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

copy-book-pic1.jpg

   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. 

 

 

 

Facing Fear

Apr5
Because my missionary mom’s blog: http://missionarysmom.wordpress.com is a direct application of how to defeat the fiery dart of fear, I have reposted it here. So if you read one, you have read them both. But realizing not all of my readers following both blogs, for their benefit this post will be found in both blogs.

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   Today, I am dealing with a lot of temptations in the form of fiery darts. You know, negative thinking! Thoughts, that tempt me to fear for my dear ones living far away! So far, because of God’s marvelous grace and love, and because I have been counseled and tutored by the Holy Spirit on how to resist such temptations, fear and worry are being held at bay!

Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, is a book of the lessons God taught me on how to resist negative thinking. You can order your copy by clicking on the following link:

http://www.certapublishing.com/FieryDarts

   Because of recent news reports, the enemy has upped the pressure in tempting me to succumb to the fiery darts of worry and fear for my loved ones. Therefore, I am faced with a choice–give into the fear and worry, or resist them. I choose to resist them, of course! The plan of action is that every time these fiery darts of fear and worry attempt to gain entrance into my mind, I call on the power of God’s Word to turn them away.

Of course, this is not easy! The temptations are powerful! Therefore, I do what I’ve been trained to do:

1-Recognize the thoughts of fear and worry for the fiery darts they are

2-Resist them by calling upon God’s strength

3-Replace the fiery dart thoughts, with God’s Truth Thoughts from God’s Words

TRUTH THOUGHTS:

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

   Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

   No weapon that is formed against (my loved ones) will prosper. Isaiah 54:17 (my words in parenthesis)

   You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you. Isaiah 26:33

   Do not withhold your mercy from (them), LORD; may your love and faithfulness always protect (them). Psalm 40:11 NIV (my words in parenthesis)

   And you know, before I got finished writing this blog, I got a word from my loved ones that they are all okay. Things are tense there but they are okay!

GOD IS FAITHFUL

Faith overcomes fear!

Faith overcomes fear!

What do you think of Easter?

Apr2

In researching about Jesus and His fulfillment of the prophecies concerning Him, I came across this link and just had to share it with you!

Mathematically speaking, the odds of anyone fulfilling this amount of prophecy are staggering. Mathematicians put it this way:1 person fulfilling 8 prophecies: 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000 1 person fulfilling 48 prophecies: 1 chance in 10 to the 157th power 1 person fulfilling 300+ prophecies: Only Jesus!
https://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/biblestudyandtheology/jesus_prophecy_fulfilled.aspx

With Sunday being Easter, there’s a lot of discussion going on about Jesus and if He is all that the Bible says He is. In a bible study years ago of the book of John, this same mathematical statement was made and affected me profoundly. It sort of anchors my thoughts concerning Jesus, especially in light of all the negative discourse that’s out there about Him. 

Of course, Satan is just as active (maybe more so because his time is running out) in tempting believers to doubt Jesus and non-believers in completely discounting Jesus ever existed. It’s clearly easy to understand why non-believers could be so manipulated by Satan, but why is it that he is so successful in inducing such vulnerability in God’s army (you and me)?

. . .why is God’s army plagued with such a lack of boldness and courage and so easily disheartened and distracted? p. 1, FD

Repeatedly in my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, I state the answer to the above question:

. . . if he can keep you from consistent Bible study and prayer, then you will not possess the ability to recognize the lies of fiery darts and your thinking will be vulnerable to Satan’s manipulation. p. 61, FD

When these two disciplines, Bible study and prayer, are not practiced consistently in a Christian’s life, Satan’s fiery darts find an easy mark,. . . p. 63, FD

Have you been an easy mark for Satan? Do you find it easier to talk to others about anything other than Jesus? Do you find yourself expressing more passion for your favorite sport or movie than you do Jesus? 

Is Easter just an excuse for buying a new outfit? Is Easter one of the two times a year you feel the pull (thank goodness there is still some pulling) to attend church? How does the Easter story of colored eggs and chocolate bunnies compare to the Easter message of Jesus that you tell your children?

REMEMBER:

The first half of John 10:10 reveals Satan’s intentions toward mankind, “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy.” p. 6, FD

Be alert, my dear readers, to the fiery darts you have unknowingly allowed to influence your thoughts which have given way to attitudes and actions that have committed you to the bondage of negative thinking in which you may be bound!

Especially regarding Easter! 

Examining the enemy’s motives

Mar22

devil_lion

   Chapter Two of Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, entitled “The Strength of Knowing your Enemy” discloses the gravity of knowing what our enemy is capable of and being wise to his strategy.

