Defeating disappointment with a thankful heart

Jul8

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   Disappointment is a notorious fiery dart! Some disappointments can easily be shaken off (for we don’t have strong feelings attached to them) and we are able to move on. Those aren’t the disappointments I want to highlight in this post however. The type of disappointments I want to address are those that are suffered repeatedly over a long period of time.

   Disappointments of this nature can cause serious damage. Not only to the person feeling the disappointment but to the relationship that is the source of the disappointments. Over time repeated disappointments can result in leaving thoughts exposed to a steady stream of fiery darts, each more hurtful than the one before. Eventually, depression will set in and the downward spiral begins, pulling the relationship and everything else down with it.

   At this point,

something extraordinary must happen if the fiery dart of disappointment and all its minions are to be conquered and healing is to be experienced.

   For me, it was God’s revelation

that my negative thoughts, Satan’s fiery darts, were being used against me. Satan knew my vulnerability. He knew my tendency to judge myself too harshly. He knew my tendency to assume I was inferior to others. Taking advantage of those tendencies, and knowing that I was neglecting to spend time with God in prayer and bible study, I was an easy prey and target for the volley of fiery darts Satan hurled at me.

   God not only exposed the weapon of fiery darts but He lovingly revealed to me how to fight back so that I would no longer be victimized by Satan’s tactics.

   Teachings about Truth thoughts– my saving grace!

Here’s one of the most efficient Truth thoughts I have called upon to defeat repeated disappointments. (Yes, it is also a great one for the fiery dart of worry:)

Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

   Allow me to share how this works.

   The key word in this Truth thought is ‘thanksgiving’. When I began to apply the lessons God had been teaching me in how to recognize and defeat fiery darts, I began to heal from the damage Satan’s fiery dart of disappointment had inflicted upon me. No longer, was I demeaned and defeated by this fiery dart’s attack. As my heart began to heal, thankfulness began to swell up within me. God’s peace saturated my thoughts, replacing the evil intention of the fiery dart of disappointment.

   Though repeated disappointments (and their minions) continue their attacks, they do not succeed in overwhelming me as before. In quoting Truth thoughts, by God’s grace, I am able to resist its force.  For I am reminded that God is able to guard my heart and give me peace even in the face of these repeated disappointments.

Marriage? Why does it exist?

Jul3

Marriage exists to. .

This may be news to you!

. . .Because of the Adamic Curse everything in this world serves our flesh. Therefore, relationships will exist to serve our wants and needs. This is why the fiery dart that “marriage exists to make us happy” is so powerful.
. . .Yet, when we become a child of God’s and the growth process begins, we will come to understand that this attitude is the consequence of sin. We will also learn if we avail ourselves to the teaching of it, that marriage is designed for something far more beautiful and loftier than society is equipped to understand.p.67, FD

 And maybe this is too!

. . .The purpose for which we exist is to be conformed into the image of Christ. Colossians 3:9-10: “Do not lie to one another, for you have taken off the old self with its habits and have put on the new self. This is the new being which God, its Creator, is constantly renewing in his own image, in order to bring you to a full knowledge of himself.” (Good News Bible)
   That means that everything and every relationship in our experience exists to serve the purpose of conforming us into God’s image in order to bring us into a full knowledge of Himself. As we become more like Christ, we are going to grow into a fuller knowledge of God.p.67-68, FD

 Hum! What’s the connection to marriage!

         So, how does the purpose for which we are to exist relate to the purpose of marriage? In the book entitled, Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas, an intriguing question is asked, “What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?” p. 68, FD
   In my research, I came across this statement from an excerpt entitled, Help for the Struggling Marriage by Reb Bradley, “To evaluate our personal success in a marriage we must not then look to see if our needs are being met, but we must ask ourselves, ‘Am I demonstrating the image and character of Jesus Christ?’ God knows that as we grow into the image of Jesus our greatest needs are met.”p. 70, FD

 How can you redefine something you don’t understand? 

