The Fiery Darts of Parenting Series – Negative Teasing!

Sep8

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

NEGATIVE TEASING!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That’s negative teasing!”

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

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

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

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

 

The Darkness of Fiery Darts vs the Light of God’s Truth!

Aug7

Some days are worse than others when it comes to fiery darts.  It’s amazing to me how powerful some fiery darts are.  I think those that come through people who are closest to us has the greatest potential for destructiveness.  The person through whom the fiery dart comes is often totally clueless that they have become the vehicle of such a force.  Nevertheless, their encounter with you leaves you wounded and likely they are oblivious to the onslaught of fiery darts with which you now must deal.

Okay, you’ve been attacked, wounded, and are now struggling with the fiery darts of the minions of destructiveness.  How do you respond?  It’s important, I think, to not react but to respond.  Reacting predisposes that you are acting without thinking.  Reacting to fiery darts, which is our natural bent, is not the best way to deal with fiery darts.  Nope! We must respond, which implies thoughtful actions.  And for those of us who are Christian, prayer is a vital component of those thoughtful actions.

Fiery darts bring darkness and it seems to me that the more fiery darts you encounter the darker it gets.  I suppose that’s why it’s important to follow the advice of Thomas a’ Kempis, author of The Imitation of Christ whom I quoted in my book, if you don’t want to be overcome by the accumulated darkness of fiery darts.

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.


You need light, the light of Truth, and lots of it at these moments.  Pull out your Bible (or whatever means you have to the Scriptures) and focus on gleaning as much light as is possible on your present situation.  Remember, to fight the darkness of the fiery darts you need to absorb as much light as you can.  So immerse yourself in the Light of God’s Word from the git go. (You are just trying to dispel the darkness at this point.)  Eventually, you will begin to receive direction concerning the specifics of your situation.  Then it will be the light of God’s Truth that will define your attitudes and actions as you deal with the attack of fiery darts that you have encountered.

I would like to share with you the following about a man named Steve Saint who has become a beacon of light for God as is evidenced by the manner in which he has responded  to a recent tragic accident in his life.   At one point early on in this video, Steve shares how he dealt with a menacing fiery dart thought of how much easier it would have been if the accident had cost him his life.  Listen carefully for the light of Truth he has come to know that exposes the darkness of such thinking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP3q_b4zKxQ

To find out who Steve Saint is go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Saint

Martha vs Mary–Not Really!

Jul22

Martha and Mary

38 While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what He said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don’t You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”

41 The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42 (HCSB)

So, what does this excerpt from Luke have to do with fiery darts?

First of all let’s take a look at Martha and Mary.  Martha busied herself with the many tasks of opening her home to a beloved friend (oh, and who just happened to be the Son of God–no pressure!) Mary, on the other hand, risked the criticism of a very frustrated sister, to sit at Jesus’ feet to listen to what He had to say. (Betcha, she was hanging on His every word!)

Women through the ages have read this biblical account and have related to it in a variety of ways.  Opinions have been expressed as to which sister Jesus approved of more, and often Mary comes out on top.  But everybody knows that we can’t have a world made up of just Mary’s.  Martha’s are a necessary ingredient to maintaining balance BUT we can’t have a world made up of just Martha’s either!  Each has their place; and each must be given the freedom to find it! (in their own Martha and Mary way, I might add!)

So, what’s my point here?

I believe that Jesus was pointing out the fact that both types of devotion to Him are necessary.  But in that moment (and so often in our lives) the Martha’s of this world needed to give the Mary’s in this world the space to go about their tasks in their own way without becoming critical.

Martha’s are good at what they do.  So good in fact, that they genuinely have a hard time believing that Mary’s can do a job better than they can.  So when they see a Mary falling short of perfection (doing it the way a Martha would) then it’s up to them to step in and get the job done right!

ENTER! The Fiery Darts!

Martha and Mary both are prime targets at this point for bookoodles of fiery darts.  Martha’s are convinced their way is best and become a bit insensitive to how they are coming across to their Mary’s.  After all, what is wrong with this Mary she is dealing with?  The job needs to be done, therefore, it needs to be done right.  Why can’t this Mary person be more appreciative of her help.  Can you see Martha’s frustration!  Oh yeah!

Then we have Mary.  Having a hard time trying to figure out where she went wrong!  