    By examining Nehemiah’s battle strategy, we come to understand the advantage that is ours by becoming familiar with an Enemy’s motives. From Nehemiah 6:1-16, we can learn much regarding the strategy we need in combating the Enemy of our day. FD p.7

   So how do we know when we are being attacked?

   While the enemy may not necessarily cause the problem, rest assured he will be bound to take advantage of it. Therefore, we must be familiar with how we are likely to be taken advantage of by the enemy. Fiery darts or negative thinking is Satan’s choicest of weapons.

   As we struggle with a particular problem, Satan will do all that he can to keep us from focusing on the truths of God. Instead, he will influence us to focus on our emotions. This, he knows, will makes us vulnerable to negativity such as doubt, fear, judgmental attitudes, tearing down instead of building up, etc.

   Therefore, when fiery darts attempt to infiltrate your thoughts, you MUST NOT grant them entry. Their poison is deadly and can quickly take over your thoughts, blocking the Truths from God that bring clear thinking.

   If you have remained in God’s Word and have kept in touch with Him by prayer, you have a deep reserve from which to call forth a Truth thought that will thwart the fiery dart’s intention.

   If you haven’t been persistent in prayer and Bible study, it’s going to be more difficult to be successful over your enemy. The poison has been brewing and much needs to be cleansed before you can hear from God about the Truth thoughts He would give you in these moments.

Never, Never, Never Forget,

   Satan’s primary temptation is keep you from God’s Word and prayer. That’s how he sets the stage for further temptations which find you vulnerable. Yes, he may serve up the temptation but the choice you make determines whether or not you will allow it to deposit its poison.

   Whenever, you encounter problems, please know you are a prime target for fiery darts. If you have your armor on, raise your Shield of Faith (God’s Word, remember) to deflect the fiery darts. God’s intention is to saturate our thoughts with wisdom, patience, trust, forgiveness, self-control–whatever the problem calls for.

using shield to fight lion

Take up the Shield of Faith! Ephesians 6:16A

God knows your enemy! Ask Him to make you wise to his strategy!

Retirement and Choices

Mar16

   As some of you know, my husband will be retiring June 28th from the wonderful church of which he has pastored for 27 years. After that we will be entering untried territory! There are already some questions that are attempting to weasel their way into our minds. A couple of “What If” questions. Such as:

What if you aren’t able to manage on your readjusted income?

What if your health begins to fail?

   These sound like sensible questions. Obviously our lifestyle will have to be adjusted to accommodate our change of income. But as we attempt to answers such questions, we are faced with the realization that many of our hopes and dreams for the future hinge on having adequate income coupled with good health. If either or both are taken away, then so goes our hopes and dreams.

   Of course, you and I both know these are nothing but fiery darts meant to evoke fear and worry into our thinking.  The idea that decisions would be made based on thoughts of fear and worry makes no sense for a Christian. I desire to make decisions based on the power, love, and sound mind that God has given me. Allowing our minds to be infiltrated by the poison of such thinking will certainly undermine the faith and trust we have in God.

   Therefore, when the thoughts of fear and doubt come knocking on the door of my mind, I will send the following Truth thoughts to answer:

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

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (KJV)

I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Psalm 37:25 (NIV)

Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Luke 12:24 (KJV)

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Matthew 6:31-32 (KJV)

Now, as I see it, we have a choice to make. 

We can cooperate with Satan and succumb to the fiery darts of fear and worry!

OR

We can cooperate with God as He works out His plans for us day by day!

Our Choice!
The Obvious Choice!

How to spoil the enemy’s plan!

Mar8
   Recently, I encountered a major fiery dart attack. It was the type of attack that previously had defeated me (before I became schooled in how to successfully fight fiery darts). The attack tempted me to become angry. I was tempted with feelings of worthlessness  and feeling another did not think well of me. In the past this kind of attack sent me spiraling into depression.

BUT THIS TIME

I refused to open the door and allow the poison to infiltrate my thinking.

“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.” p. 46 FD

I brought the 3 R’s of fighting fiery darts into play.

First, I recognized the negative thoughts for the fiery darts they were.

Second, I resisted the fiery darts

Third, I replaced the fiery darts with God’s Truth thoughts:

Thoughts of anger were replaced with:

1 Corinthians 13:5, Love. . .is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong.

Thoughts of worthlessness were replaced with:

Philippines 3:9, . . . not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. (My worth is defined by my relationship with Christ. No earthly relationship was designed to give me that)

Thoughts that another did not think well of me:

Zephaniah 3:17 – The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Knowing God loves me and rejoices over me, trumps and destroys any negative thought that another does not think well of me. And, please understand that the thought that another did not think well of me was a fiery dart itself. One that in the past nailed me, but not now!)