    Because many don’t have a clue as to the purpose of marriage (even within our churches), our nation’s leadership is floundering around trying to redefine everything they don’t understand in order to fit it to the chosen lifestyle of a growing number of individuals.

   In essence, we are attempting to remove (but only in our minds) the absolutes established by our Creator. Yet, those absolutes remain in place,and no fiery dart formed against them will ever prevail!  from Is. 54:17 

Read more about the attack of fiery darts on marriage in my book: Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice  (click on the image in the sidebar to order) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do Father’s have to do with God?

Jun21

God’s Plan

Ephesians 6:4, “And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the LORD.” NKJV

   Where or from whom does a person first learn of God?   

   It’s in the home, in particular the father, (not from mom and not the church) where God planned for children to get their first lessons about who He is. The family unit was to be an earthly reflection of God’s design for the personal relationship our Heavenly Father wanted to have with His earthly children. It was God’s intention that earthly fathers would not only  reflect God to their children but, in addition, model God’s character by the way they loved and provided for their own families.

About those fiery darts!

John 10:10a, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;…” (NIV) So what is it that the Enemy desires to steal, kill, and destroy? The answer is obvious – anything God has planned for us! p. 1, FD
   Let’s consider the position of earthly fathers in introducing their children to their Heavenly Father. If Satan can manipulate a father to misunderstand the impact his position has in God’s plan, then not only has he set in motion the destruction of the father, but his children as well.
   If a father attempts to love his children without God’s direction, it will be an incomplete type of love. There will always be something missing. Their children will suffer from the lack of that missing component. Which is exactly Satan’s plan. 
   And may I reassert, if the father is a Christian, the very first thing Satan will do will be to pull father’s away from the Bible and time spent with God in prayer. If the father is not a Christian, then Satan’s job is so much the easier. For we live in a society that has rejected God and fathers of this present society are influenced to feel God or a relationship with Him is no longer necessary.
   Our country desperately needs our father’s to return to God in repentance. Assume the responsibilities of introducing their children to God and His ways by reflecting God’s ways and character before them. The place to begin is in spending consistent time in prayer and the study of God’s Word to remind fathers that the relationship they have with their children will either be one that will turn their children to God or away from Him. 

Strongholds and Fiery Darts

Jun15
“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. Someone has said very aptly: ‘Resist the beginnings; remedies come too late, when by long delay the evil has gained strength.’ First, a mere thought comes to mind, then strong imagination, followed by pleasure, evil delight, and consent. 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

   Fiery darts can be more easily defeated when identified early on and not allowed access into our minds. But what if those fiery darts were allowed uninhibited access for whatever reason? Likely, a stronghold has been created in our thinking. That stronghold now manipulates the formation of attitudes and actions that are set against the knowledge of God!

    People in this state of mind can easily be persuaded that right is wrong and wrong and is right. Our news media is rampant with those whose attitudes and actions are set against the knowledge of God. This type of malady, in epidemic proportions, is spreading across our land.

   But there is good news. There is a remedy for strongholds. But first we must understand these strongholds exist because we failed to resist the temptations early on. Therefore, we must begin now refusing to allow fiery darts access into our minds. (Refer to the 3 steps process in fighting fiery darts page on this blog)

   If there is a stronghold in our lives, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 gives us God’s plan in how we can break free.

4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5(NIV)

Here’s how it works:

   When a thought comes to mind which reinforces the stronghold, take it captive by quoting a Truth thought that contradicts it or proves it false. Eventually,the stronghold will begin weakening as you call upon God’s divine power to demolishes it. Be prepared, this may take time! Remember, that stronghold wasn’t established in a day!

  For those who are ruled by stronghold thinking, they must first acknowledge God, accepting His plan in Christ to release them. Their darkness is great and only the light of God’s Truth can dispel such darkness.

 

 

 

Do not quench the Spirit. 1Thessalonians 5:19 NIV

Cedar trees and fiery darts!

