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Keep Christ in Christmas; not the Manger!

Dec12

Probably by now your ability to recognize fiery darts is on the rise.  And with that quickened awareness you are beginning to see what heretofore was hidden from you. A case in point is the fiery darts of Christmas, in particular the fiery dart of keeping Christ in the manger!

Even in today’s culture which favors a diversified Christmas, while shying away from emphasizing the birth of the Savior, we will allow for a babe in the manger.  After all, how intimidating can a baby be? And that is the fiery dart that I want to dissect here.

Think about it.  If we keep Jesus in the manger, then we don’t have to come to terms with the message given by Him as our Savior.  We don’t have to worry about having to change our ways to accommodate such a message, either!  We are free to live the way we want and never have to bother with asking the question, “What would Jesus do?”  Keep Jesus a baby and we get to live life on our terms!

But living life on our terms carries some conditions.  When self becomes our focus instead of Christ, then we don’t possess the capability to see Jesus for who He really is. For example, as He is described in Isaiah 9:6,

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

All that Jesus is, what He has to offer, and what He has done to secure our abundant life here on earth and in heaven will be hidden from us.

So, want to know what this fiery dart of Christmas is hiding from you? Here’s just a few:  true love, true peace, true joy, a growing faith, comfort, security, and freedom from fear, doubt, and worry.  AND that’s just a few off the top of my head!

Now I ask you, where has living life on your terms taken you?  After meditating on that question for a while then I’d like to ask you to consider the verse in Jeremiah 29:11,

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.”

Are you experiencing the abundant life promised by God in John 10:10 living on your terms?  Probably not!

Therefore, if we are going to experience the abundant life God has planned for us then obviously we are going to have to accept His terms.  AND one of the first things we might have to do will be to check and see if we still have Christ lying in that manger. If we find that we have succumbed to this troublesome fiery dart, then we must pray that this weapon will not prevail and wield the power of God’s Word in raising our Shield to deflect it.

So, let’s acknowledge that fiery dart.  When we do then we will be able to grasp His message to us as our Savior.   We will have the vision to see how He lived and the sacrifice He made for us.   The promise in John 3:16 will then be ours,

 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

To have the correct focus on Christmas remember–as the Christ child lay sleeping,  there was the shadow of a cross cast over that manger!

Be wise intercept those fiery darts with God’s Word before they hit their targets! If you do, then your gonna have a GREAT CHRISTMAS!

Marriage or Divorce Is a Choice? WHAT?

Nov30

What I share with you today weighs heavy on my heart.  While I feel frustrated to some degree because I can only cover this subject briefly (And the fiery dart tells me, ” So what’s the point? You won’t be able to make much of a difference in the few words allotted to you in this post.”)  I say to myself, “May this weapon formed against me not prevail,” and move forward with what’s on my heart.

DIVORCE!

Volumes, of course, could be written about divorce, but in this post I want to cover an often overlooked aspect of divorce from my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice.

Couples tempted with divorce don’t see their marriage as the choice means of God whereby they could be fashioned to become more like Christ. They aren’t aware of the glorious opportunity marriage gives them to forgive and be forgiven.  They fail to understand how this element of forgiveness in marriage testifies of God’s redemptive plan.  They don’t see how fiery darts have so dulled their sensitivity toward the things of God, that they honestly think they have no alternative other than divorce. Because, you see, that marriage was all about them; they just couldn’t see that it was an instrument of God’s to conform them into the image of His Son and draw an unbelieving world to Himself! p.75-76

I wonder how many Christian married couples see the problems they are encountering with their spouse as an instrument of God’s in conforming them into His Son’s image?  And that the purpose of being conformed into the image of Christ is to draw an unbelieving world to Himself.

The sad truth is not many!  I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that Satan has a greater understanding of the purpose of marriage than your typical Christian does.  I cover in detail the purpose of marriage in chapter 8 of my book which is entitled, “The Fiery Darts of Marriage,” but in a few words the purpose of marriage is to make us holy!  This idea came from a book entitled Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas. If you only read one book about marriage, it aught to be this one!