Listen, if Mary’s not careful she will begin to focus more on Martha’s criticisms than she should.  When that happens, the fiery darts of low self worth, find a prime target and she will become a fading flower if she focuses more on what Martha thinks of her than of what Jesus thinks of her.  But Mary’s of the world, take heart!   Martha’s are a powerful force but keep this in mind.  You are not in competition with them over Jesus’s favor.  Jesus loves you and accepts you just the way you are (even if the Martha you are dealing with appears not to). You will see that you are a beautiful flower in His garden (that’s a Mary thought if there ever was one), if you will but keep your focus on Him.

Martha’s are an uptight bunch of gals.  They excel at most everything they do.  As a result, they get lots of strokes from all of those who admire their excellence.  The expectations they have from their admirers plus the expectations they have for themselves must be met.  Oh really?  Pride is a deadly fiery dart and Martha’s are so susceptible to it.  Be on your guard, dear Martha’s.  You are not competing with Mary’s for Jesus’s favor, either.  Just take a deep breath and relax.  Give others the opportunity to get the job done in a way different from the way you would and don’t criticize them for being true to themselves!  Remember, you want to encourage them to please Jesus not You!

(Hey, and surprise, surprise, you’ll find there really is more than one way to skin a cat!)

Man Opens His Mouth & God Speaks–Final note!

Jul12

What I would like to share with you next should come straight from Echelon’s blog.  Therefore, I will give you the link for you to go to so you can read for yourself how the event played out.

http://echelon-africablog.blogspot.com/2012/07/life-death-ransom-part-3-4.html

Then after you get all updated, I’d like for you to read Jay’s commentary titled:  The Lion AND the Lamb!  Very insightful!

http://echelon-africablog.blogspot.com/2012/07/lion-and-lamb.html

*    *    *    *

As I reflect upon the darkness that seems to prevail in America at present and ponder the extraordinary events my son and his fellow team members are experiencing in Africa, I leave you with this thought.  The spiritual warfare you have just read about is not limited to that small African village on the other side of the world. We cannot pretend that such events occur only in a land where witchdoctors reside and hold sway over the thoughts of those driven by fear.

Unlike our African brethren who knew mostly darkness, we here in America have the Light all around us. Hundreds of Christian churches exist in every state of the Union.  We can hear the Good News broadcast as often as we care to turn on a tv, listen to a radio, or go online.  If we want to know about Jesus, there is an abundance of ways to secure that information.

So how is it that being in possession of such a great Light, we do not notice more evidence of it’s effectiveness?  It is my strong opinion that we have through fiery dart thinking, among other things, hidden our light under a basket as is illustrated by Matthew 5:15.

When we allow Hollywood’s agenda to have more sway over our thinking than we allow the Bible, when we allow our religious beliefs to be muzzled in the public arena, and when we allow evidence of our rich religious heritage to be erased from our children’s textbooks why should we be surprised that darkness and light is so indistinguishable in our land?  And while the government can’t take our God given rights away from us (unalienable you know), I suppose we (the people) in effect could give those rights away by continuing to hide our Light under that proverbial basket!

In that small African village, the Light is shining brightly, is dispelling the darkness and is expanding God’s kingdom.  A people who have walked in darkness are breaking free to walk in the Light.

If we desire to walk in the Light as our African brethren, then first we must acknowledge the darkness in our own lives and allow the Light of the Gospel  to lead us to repent of that darkness.  Then we must forsake the destructive course our past choices have determined for us and walk the path that will be illuminated for us as we study God’s Word.  I close with an excerpt from Echelon’s blog:

http://echelon-africablog.blogspot.com/2012/07/swallow-your-missiology.html

Everyday new people came to us and told us they wanted to follow him.(Jesus) Then after following him they began proclaiming the Good news to those who have not heard! . . . We simply told them that if they are ready to repent of their old ways and begin to FOLLOW Jesus every day. Then please come to us and we will show you his path. 

I ask you, how can you light the path for others when you don’t have enough light to walk your own path? 

Man opens his mouth and God speaks! Part 2

Jul8

What my son and his team were experiencing was peculiar to say the least.  But the detail that my mind couldn’t get away from was how God displayed His power by taking command of Jay’s voice and speaking through him to Moses.  In my world such evidence of the Holy Spirit’s power is rare.  I remember thinking, “LORD, what’s it like to experience such a display of Your power?”  I couldn’t imagine what it must have been like for Jay to be used of God in such a manner.