Jun7

cedar trees

   Recently, I came across an article written by “the pioneer woman’s husband” (wow, the cool thing is that with this little bit of info most of my readers will know who I am talking about) God bless ’em!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/blog/2012/03/why-we-chop-down-cedar-trees/
. . . cedars look like harmless little trees. But left unchecked, those little trees will eventually produce thousands of seeds and spread across the property like wildfire. As they get bigger and more populous, they will eventually shade out the grassland and crowd out the better varieties of trees. I’ve seen many pastures where cedars have completely taken over an area, reducing the grazing capacity by seventy to eighty percent.

   For those of you have read my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, perhaps you thought, like I did when I read Mr. Drummond’s article, “umm, that sounds rather familiar.” I knew immediately where to look for that familiar thought and found it on page 25 of my book.

   Perhaps we have taken more seriously the larger weapons of temptation:  “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.” (Matthew 15:19, HCSB)   What’s going on in our heads, the thoughts we have though not necessarily evil, aren’t taken as seriously as these larger temptations. For example, the confusion that keeps us from taking a step of faith would not be thought of as a serious temptation when compared to something like the temptation of sexual immorality.   So it’s pretty clear why the subtlety of a fiery dart is such an effective weapon. For those initial thoughts, while not as alarming as something like sexual immorality, if left unchecked can lead to gross sin. p. 25, FD

   I am a visual learner and in reading Mr. Drummond’s description of the destructive power of seemingly harmless looking cedar tree seedlings, I got a high definition picture of why we should take negative thinking (fiery darts) more seriously. 

   I have discovered in living life and in writing my book, that seemingly harmless negative thoughts (fiery darts), if left unchecked, will eventually produce an ever growing crop of lies. As they become more populous those fiery darts will begin to crowd out God’s Truths, and our ability to distinguish between the lies of fiery darts and God’s Truths will be severely diminished. 

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There is a two-fold plan to prevent this from happening:

1) stay close to God in prayer

2) stay grounded in God’s Word

Not all temptations are obvious!

May18

Most anyone of us reading this post could define temptations, but how keen are we at recognizing them? For while some temptations are obvious, others are not.

Perhaps we have taken more seriously the larger weapons of temptation:  “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.” (Matthew 15:19, HCSB)   What’s going on in our heads, the thoughts we have though not necessarily evil, aren’t taken as seriously as these larger temptations. For example, the confusion that keeps us from taking a step of faith would not be thought of as a serious temptation when compared to something like the temptation of sexual immorality. p. 25-26, FD

   My prayer and purpose in writing Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, was to alert anyone who would read it to the weapon of the enemy in undermining the plans God has for us through the subtly of negative thoughts (fiery darts). When we do not recognizing negative thinking as a weapon in its earliest form, we do so at our own peril. 

“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. Someone has said very aptly: ‘Resist the beginnings; remedies come too late, when by long delay the evil has gained strength.’ First, a mere thought comes to mind, then strong imagination, followed by pleasure, evil delight, and consent. 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

   As we pull further and further away from God’s Word and communication with Him in prayer, then our capacity to recognize these early temptations for the weapons they are is weakened. 

   It is glaringly clear that our country’s corporate mind, having been tempted (and having succumbed) to forsake the principles on which she was founded, has lost her ability to recognize those temptations that contradict those principles. Therefore, she is being manipulated to think that government policies, economic policies, or changes in leadership is the key to the problems we face. This has been the pattern of our thinking for much of our past and look where it has gotten us; a country under the judgement of God!

   If our land is to be healed, we must first recognize the fiery darts that have deceived us, then  we must reject them, and, finally, replace the mindset of lies that seems to prevail in our leadership today with the following Truth thought (it’s our only hope):

 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. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)

Motherhood and Fiery Darts!

May11

 I think a mother’s love is about as close as it gets on this earth in comprehending the depth of the love God has for us. Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Satan’s fiery darts (temptations) are particularly designed to undermine and destroy it. For many a recalcitrant soul’s path out of darkness has been illuminated by the faithful, loving prayers of a godly mother. 

Yet, we find in today’s society this icon of pure love has become tarnished. What was once the safest of havens for a new life, has now become a death chamber for “approximately 1.21 million” unborn individuals each year in this country!  