Fiery darts have so desensitized us to what the Bible has to say about the purpose of marriage that most of us are clueless.  And why are we clueless?  Because we aren’t spending enough time in God’s Word to find out what He has to say on the subject!

Christian couples who are having marital problems too many times handle their problems just like those who are not Christians!  They have been so manipulated by fiery darts that they embrace the counsel of a secular world over the counsel of God.

Are we choosing pain, misery, and failure over joy, love, and victory?  Yes, that’s exactly what we are doing!  Do you have any idea of what is accomplished when a couple who is struggling in their marriage chooses to stay in that marriage for the sake of their children (that reminds me of a bold face lie I’ve heard before–get a divorce for the sake of the children) and for the sake of Christ?  Those children get a chance to grow up without the disillusionment and all the debilitating problems that would have been heaped upon them when their parent’s divorced!  Their testimony of not giving up adds validity to living the Christian life and draws unbelievers to Christ!

And what about couples whose problems are so severe that the world and even some Christians would counsel them that divorce is the best solution, but instead they choose by the grace and strength of God to repent and forgive?  And by doing so, send a resounding message of repentance and forgiveness to a world that is in desperate need of such redemption?  Wow! Now that’s what I’m talking about people!

If you are contemplating divorce, realize that you are being victimized by fiery darts.  There are things that you are believing that simply just are not true.  You are making choices and thinking thoughts that are designed to destroy you and inflict pain upon you and all involved.

God has an abundance of peace, joy and happiness just waiting for you. He won’t force it upon you though.  You have to choose to cooperate with Him!  Then my dear friend, “You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free!”  Then and only then will Satan’s plans be foiled concerning you.  You have to make a choice!  And it is pretty simple really.

Here it is–Death or Freedom!

Oh yeah, the fiery darts whisper to you that it’s not that simple because your situation is much more complicated than that, right?  HA!  WRONG!  That’s a stinking fiery dart my friend. Resist it for all you’re worth.  Stand on the Word of God and choose the plan God has for you! Break free from the chains that bind you! (And, oh yeah, you may not notice those chains until you’re free of them. Part of the effect of fiery darts, you know!)

Praying,

Battle Strategy Detail!

Nov25

In my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, I expose Satan’s plan of attack using negative thinking/fiery darts.  But that’s not all!  In addition, I provide strategy details on how to deflect those fiery darts and defeat the Enemy!

In this post, I would like to highlight a particular detail of that strategy.  On page 41-42 of my book I have included a 3 column chart with the following headings: (words in parenthesis explain the purpose of the headings)

1 -Fiery Darts            

(The plan is to first identify the fiery dart)

2-God’s Truth  

 (Then apply God’s Truth to that fiery dart)

3-References

(Finally, the References that contain those Truths)

Now, remember the chart in my book is generalized. Your personal encounter with fiery darts will be much more specific.

Here’s what I suggest!

Get out a sheet of paper, a pen, (nothing electronic-will explain the why of that as I go.)  Then along with that obtain a Bible Concordance. (Now, this can be electronic. I would recommend it actually!)  But just a single book will suffice. (Personally, I started with a book Concordance then in recent years I was given a Bible study program for my computer and I have to say, I LOVE IT!)

Now, find a quiet place with no distractions. Sit down with your Concordance, paper and pen.  OK, bring your computer along but be prepared to print out the list you will be making.  The reason is you’ll need to have this list as a handy reference.

On that sheet of paper in column one identify all the fiery darts that you are currently struggling with.  For example, let’s say you are dealing with fear.  Then write something like, “I am afraid of________________.” You fill in the detail of what it is you are afraid of.

Next, find the word “fear” in your Concordance and look up all the references that contain that word.  Choose references that apply to your situation and in the 2nd column write down the Truth that speaks to that fear.

Finally, in column 3, record that reference/s.

FEELING BETTER?

Yes, just this simple exercise will have the effect of restoring your confidence in yourself because you are doing something constructive in dealing with those menacing fiery darts.  You are throwing off the victim mentality and putting on the victor mentality! Yahoo, go get um!

NOW, BE ON YOUR GUARD!