Here in America we are not accustomed to such behavior so the likelihood of experiencing what my son had encountered was hardly possible.  I mean we are too sophisticated, too civilized for such things to take place–right?

 (Sound like fiery dart reasoning to you?)

Then I opened my devotional readings and  I came across a verse that caused me to pause and reflect.  The particular verse is not important to this post but suffice it to say it was important to something I was going through at the time.  A questioning thought came to my mind:

“What if God was speaking to me though this verse?”

The next image that appeared in my mind was rather peculiar.  (Oh, I’ve heard that word before.)  It was an image of Jesus putting His arm around me and gently saying,

“My daughter, if you will accept this verse as a word from Me, then you will know what it feels like to hear Me speak!”

 My next thoughts can only be described as fiery darts.  

“Oh, that’s just a coincidence that you read that verse when you did.  Besides, how could you possibly know those words were from God?  Those are just words.  Anyway, they do not really apply to your situation!”

Sound like fiery darts to you?  Sure did to me!  So I put up my shield of faith, embraced those words and drew encouragement from them.  I accepted those words of comfort from God and acknowledged the power of the Holy Spirit in giving them to me.

You see, when you think about it, the same God that performed such a glorious rescue of the woman who attempted suicide is the same God who spoke to me in those verses.  He is not more powerful in Africa than He is here in America.  The same evil who convinced the woman that she had no choice other than suicide is the same evil who tried to plant those fiery darts in my mind to discount God speaking to me through those verses.  The same powerful God that spoke through my friend, Jay, is the same God who spoke to me through those verses I read during my devotion time. It is the same God and the same devil at work in both areas.

The distinction between good and evil may be more clearly defined in the situation which I described there in that small African village. But when you consider how long the darkness has prevailed there, it’s no wonder the Light comes in such power.  The people there aren’t use to the Light and when it comes it’s pretty hard not to recognize it.

Are we too use to the Light here in America?  Do we take it for granted?  Have we diminished its brilliance in our lives by the casual attitude we have towards the Light?  If this continues, expect our ability in distinguishing the difference between the darkness and the Light to be equally diminished.

(Oh, you’ve noticed that already!)

So, I’ve made a choice to value the Light that I’ve been given and stop taking it for granted.  I’ve decided to be more diligent in studying God’s Word so that I will less likely be deceived by the darkness.  When God speaks to me through His Word, I’m going to sit up and take notice.

(And surely avoid the temptation to think it’s nothing but a coincidence!)  

Who knows, someday I may open my mouth and hear God speak!

Some pretty amazing things have happened in that small African village since the Light has exposed the darkness there.  I’ll share that in my 3rd and last post on this subject!

Man opens his mouth and God speaks!

Jul2

Recently I have had the most incredible experience.

 It started actually in a land far away–in Africa!

PART ONE

It was to be a routine drive into the nearby town to run a few errands for my son and a couple of volunteers from the US.  Along the way, they were flagged down by man who urged them to call the police for a lady of the village had hung herself.

When my son and the two volunteers arrived on the scene they found the woman still hanging from the tree with a makeshift rope about her neck.  She was still clinging to life, albeit ever so weakly.  The 3 rescuerers gently removed the rope and carried the woman to their truck.  Next stop–the clinic in the nearby town where my son was to be running those errands.

The woman was treated and survived!  My son and his friends then carried the woman to the base camp so she could properly be cared for.  Eventually, she was able to fill them in on what had led to her desperate act.

A few years earlier the woman had borrowed some money from a wealthy man in her village so that she could care for a sick relative.  Sadly, the relative died and the woman had been unable to repay the debt.  The man told the woman that she could use her land to repay some of the debt.  He then began farming her land a little every year.  Yet, this year he began plowing under the woman’s subsistence garden and claimed the land as his own.  Knowing that without this garden she would starve to death, she figured it would be better to die quickly than to slowly starve.

My son and his fellow team member, Jay, then traveled to the man’s home in an attempt to pay the woman’s debt with interest.  The greedy man wanted nothing to do with that solution.  His plan was to get the land (for it would mean more money for him).  Jay reminded the man that the woman would die if this man took her land.  His response was cold and calloused for he cared not what happened to the woman.

Finally, when nothing was resolved, the man said it would be handled in the traditional way.  Which entailed calling the witch doctor, making a sacrifice and calling down a curse that would cause the woman, her two sons, and Jay to die.