How is it possible that such a vast number of women have become convinced that abortion is their ONLY answer? Consider the following excerpt from my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice

“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. Someone has said very aptly: ‘Resist the beginnings; remedies come too late, when by long delay the evil has gained strength.’ First, a mere thought comes to mind, then strong imagination, followed by pleasure, evil delight, and consent. 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.” p46 FD     

   As Americas have grown weaker in their resolve to resist temptations, the strength of the enemy has grown stronger. By failing to grow in our familiarity with what God has to say about the Truth of Motherhood, we have allowed Satan access into our minds and he has moved beyond the threshold. 

  It should be obvious we are rearing our children in a world that has traded freedom for bondage. The enemy has deceived us. We don’t realize we have been deceived into thinking we are seeking freedom. In actuality it is only license disguised to appear as freedom.

We are a society that has redefined right to mean wrong and wrong to mean right. (In particular abortion) Therefore, it is imperative that we stay firmly grounded in God’s Word and in spending time with Him in prayer. Our mandate is to follow God’s parenting pattern (blog post of 4/23/15) so that our children will desire to live their lives following the example we have lived before them. 

Too many are unaware of the plans the enemy has for mankind. Yet we are vague on the plans God has for us. This has come about simply because we are not familiar with God’s Truth on the subject. Therefore, we must open our Bibles. Thereby learning to live lives that proclaim the God’s Truths for the sake of our children’s and our nation’s futures!

Satan’s Plan:

Scriptures are obvious in describing Satan’s plan in John 10:10a, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;…” (NIV) p. 13,FD 3rd edition

God’s Plan:

The second half of John 10:10 reveals an aspect of God’s plan for His children, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV) FD 3rd edition

 

It’s all about me!

May1

   The temptation of such a narcissistic way of thinking isn’t embraced suddenly. Before it can plant itself into someone’s mind, the soil (so to speak) of the mind must be made ready. This is accomplished subtly, as one fiery dart after another gains entrance. Over a period of time then an individual’s mind becomes ripe for the planting. 

   I want you to understand something though. Satan dangles this choice fiery dart before each and every one of us. But remember, it is what is within us that determines whether we will open our minds to it or not. 

   So, what happens in the minds of those open to an ‘it’s all about me’ mentality?

   Self and what self desires become the rule of thought. Eventually, they will rationalize away anything that keeps them from doing what they want to do–even if what they want to do is illegal or immoral, etc. If doing something makes them unhappy, then they won’t do it, instead they will do whatever it is that does make them happy. Because:

Achieving personal happiness is all that really matters.

   Fiery darts poison the thinking of someone who is driven by this mentality. That thinking fashions and shapes attitudes, then actions, to the point that the very definitions in their mind of right or wrong become challenged. Therefore, right becomes whatever makes them happy (because remember, It’s all about me). Wrong becomes whatever makes them unhappy.

   Truth no longer means what it use to mean! As fiery dart thinking moves and shapes those caught up in it to find ways to justify their self centeredness, it should come as no surprise that a simple act of redefining Truth, would open the doors to the freedom for which they so long desired.

    In recent months and days, we have witnessed the lengths those who are entrapped by fiery dart thinking will go to, in the name of achieving personal happiness. In addition, those whose thinking has been negatively influence by fiery dart thinking seem to be waging a campaign to have punished those whose desire is not to condemn but to live by their religious convictions.  

   Individuals whose minds have been clouded and confused by fiery darts (temptations which they have embraced) are unaware that they have been manipulated to exchange true freedom (freedom that in the past was called license) for a life of bondage. 

There is a pathway that seems right to a man, but in the end it’s a road to death. Proverbs 14:12 (ISV)

The answer to their dilemma, therefore, is found in:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NIV)

A Truth Thought when embraced will empower them to deflect fiery dart thinking that has held them in bondage;

Then you (they) will know the truth, and the truth will set you (them) free. John 8:32 (NIV)

Follow the pattern!