Now print out this list (after you save it on your computer, of course) and tuck it in your purse or pocket.  WHY?  Because Satan will not relent (just yet) on hurling these very fiery darts at you again and again.  BUT each time he does, you are going to pull out that list and nail that fiery dart to the wall (so to speak)! Eventually, it will loose it’s power to rule you.

 HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING!

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh 4 (for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the casting down of strongholds), 5 casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; 
2 Cor 10:3-5(ASV)

AND EVENTUALLY AFTER YOU HAVE RESISTED;

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:7-8 (ASV) 

YOUR JOY AND HOPE WILL BE RESTORED!

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 (NKJV)

REMEMBER!

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, 

Go into battle without your Number One Weapon – GOD’S WORD!

You simply will be defeated by the Enemy, if you do!

 Stand fast and know victory!

Joy? What joy?

Nov22

I know many of us have days when we feel ALL of our joy is depleted.

 We have fought certain battles for so long that we are drained of our resources to continue fighting and our joy has been depleted.

Or so, this fiery dart would have us believe.

In my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, I write about the element of truth contained within certain fiery darts which will seem to validate the thought and cause us to embrace it. For you see after fighting certain battles in our lives for a lengthy amount of time, we simply wear out.  Now, if we aren’t knowledgeable about fiery darts we will start to believe that we can go no further.  And on a certain level that may be true, for our emotions play a BIG part in defining how we feel. Joy is an emotion that is virtually nonexistent at times like these!

How do you think you would feel if you were the writer of the following?

Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,…Habakkuk 3:17 (ESV)

Pretty sad, I’m sure.  It would be no small task for any of us to have  joy in the midst of such discouraging circumstances.  For these stark realities would certainly trump any hint of joy that might try to find lodging in our brain.

Yet read the follow-up to these verses:

 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
 I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
 God, the Lord, is my strength;
Hab 3:18-19 (ESV)

How do you suppose the writer of these verses could face such lean times and still rejoice?  If you read the verses closely, you’ll notice that the source of the writer’s joy was in the Lord and the God of his salvation.  God, the Lord, was his strength.  Is that source ever depleted?  Of course not.  That’s why Philippines 4:4 says to

“Rejoice in the Lord always…”

THAT SOURCE OF JOY IS NEVER DEPLETED!

Now, let me show you what’s behind the fiery dart mentioned earlier.

Keep the thinker focused on the fd.

The more negative their thoughts, the more negative their emotions.

The more negative they become the less motivation they will have to read God’s Word.

The less they are influenced by God’s Word, the more they are influenced by the world’s way of thinking.

The more they are influenced by the world’s way of thinking, the more hopeless they will become.

Until soon they will reach a point where they will begin to believe a lie!

 AND HERE’S THE TRUTH THE FIERY DART IS HIDING FROM THEM:

The joy we have in the Lord is always abundant.

Joy in God is of great consequence in the Christian life; and Christians need to be again and again called to it. It more than outweighs all causes for sorrow.                      —Matthew Henry Concise Commentary

If everything else changes, yet the Lord does not change;                                                       if the sources of all other joy are dried up, yet this (source of joy) is not. http://biblecommenter.com/philippians/4-4.htm

So, even though the source of joy in a particular aspect of our lives may be all dried up, our source of joy in our Lord outweighs all that. We have joy in the Lord, we NEED no other joy to live a joyful life!

(Therefore, we don’t need to allow ourselves to face life from the dried up area where there is no joy.  However, the fiery dart will attempt to pull our focus to that area every time.)

This then is what we should pray:

Help me Lord, to cooperate with you to keep my focus on the abundance

of joy I have in You, and face my problems from that perspective of abundance.

Stand fast, my friends

The Mind – What Goes There?

Nov15

     What we think determines how we feel and what we feel influences our actions.  A negative action if often the result of negative thinking.  Understandably, if Satan can negatively influence our thinking then temptations to act negatively will be harder for us to resist. (p. 15, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice)

Our mind is one of Satan’s most successful battlefields.  If he can plant a negative seed of thought there, it has the potential to grow and produce unholy fruit.  I use the word potential because whether or not we allow this negative thought to enter our mind and put down roots is up to us.  You see, we have the means and the power (by the grace of God) to block that negative thought from becoming planted into our mind!

So how do we do that?