   God’s Truth spoiled the plans Satan’s fiery darts had for me. God protected me from being victimized by the lies the fiery darts would have poisoned my mind with by opening my understanding to the enemies tactics and how I could fight successfully against them. 

   This can happen for you. My book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, will show you how!

*Click on the image of my book in the sidebar to order

Speaking Truth to the Problem!

Feb25

   We live in a day when Truth has been redefined. For quite some time now only what has been politically correct has been considered Truth. The numbers of those who support this redefined Truth have increased through the years in power, influence, and intimidation.

   It is alarming to me that during most of the these years of redefinition the Church has maintained a low profile. We know the Truth, the real Truth, and yet we have fearfully kept it to ourselves! Why fearfully? Because we were threatened by those who sought to live in license, (being able to do what they wanted to do, when they wanted to do it, without being made to feel guilty about it). They were convinced in their own minds that Truth had forced them to live in bondage and if they were to be able to live free of this bondage, the old Truth had to be discarded and replaced with a new truth. (The fiery darts call bondage Truth and Truth bondage, remember)

   Political correctness served their needs more than sufficiently. And while the Church for a period of time coward in fear, I am encouraged to see the Church is stirring. Yes, we gave over ground to the enemy but increasingly Christians are waking up to the fact that we must retake that ground. We are becoming wise to the fact that Satan’s camp can in no way compare to the army of God. 

  This boldness will cost us. All over our country, people are loosing their business because they refuse to compromise their Christian convictions. Christian governmental workers and Christian businessmen and women are being ostracized for their convictions and some are loosing their jobs. 

Can you see how bold Satan has become?

   His poisonous fiery darts have permeated the minds of those who are weak in the faith (remember they have been tempted to look elsewhere for Truth other than Scriptures), and especially those who have rejected God. And, in my opinion, the entertainment industry and even some of our own political leaders have been Satan’s keenest agents in influencing us to redefine Truth.

   If it were not for what God has taught me concerning fiery darts, I would be in despair. Yet, because I know how all this plays out (Satan looses) I have every reason to raise my eyes toward heaven and accept the hope God offers.

   But there is much to do.

   First and foremost, prayer and study of God’s Word must be taken more seriously than ever before.  We must resist the fiery darts that will attempt to convince us that we don’t have time to do either one.

   As God raises up godly leaders who boldly speak forth the Truth,(and I am thinking of two men right now who are doing just this; but there are more)  we must commit to pray for them faithfully. Also we must follow their example and speak forth the Truth in our personal lives. We must not be afraid. We must remember that:

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. 2 Timothy 1:7, HCSB

We must never forget that true and genuine freedom is found in knowing the Author of Truth:

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”John 8:32,HCSB

Problems?

Feb9

Problems! We all encounter them.

   We can face them as individuals or as a group. Sometimes they loom so large we fear we will be overwhelmed by them. Then again, our perspective regarding how we approach problems can be so skewed by fiery dart thinking (negative thinking, remember) that we choose a downward path, oblivous to the upward path already laid out by God for our good. 

   Here’s God’s plan!

Problems are meant to work out for our benefit!

Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

We are meant to rise above our problems; not sink under the weight of them!

 Romans 8:37, No, in all these things (problems) we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

Problems are designed to supply what might be lacking in our spiritual makeup

James 1:2-3, Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverence. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anthing.

There’s more but this is enough to make my point!

   Typically, problems create more problems. Listen to anyone or group absorbed in a problem and what do you hear? One negative statement after another. It’s seems those involved have an opinion on what caused the problem and will rehearse their negative opinion with anyone who will listen.
   I have seen the progression fiery dart thinking sets in motion. When problems occur the temptation we succumb to is to set our eyes upon the problem and think of nothing else. The darkness produced by such negativity grows with the intention to completly obliterate the Light of God’s solutions.
   I know what that is like. I have been there. It’s a no win situation. Not until, that is, you turn your gaze and ear to Jesus and begin following His instructions.

It’s likely He will open your eyes to the fact that while He has good plans for you, Satan does not.

John 10:10, A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance.

He might even ask us this question: Whose plan are you cooperating with?

   If we are maintaining a negative perspective regarding the problems with which we are faced, the answer to this question is obvious.
   However, I do not believe that we intentionally choose to cooperate more with Satan’s plan than we do God’s. I do believe that we have been deceived with fiery dart thoughts that have blinded us to God’s plan. Which is why I write this post–to reveal Satan’s plan.
   Start speaking Truth to the problem–using the verses like the ones I have offered in this post. When a thought forms in your mind regarding the problem, ask yourself this question:

   Is it a fiery dart thought or a Truth thought?

Only proceed if your words will speak Truth. Then set back and watch the glory of God at work in your obedience and pour out more blessings that you can imagine. Malachi 3:10 backs this up.