To Worry or not to Worry! That is My Question!

Jan23

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I have a hard time trusting God when it comes to money matters. I wonder if those reading this blog do as well.

  For example, I was led to believe that a small monthly increase would be starting in January with an income check I receive, but guess what? The cost of insurance payments increased as well! So much so that those increases ate up that pay raise and left me receiving less this year than last year. Ouch!

  Oh yeah, the temptation to worry is poised and ready to inflict my thoughts with worry. Yet my training has taught me I must resist such thinking and replace it with  Truth thoughts (p. 93 FD 3rd edition).

  I desire to be like the flowers who don’t worry. But this is an area where I am especially vulnerable to Satan’s fiery darts.  It’s a challenge for me to trust God with such abandon.  Calling upon verses like the following is my only recourse:

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 HCSB

  Knowing what I know, I am faced with two questions,

What if I choose to worry over this dilemma ? 

It’s vital that you keep in mind Satan’s plan to steal, kill, and destroy. When a suspicious thought enters your mind, ask yourself this question, “If I consider this thought and act upon it, will good come from it?” If you cannot answer in the affirmative, then put up your shield of faith and stand your ground in deflecting such thinking! p. 54 FD 3rd edition

Or what if I choose not to worry?

On the other hand, consider Galatians 5:22-23. This is the familiar verse describing the fruits of the Spirit. When God puts a thought into your mind, then, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control, for example, is the desired end. The purpose behind thoughts influenced by God is meant to conform us into the image of His Son. p. 54 FD 3rd edition

Therefore, if I choose to keep my thoughts centered on God’s faithful provision then the enemy looses. His grip weakens and my spiritual muscles grow stronger!

 

 

 

Making America Great Again!

Jan14

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   This is a popular phrase heard in our country today.  Many people believe that since the presidential election, we have our first chance in years to actually accomplish this.

And that’s brings me to why I’m publishing this post!

   If we believe that only a Trump administration can make America great again, then we will have succumbed to a dangerous fiery dart! Embracing an attitude such as this implies that we are placing the responsibility for restoring America’s greatness on the shoulder’s of an elected official. It implies that our job is done.

   Okay, that’s the fiery dart we should reject,

so what’s the Truth thought with which we should replace it?

2 Chronicles 7:14

if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

If God is to save & heal our land, then He must hear from us! And who are the ‘us’ in this verse? Christians!

What must He hear from us? The humble prayers of confession and repentance.

THAT IS WHAT WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

The Fear of Witnessing?

Jan9

   I listened to a sermon today, that revealed a fiery dart that too many of us fall prey to! May I ask you something, as one Christian to another?

Does the idea of witnessing to someone strike fear in your heart. Do thoughts like:

I’m just not cut out for this witnessing thing; not my gift!.

I wouldn’t be able to remember any of the verses, much less quote them.

What if they get mad at me or make fun of me?

 I don’t think I am a good enough Christian to witness.

   Think about it my friends. If Satan can convince us that we don’t have what it takes to share Christ with others, then the weapon he has formed against us, has prevailed.We allow ourselves to be convinced we can’t witness and you know what? That’s a lie!

   As I listened to this pastor, it became clear to me that our hesitation in sharing Christ was based on two things: 1)failure to spend time with God in prayer 2) failure to spend time with God in His Word.

It’s quite simple really. Allow me to illustrate.

   As we spend time with God in prayer and bible study, we are becoming equipped to deal with the trials in our life. (James 1:2-4)  Not only will we learn how to deal with these trials we will grow stronger as a result. From Scriptures we learn to have a grateful heart in the good times and as well as the bad. Philippians 4:6-7  Peace will guard our hearts as a result. Fear will be kept at bay. 2 Timothy 1:7

   The more this happens the more our love for Christ grows. Our thoughts will center less on ourselves and more on Christ. We will want to share what Christ has done in our lives. Especially when we see others who are living in the bondage that Christ set us free from. 2 Corinthians 1:4

   The Bible contains the answers to life’s questions. When we find it working for us, we will be compelled to share those answers with others. It will come as naturally to us as breathing. There will be nothing to fear.  So learn to recognize this fiery dart, reject it, and replace it with these Truths.

(Refer to The 3 R’s of Fighting Fiery Darts, page 7 of this blog)

Fiery darts defined!

Jan4

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   In conversation with my grandson, after my 3rd edition of Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice was published, he asked me a very pointed question. “So what is a fiery dart?”

If you have wondered this too, read on.