You have to be able to recognize a fiery dart thought.

That’s not as easy as you might think.  Consider all the confusing thoughts running rampant in our society today.  Ideas that in the not so distant past would have been considered insane, yet today are touted as normal. They are so cleverly presented that even some Christians become deceived and begin to justify actions that years ago were clearly identified as sin.

So why can’t we see the fiery darts that are staring right at us?

May I offer what I believe is the unarguable answer to the above question with a quote from Noah Webster (you know – Webster’s Dictionary) way back in the 1800’s, “All of the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery and war, proceed from them despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

The plain and simple truth is that we don’t know our Bible!  That’s it folks!  Satan’s had it figured out for quite some time.

What does Satan know that we don’t?   If we don’t know what God says on a particular subject, then we become vulnerable to all sorts of ungodly persuasions.

A- KEEPING US OUT OF GOD’S WORD IS SATAN’S NUMBER ONE FIERY DART!

and 

B-THE NUMBER TWO FIERY DART IS TO WEAKEN OUR COMMUNICATION WITH GOD!

A + B = C

C- My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; 

Hosea 4:6

Hey, but that’s not the end of the story or doesn’t have to be the end of the story.  How do I know that?

Because in a letter to the Exiles God said this:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29:11  

So what do we need to do so that we can avoid being deceived by Satan’s clever fiery darts and loose the battle that going on in our minds?

READ THE BIBLE AND COMMUNICATE WITH GOD REGULARLY!!!!!!!

You see, as we study our Bible, our ability to recognize fiery darts intensifies because we will be made aware of what God has to say about the ideas, issues, and problems we encounter.  We won’t be so easily deceived by ideas and philosophies that run contrary to God’s Word.

Come on folks, I’ve read the last chapter in the Bible and WE WIN!  Don’t wait until you get to the end of your struggles only to say, “Man, I wish I’d known that!”

My Body or Jesus’s Temple?

Nov15

The fiery dart answer please! 

 MY BODY

Okay, okay, I know, wrong answer!  But allow me to explain.  As a Christian you should be familiar with the following verses from Scripture.


 ” Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 

1Co 3:16ASV 

” Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; “

1 Cor. 6:19 ASV

So, according to these verses, who does our body belong to?  Answer – God!  Oh yeah, right answer, this time! That’s pretty clear. Not much to misunderstand, right?

Well, then how do we explain Christians who have chosen a lifestyle that does not ensure health, nutrition, or the proper care of their bodies and/or minds? (I have to include mind here because we are just as lax about what we allow to enter our minds as we are about what we allow to enter our mouths!)  Well, I can’t give you a definitive answer to that one BUT I do believe I’ve hit upon something you’ll find thought provoking.

Ever thought about how a healthy body and mind enhances our relationship with God?  Probably not a thought we dwell on very much.  But let’s just think about it for a moment.  For instance, how would a healthy body affect what you do for God?  Ever considered the plain and simple fact that our bodies are the MAIN instrument God has given us to carry out His will in our lives?  Remember, we are the hands, feet, arms, and legs of Christ here on earth. If our bodies aren’t healthy, they hold us back in what we are able to do for God.

Now, let me clarify something here.  Many of us are suffering physically because we haven’t taken care of our bodies–God’s temple.  I’m only zeroing in on poor health that stems from poor choices; NOT physical issues people have to deal with because of unfortunate circumstances.  That’s another thing all together, which by the way God has control of, so keep your chin up! (Romans 8:28)

Consider this–if a Christian can be influenced to claim ownership of her body then who has the final say so in how she cares for it or what she does with it?  Yep, the owner of her body!

PICTURE THIS


IF, I get up in the morning and think, “I need to go workout today,” I should go ahead and duck because a volley of fiery darts will be fired my way.  Why?  Because they are aimed at my weakness–I DON”T LIKE WORKING OUT!  Unless something persuades me otherwise, I will likely conjure up all manner of excuses as to why I can’t go.  Because you see, those excuses or fiery darts are being fueled by an even bigger fiery dart: It’s my body and I get to say what I’m going to do with it. (Ah oh, that’ll spark some controversy!)