Apr23

   Christian parents, I would urge you to seriously considered the message of my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, especially where it concerns your adolescent/s. As parents, we need to prepare our adolescent/s to live in a world that will do everything within its power to turn them away from the things of God. Negative thinking, or fiery darts, will seek to control their minds, and as adolescents they are most vulnerable.

   Considering that our sin nature will always be struggling with our Christ-like nature, we need to equip our adolescent/s with the Truths thoughts they will need to overcome those temptations. You are going to discover those Truths, as you prayerfully considered the Truths of Scripture.

   How we parent our adolescents in large measure determines the outcome of how our adolescents will fare as they face such temptations. As parents we should be encouraged for  God, our Heavenly Father, has given us a pattern for parenting in the way He loves (parents) us, (His children)!

So, Consider this:

   God (our Father) does not condemn us or punish us out of anger (His children) when we go wrong. No, He brings us under His loving hand of conviction which is designed to bring about healing in our lives. Why? Because He delights in us and wants what is best for us. He corrects in love; not in anger.

 For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. Proverbs 3:12

 God loves us because we are His. Therefore, we don’t have to work to earn His love and acceptance. We have faith in that. We trust in God’s love because we know He sacrificed His only Son for our sakes. His is a sacrificial love. We feel loved and accepted just the way we are for that’s how God loves us. When we grasp that sacrificial, faithful, everlasting love we feel whole and complete. 

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8-9
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

  Because we are complete in God, we have no need to seek another human being’s love to complete us. We know true love because we learned it from our Heavenly Father, therefore when we encounter someone who expresses a love for us that falls short of the love that we have been taught to value, then we will not be persuaded to settle for something less. 

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9

  We have no need to look at others and compare ourselves to them. We feel good about ourselves because we are secure in God’s love for us. We trust God and will follow wherever He leads because we trust the wonderful plans He has for us. No one or no thing in this life has more to offer, therefore we are less vulnerable to Satan’s victimization via fiery darts.

 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 futures. Jeremiah 29:11

The best thing we can do for our adolescents, therefore, is to parent them the way God parents us! 

 

Cooperating with the enemy!

Apr12

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   It’s been about 6 years since I first began  promoting the message contained within my book, pictured above. My heart has been encouraged time and again when readers share with me their testimonies of successfully defeating a fiery dart attack after applying the concepts from my book. These testimonies motivate me to persevere in promoting this liberating message. (As a matter of fact, I am working on an expansion of my book–adding chapters covering parenting, teens struggle with self-worth, and difficulties of loosing a spouse to death. I will need your prayerful support for this is a daunting task!)

   But as I listen to comments from some of those who have been exposed to the message of fiery darts, it is apparent that something is missing. Even for those who are making the connection between fiery darts and negative thinking, I’m still hearing comments flavored by too much defeat and frustration.

   When I think of the bondage in which negative thinking held me, on how it almost destroyed me then compare it to the freedom in which I now live, I can’t imagine why anyone would desire to remain in such bondage!  

   I do believe people are becoming more aware of how to identify the fiery darts with which they are wrestling, especially after making the connection between negative thinking and fiery darts. However, I’m getting the feeling that they think the battle is over just by identifying the fiery dart thought that attacked them. Yet, just saying, “That’s a fiery dart,” does absolutely nothing to deflect the negative thought.

   May I respectfully remind you that after the fiery dart is acknowledged, it’s imperative that it be rejected, and following that you MUST replace it with a Truth thought! (refer to the tab entitled, The 3R’s of Fighting Fiery Darts, of this blog)

WHY?

Because that fiery dart will return until its mission has been accomplished.

(which is, remember, to steal, kill, and destroy the works of God in your lives!) 

   Just acknowledging the fiery dart’s attack does little to eradicate it. And rejecting it only leaves a void that must be filled. When it returns, as it surely will, if it is does not find a Truth thought in its place each and every time it attempts to enter your mind, it will pick up where it left off, poisoning attitudes and actions designed to weaken your faith and make you ineffective as a Christian. Just what the enemy had in mind all along.