, had the responsibility of coordinating the rebuilding of the wall surrounding Jerusalem.  The work was going well in spite of much opposition through slander and treachery.  Though the enemies were relentless, they did not take into account Nehemiah’s strong reliance upon God, and each of the schemes was met with failure.  Nehemiah set a dramatic example for all to follow in successfully fighting against the onslaught of fiery darts.” Excerpt from Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, p. 7

Has God ever called you to a task that seemed beyond your strength to accomplish?  Nevertheless, you armed yourself with God’s promise and you accepted the equipment He furnished you with to get the job done.  Armed with the confidence of God’s promises and faith in God’s Word you then set about climbing this seemingly insurmountable mountain!

Then a ways into the work, your strength began to wane.  Your helpers who so enthusiastically supported your leadership in the beginning became disgruntled.  The work wasn’t going fast enough.  It was taking too long.  The ranks became disunited and began to question the wisdom of continuing along the path that had been laid out before them.  It didn’t seem to be working anymore.

Read the following, if the above has ever happened to you.

Thus in Judah it was said, “The strength of the burden bearers is failing. Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable to rebuild the wall.”  And our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them, and put a stop to the work.”  Nehemiah 4:10-11

The fiery darts are obvious aren’t they.  The enemy is subtle and deceptive.  He sneaks in among God’s people and sows discontent, disunity, causes them to loose their focus, creates doubt, disheartens the people involved;  oh you name it and the enemy does it.  He’ll do anything and everything to stop God’s work!

But you know what, Nehemiah was wise to the enemy’s tactics!  And because Nehemiah didn’t loose his focus, listened ONLY to God, and feared no man, he could not easily be deceived.  Nehemiah was obedient to what God called him to do and shut out the fiery darts (which I might add, were often coming from his own people; the people he was leading) and after more fiery darts than any of us could imagine,

THAT WALL GOT BUILT AND EVERYONE RECOGNIZED THAT THE WORK HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE HELP OF GOD!

 Hallelujah, for God’s team.  Now that’s the team I want to be on when the chips are down, when plans are crumbling all around me.  Sure, that’s not very comfortable or desirable BUT if you hang on during those tough times and determine to be an instrument for God to accomplish His plan, your faith will spark other’s faith and you can lead the fray back to the path they wandered from.  You want to know how?

Then read another excerpt from my book:

Giving into such a temptation is all the more likely if we are not grounded in God Word and if we aren’t strong enough in our trust of God’s provision and protection.  We become susceptible to the lies used against us, thus increasing the possibility of succumbing to the temptation of giving up on what God has called us to do. (p. 10)

The Enemy’s plan had not changed–to stop the work.  Nehemiah’s assignment had not changed either–to rebuild the wall.  He had his mandate and he would be faithful to follow through.  (p. 10)

Because Nehemiah was so close to God, he recognized anything that did not appear to be of God.  Therefore, the lesson we must grasp is that closeness to God is vital to our understanding in what the Enemy is up to and how to respond.  Satan will not only use our own thinking to deceive us, but will attempt to use others to foster that deception.  Therefore, our closeness to God will be our greatest protection.  By delving into Scripture for a word from God, the Enemy’s plan will be exposed and we will have the ammunition to counter attack. (p. 11-12)

So that’s how you do it my dear readers.  That’s how you shoot down the fiery darts.  Just following Nehemiah’s example.  Now I suggest you get out your Bible and start absorbing Nehemiah chapters 1-6.  There’s a lot of good stuff in there about how to defeat the enemy and avoid allowing yourself to be manipulated by him.

BUT REMEMBER:

Satan wants to keep you from reading this account in Nehemiah, so don’t be surprised when those fiery darts tell you, “Oh you’re familiar enough with those chapters so you don’t really need to read them.”

Satan desires to keep you from praying and seeking God’s will. So again, don’t be surprised when those fiery darts try to convince you that any discord you are sowing is justified and your ways seem right to you.

 Prov. 14:12, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

(Just saying’)

 Oh, here’s a final word to remember:

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:16-17

It’s Complicated…….NOT! or Three Simple Steps to Successfully Fight Fiery Darts!

May15

Recently, a young friend shared with me her experience in defeating an attack of fiery darts. I was so intrigued with the simple yet powerful process that led to her victory, that I thought I would share it with you here.

First, she had been praying (Major component of any encounter) about a job change.  It seemed to her that God had been leading in a particular direction which she pursued.  Then everything fell through and she didn’t get the job.  Of course, she was confused and upset, for this was the job she’d been hoping for.

Initially, her emotions were defined by her severe disappointment.  However, soon the Holy Spirit sent her the following verse b/c remember she had been praying:

“Trust in the LORD, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.” Prov. 3:5-6

Therefore, she cried out to the LORD, “LORD, I don’t understand and I don’t know what to do, but I’m trusting in You.”  She just kept praying that prayer over and over.  Then she had the thought that she would email every organization she had been following and ask for their advice on how to get into the field without the benefit of experience in the area.  (I believe, that b/c her mind wasn’t awash with despair & confusion, her thoughts were free to be guided by the hope of God’s Word.)

The response was immediate from several organizations, offering advice.  But when a local organization contacted her and said they would be hiring soon and she should send them her resume, all my friend’s confusion vaporized.  For she had been following this particular organization for awhile and quietly yearned to be a part of it.

At this writing, the results are not in about whether my friend got this job, but I wanted to share this now b/c the main victory’s already been won.  In this life experience my friend has given us a clear example of how to fight successfully those fiery dart attacks. ( I’ll get back to you and the job thing)  In the meantime, allow me to review:

1.  Acknowledge the fiery dart

2.  Find a verse to focus on

3. Allow prayer and God’s Word to define your attitude and/or actions

I think it’s important to understand that the fiery dart my friend encountered was designed to create frustration, disappointment, and to dishearten her to the point that her attitudes and actions would have be set in a downward spiral.  Yet, she broke this destructive and predictable cycle by simply turning to God and saturating her mind with a word from Him then allowed that fresh hope to define her actions from that point on.

But watch out!  Satan will attempt to convince you that this process is not nearly as simple as all this.  You know, the all too familiar catch phrase used these days when people have succumbed to overwhelming attack of fiery darts and have no clear understanding of what God would have them do (largely b/c they are not familiar with this whole fiery dart thing):

“It’s complicated!”

(Don’t be bamboozled! Remember! that’s a fiery dart!)