HOWEVER, if I get up in the morning and think, “I need to go workout today,” those fiery darts will be hurled at me just as fiercely.  Why?  Because they will still be aimed at my weakness, I DON”T LIKE WORKING OUT!  BUT if I raise my Shield of Faith in the Truth of 1 Corinthians 3:16, & 6:19, I will get myself down to the center and workout.  Why?  Because my body is God’s temple and He commands me to take care of it.

So, if I make choices that hurt God’s temple then I’m being disobedient and God has to deal with me about that or if I ignore God and continue to make self-centered choices, then my health will suffer (and by the way, so will my spiritual health)!  Talk about getting sidetracked from serving God effectively! Whew! Rather discouraging isn’t it?

Be careful folks, that’s just another sly ole fiery dart.  Remember what I said about focus earlier? (Most of the Beauty Lies Beyond our Focus – 11/1/11)  The fiery darts won’t allow you to focus on the benefits of taking proper care of God’s temple because that focus highlights all manner of blessings and benefits–having a stronger more effective witness for starters!  Therefore, be armed with the following my friends:

REMEMBER!


Take care of God’s temple and you’ll be blessed so you can serve God better!


Don’t take care of God’s temple and you’ll suffer and your service for God will be diminished!

Forever Young? Beware-Major Fiery Dart!

Nov15

Celebrated my 45th high school class reunion yesterday.  Discovered that with age there’s a beautiful benefit–maturity!  My former classmates and I are approaching 65 (dare I type that number!).  The society we live in preaches that being young is better.  Even if you’re not young in age you should try to look young and act young for as long as possible!  WOW, talk about a major fiery dart!

Let me ask you all a question.  Why are we suppose to do all that we do to stay young looking?  Well, one more question.  Why are we suppose to resist growing older?  Ok, one more.  What’s wrong with growing older?

I LOVE what the Bible has to say about growing older.  Here are a few verses to help you get the right perspective on aging.

Leviticus 19:32

“Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord.” (NIV) 


Society has gotten it all mixed up.  Instead of showing respect for those of us who are growing older they look upon us as a burden.  

I am relieved that the final word, the word that makes a difference in my life, tells me that the aged should be respected.  

Thank you God for showing me the beauty of growing older: 

“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” (NIV) Proverbs 16:31 (Gray hair is a crown of splendor!  That’s an adornment, right? Sure is!)

“Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding.” (NASB) Job 12:12

(As we grow older, wisdom and understanding is part of the package. Nice!)

“The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.” (NIV) Proverbs 20:29 (There’s that splendor reference again.  Oh, how good that makes me feel!  Listen, gray hair softens the look of wrinkles. That’s a fact! I heard it from a beautician who ought to know about such things.)

“Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.” (ESV) Proverbs 23:22 (When I’m old, God tells my children to listen to me and show respect. Oh yeah, I like that)

“I have cared for you since you were born. Yes, I carried you before you were born. I will be your God throughout your lifetime – until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you.” (NLT) Isaiah 46:3-4  (God says to me that I won’t have to worry about Him forsaking me when I’m old.  He’s gonna care for me all the way through. Now that’s reassuring!)


16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:16-18 (NKJV) (As we grow older, our ‘inner man’ is being renewed. The things that can be seen–our gray hair, wrinkles, bodies that are wearing down, all those things that are happening on the outside, they don’t have eternal significance–they are just temporary! But the renewed inner person–now that’s significant and it’s eternal! Yahoo!)


Wow! That sure puts a difference perspective on things, doesn’t it!


There’s a lot to look forward to in growing older.  Like:

Grandchildren!

Retirement – no more racing the clock!

Time – to spend with God!

Time – to enjoy accomplishing some of those things on your Bucket List!

Time – to spend with your loved ones!

Did I mention – TIME!

Wisdom – Finally you ‘Get It’ about some things!

Understanding – Confusion about some things start

 clearing up!

Respect – Yep! Comes with the territory!

People start listening to you more!

The softening effect of gray hair!

Assurance – God will not forsake you!

Paying off your mortgage!

Renewal

I could go on and on, but this gets you started.  So my advice friends is to let God’s Word define your thoughts on aging.  The world will shoot you some mighty foolish thoughts (fiery darts) concerning aging, so put up your shield of faith and resist them.