   First, while Satan cannot read our minds, he can influence our thoughts. Thus, the Bible instructs us to “put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”  (Eph 6:11 NIV)

   So how do we recognize fiery darts? Examine the effect the “suspicious thought” has on you. Does it produce confusion, fear, doubt, anger, inferiority, indecisiveness, jealously, judgment, or selfishness, for example?  p 53, 3rd edition

   A negative action is often the result of negative thinking. Understandably, if Satan can negatively influence our thinking, then the temptation to act negatively will be hard for us to resist. p 27, 3rd edition

   A realistic view of our areas of vulnerability, or weaknesses, in our flesh, or sin nature, is vital for understanding how the Enemy will attack us. While each of us may have different areas of vulnerability, we need to understand that our area of weakness will be the prime target for Satan’s fiery darts. p 29, 3rd edition

   When a person becomes a Christian they are given a new nature, one that is the direct opposite of their old nature. Formerly, their will was directed by their old nature, but at the point of salvation, their old nature was dethroned. Their will is now directed by their new nature. … With this comes a hunger to study the Bible and to maintain consistent communication with God through prayer. The old nature, the flesh, resists such desires. Eventually, Satan arrives on the scene with his first and most formidable fiery dart—tempting their old nature with powerful distractions, making it harder and harder for new believers to commit to consistent Bible study and time in prayer. p 44, 3rd edition

Therefore,

  If our (Christians) clarity of right and wrong has been diminished by infrequent time in Bible study and prayer then our vulnerability towards Satan’s temptations (fiery darts) is seriously compromised. And those temptations can influence our minds to think negatively.  

    If we allow ourselves to continue avoiding these two disciplines (bible study and prayer), then, our will is more easily influenced by our flesh and is drawn more to the world. Our attitudes and actions will begin to contradict the choice we made to follow Christ’s example. The weaker we become in our Spirit, the more easily we can be manipulated by Satan’s fiery darts.p 47, 3rd edition

To Wrap it Up

Fiery darts are the temptations of Satan.

Fiery dart thinking is the result of giving into those temptations. 

 

 

Tempted to despair in this New Year?

Jan1

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Tonight 2016 comes to a close and tomorrow 2017 starts out anew and fresh!

Yet, in spite of the hope of fresh beginnings, despair has the potential to overshadow such optimism.

How does this happen?

It’s quite simple, actually! But, oh, so powerful!

It’s a matter of focus.

   Despair consistently and predictably acts like a magnet, attracting thoughts of self. The force of this pull is powerful. One self-focused thought after another bombards our thinking, and the downward progression begins.

When our thoughts reflect less of what we are learning during our study of the Bible or what God’s Spirit communicates to us in prayer then a downward progression is set in place, p 46 3rd Edition FD 

   In the past, I fell victim to this force time after time! With each thought, I became more confused as to what Truth was. I felt justified in my thinking and condemned all at the same time. Depression was the outcome!

   Recently, that all too familiar pull of despair, began to invade my thoughts. And in spite of the hope of fresh beginnings of the New Year, I felt myself tempted to surrender to its force.

   But I was reminded of those dark days prior to learning about how to counter the attack of fiery dart thinking. I now was living in freedom from that bondage and I was determined not to go there again!

   I knew what my plan of action must be. I knew that God’s Word contained the answers to resist the temptation to despair. Therefore, I began making a conscious effort to replace the lies that attempted to rule my thinking with the Truth thoughts below.

To fight the lies that God doesn’t hear me.

Psalm 34:17-18

To fight the lie that there is no hope.

2 Corinthians 4:8

To fight the lie that my weakness is too great.

2 Corinthians 12:9

To fight the lie that I am all to blame.

Romans 8:1

To fight the lie that God will not act on my behalf.

Psalm 37:3-6

   Once again Satan came at me with lies that in the past had prevailed over me. But not this time. Not since God taught me the Truths that would displace those lies!

 

Fiery Darts featured by Certa Publishing

Dec8

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I am very excited about Certa Publishing’s featuring my book on their Facebook page on Friday, 12/9/16. 

Please check it out and note the sale price!

Many Christians are unaware of the most powerful, yet subtle weapon in Satan’s arsenal. My book identifies this weapon and gives insight and instruction on how to break free of the bondage this weapon creates. A bondage that too often is unrecognized!

FD’s is all about how to live the life the Christ-child was born to give us. 

While you are there please consider placing an order. What a wonderful gift this book would make!

Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice has a new look and additional content!

Nov28

 

JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

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CAN’T THINK OF A BETTER GIFT THAN A BOOK THAT WILL EQUIP IT’S READERS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN REGAINING THE LIFE SATAN’S DESIRES TO STEAL FROM THEM.

What a wonderful gift the 3rd edition of Fiery Darts would make.

 

Just click on the image under ORDER NOW

Thanks for my trials!

Nov23

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give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:8

In All circumstances?

How can we be thankful for the not so good circumstances?

   I have come to understand the answer to this question quite vividly as I was counseled by God during the writing of Fiery Darts.