You keep listening to God and you’re gonna realize there is a lot to look forward to as you get older.   His plans are so good! (Jer. 29:11)   

Defining Fiery Darts

Nov15

 

In order to help you gain a better understanding of what I mean by fiery darts, I have included two excerpts from my book.  

* * *

What we think determines how we feel and what we feel influences our actions.  A negative action is often the result of negative thinking.  Understandably, if Satan can negatively influence our thinking then temptations to act negatively will be harder for us to resist.  Therefore, negative thinking because of its destructive power can be described as a weapon.  A weapon Satan skillfully uses to demoralize individuals in God’s army. (p. 15)

 

Before Satan can be successful with the use of fiery darts, he must do a little groundwork.  In order for us to be desensitized toward the lies of fiery darts, we must have our understanding of the Truths of Scripture diminished.  By tempting us to spend little time in God’s Word, our ability to recognize the lies of fiery darts is equally diminished if we give in to that temptation.  In the place of God’s Truth, the world’s concept of truth begins to define our thinking. (p. 23)


* * *

  Let me ask you a question.  Do you have much trouble finding time for Bible study?  If you are like most of us, the answer is yes.  You desire to have a quiet time or time of devotion.  You desire to have it regularly, but something always seems to interfere.  

Here are some of the fiery darts you may encounter when you are attempting to have Bible study:

  • I don’t have time now so I’ll do it later. 
  • I’m too tired or too sleepy.
  • There are just too many distractions.
  • This just isn’t a good time.
  • I just don’t feel like it.

It’s not coincidental that the above types of thoughts trouble us when we are prompted by the Holy Spirit to  spend time in prayer and Bible study.  Keeping us out of God’s Word and keeping us from spending time in prayer are the two most formidable fiery darts used by the Enemy.  He can manipulate us with ease if we are weak in these two disciplines. 


Question?

So, what thoughts or fiery darts attack you when you are trying to make time to pray and study your Bible?


Negative Thinking Redefined

Nov15

 I’d like to post a quote from my book to introduce you to the concept of fiery darts.

* * *
Introduction
      Have you ever been a victim of your own thinking?  Have thoughts ever paralyzed you or driven you to do something you knew was wrong or, at least, just not good for you? Are you susceptible to those who question the stand you take for God to the point that you become more concerned with what they think than you do with what God thinks? Have you ever experienced the exhilaration of making a commitment to God, only to weaken in your resolve a short time later?  Has confusion ever been so great in your mind that you found you were frozen in your steps and unable to move forward or even back to God?  Do you find yourself growing less and less sensitive to sin?  These types of questions are troubling to any believer, of course.  And, a walk of faith troubled by any or all of these questions results in a life characterized by very few peaks and far too many valleys.
         Satan has at his disposal a vast arsenal of weapons with which to wage war against God’s people.  While it is obvious he often draws upon weapons such as war, evil rulers, persecution, discrimination, poverty, adultery, murder, and broken homes, to highlight only a few, there is one weapon that is so subtle many Christians fail to recognize it as a weapon at all! This weapon is negative thinking or what I have come to call fiery darts, a weapon seemingly insignificant yet incredibly dangerous.  It is the purpose of this book to expose this weapon and reveal how its destructiveness can be subdued.
* * *
(My comments re the above)
Negative thinking or fiery darts are subtle. For years I was clueless about how I had been manipulated by them. But now that God has revealed the strategy Satan has been using against me, the enemy does not find me so vulnerable.  It’s not that I don’t have to deal with fiery darts now that I’m knowledgeable about them, it’s just they don’t possess the power to manipulate me like they use to do.

Hello world!

Nov15

Welcome to WordPress.com. After you read this, you should delete and write your own post, with a new title above. Or hit Add New on the left (of the admin dashboard) to start a fresh post.

Here are some suggestions for your first post.

  1. You can find new ideas for what to blog about by reading the Daily Post.
  2. Add PressThis to your browser. It creates a new blog post for you about any interesting  page you read on the web.
  3. Make some changes to this page, and then hit preview on the right. You can always preview any post or edit it before you share it to the world.