   For too many years, my walk with God was characterized by more defeat than victory. Then, just a few years ago, I began to experience a gradual, yet powerful, transformation in my faith walk. As God continued to shed light on the darkness, which had plagued my walk with Him, I began to identify the source of my defeat. It became glaringly clear that negative thinking was at the core of my problematic walk with God. p. 14  FD 3rd edition

The Results?

   I learned to identify the great civil war (p.44 FD) that was going on within me. Eventually, I became more skilled in  distinguishing between the thoughts originating from my flesh, my natural bent, and those which were being whispered to me by God.      

     Finally, the attacks from my enemy, which were designed for my defeat, began to fall short of their mark. With every trial, I gained more strength, as long as I saw it from God’s perspective and rejected the fiery darts!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds,  because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3 NIV

The reason I can be thankful for the trials?

    Some trials I continue to wrestle with! But now instead of despair, I know joy. Instead of defeat, I know victory! It’s God’s battle plan for our trials. 

to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3, NIV

25 million didn’t stay home-this time!

Nov11

I was wrong about the 12 million evangelicals who did not vote in the last election. It was 25 million.

BUT NOT THIS TIME!

And because we didn’t, we are on our way to seeing 2 Chronicles 7:14 being fulfilled. 

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

I can only imagine the fiery darts that kept Christians at home in the last presidential elections. Maybe something like:

-It doesn’t do any good to vote, we are outnumbered anyway!

-I don’t particular like either candidate!

   But things were different this time. For one, Rev. Franklin Graham visited the capitals of all 50 states and held prayer rallies for our country, emphasizing 2 Chronicles 7:14. Not only did he urge Christians to vote but to be involved any way they could, especially in praying for our country.  That hadn’t been done before!

   Pastors urged their congregations to get out and vote. And this was a hard sell because neither candidate was acceptable. So it came down to going to the polls and voting our values–not of the candidate but of the party.

   Christian leaders from all over the country emphasized the consequence of not voting. Christians bloggers, like myself, pointed out the responsibility we had as Christians to God and Country to vote. 

   And as Christians we have incredible evidence that prayer and obedience can determine the course of a nation. Especially one that has forsaken God and His ways. 

   Although, the media did not report on the 10,000 strong praise rally held in Time Square after the election, it was obvious that God had intervened for the sake of our nation.

   And as I observe the protests the media did report on, my heart was deeply troubled. So many have become victims of the fiery dart way of thinking that would victimize them and cause them to believe they must strike out at those who oppose their way of thinking. They have become convinced they must resort to violence to have their voice heard. 

   These protestors do have an enemy, but it’s not those people who believe differently than they do! No, it’s Satan himself attacking them with the fiery darts that promote hate, violence, and disunity!

   But the disheartening fact is that these people don’t acknowledge the existence of Satan or God for that matter. And we see on our tv’s the result of such thinking. Without the presence of God in someone’s life, it does no good to reason with them. They simply won’t get it!

   So Christians, be careful and thoughtful concerning our actions toward those who are so deeply disturbed over the outcome of this election. If we truly desire healing for our country we must be willing to continue humbling ourselves, confessing our sin, seeking God, and we must continue to pray-for ourselves and that the suffering of so many right now will serve to bring them the One who has very different and wonderful plans for their lives. 

To Vote or Not to Vote?

Nov7

   Tomorrow many Christians will still be struggling about voting. Why? Because they cannot vote for either candidate with a clear conscience! For some of them, they feel their choice is not to vote! I believe that good, God-fearing individuals have become convinced that is their only option.

But I respectively ask them to consider this!

   There are only two possible candidates that have a chance to be elected. Therefore one of those two will win the election. That is reality!  No matter what your feelings are about either one.

Therefore, since this is reality, you are faced with a question!

Is there one more so than the other that you do NOT want to be your next president?

   If you choose not to vote, then by that choice you have increased the chances that the person you don’t want to be your next president will win the election. 

   Since the race is closer than was previously reported, I believe it will be Christians who will cast the deciding votes! Leaders like Dobson and Graham are urging Christians, especially, to vote.

   I hope those of you who are struggling about who to vote for or about voting at all, will consider the fact that you are struggling against a fiery dart that is designed to confuse, and to cloud your judgement, in order to keep you from voting!

Consider these Truth Thoughts*:

 Not voting is a form of voting, as it will influence the outcome. We need to take responsibility for our actions, as well as our lack of actions. I Peter 1:13

Voting publicly recognizes that we submit to the authority of the political system in our nation as established by God. Romans 13:1-7

Voting is a simple yet significant way we can do something about politics in our nation. ‘All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing, Edmund Burke. Psalms 34:14

*http://defendchristians.org/commentary/top-ten-reasons-why-christians-should-vote/