Witch Doctor

At that point, Jay told the man of greed, “I don’t think you want to go that route because you would surely lose!   You could call all of the witch doctors in the land and if Gods people were praying they could not hurt a hair on our heads!”

Following this bold statement, Jay became God’s mouth and these words were spoken, “Everything you see here in your presence will be gone within 6 months and you will be destitute having nothing to your name.  You will acknowledge that God is the only true god  as everything that you touch will fail until you repent and acknowledge your evil ways.”

*   *   *

What does this story have to do with fiery darts?

Plenty!

My next blog post will reveal the specifics!

Just something from my heart!

Jun27

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then read another excerpt from my book:

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

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

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

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

BUT REMEMBER:

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

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

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

(Just saying’)

 Oh, here’s a final word to remember:

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

A Way Out of the Darkness!

Jun24

In the past, long before I had learned about waging a successful war regarding fiery darts, I was in bondage to some pretty devastating thoughts.  One in particular was the idea that if I failed in a particular area of my life that would automatically spill over into all other areas of my life and inflict damage on them as well.  The unfortunate thing regarding these lessons on fiery darts that have now secured my freedom, is that way back then I was clueless about how the fiery darts were messing with my mind and ensuring my extended bondage.  That’s the bad news, but the good news is

In looking back on my journey, I have wondered at times why it took me so long to recognize the path out of the darkness of negative thinking that God had illuminated for me. . . . My hope then is that by my sharing what I have learned on my journey out of the darkness of negative thinking, you will be able to recognize much sooner than I did your own path out of the darkness that God has illuminated for you. (pg. 3, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice)

 Therefore, if you will permit me, I would like to encourage your heart with a Truth God has often sustained me with.

Isaiah 43:18  “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old. 19  Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming.  Do you not see it?  Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.

Just because you have experienced failure in the past, that doesn’t mean that because of that  particular failure, you are doomed to fail or at least not measure up in all areas of your life.  I carried that burden of a lie for more years than I care to remember.  Only by God’s grace and what He taught me concerning fiery darts have I been set free.

You have only to research some of the Greats of Scripture to see what God thinks of failure.  Look at David, in spite of  his  serious failures, the Bible calls him, “a man after God’s own heart”.  How is that possible after what he did–murder and adultery to name only two?  I think I’ve discovered something here.  The righteousness of David had it’s source in God.  Read what Paul said about that kind of righteousness:

And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Philippians 3:9

Ok, we confess our failure to God and ask His forgiveness, then we move on with our lives and by His grace break free of the bondage that the knowledge of our failure has the capability to place us in.  As a Christian we have a very unique course set for us as we deal with the failures in our lives.  First of all, we don’t allow one failure in our lives to convince us that we are a failure at life!  That’s a big huge ole fiery dart.  It’s nothing but a lie.  Aren’t you glad that the Bible greats didn’t fall for that?

Trials have the potential to highlight areas in our lives that when responded to appropriately can increase our faith and produce endurance.  Take a look at James 1:

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, 3 knowing that the testing o your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. 

How you deal with your crisis, what you learn from your crisis will all work together to reestablish your credibility. (Rom. 8:28)  Others may come against you (these are instruments of fiery darts remember) but if in your own mind you have come to the successful and healing conclusion that God can still use you, then you’ll know how to put up your shield of faith and ward off those fiery dart minions!

So go ahead and rejoice with God in those areas where you don’t feel like a total failure.  Be thankful for them and praise God for them.  Don’t allow the fiery dart that says you’d be a hypocrite to think you could still be used of God when you have failed Him so miserably. There are some areas in your life that you have gotten right so know that you have a valid testimony in that area.

Look again at the phrase, ‘a way in the wilderness’.  You have two choices to make.  You can choose to focus on the wilderness or you can focus on ‘the way’. You could choose to focus on the negatives if you like, but be prepared a cloud of negativism will become your constant companion.  On the other hand, you could choose to focus on God’s faithfulness to lead you out of the wilderness. You can choose to focus on the good He brought out of that wilderness experiences, how He strengthened you.  And I’ve got a sweet thought for you, if you focus on how God brought you out of the wilderness.

The more you focus on the good, the more good you’ll notice AND the better you are going to feel.  The more hopeful you’ll become.  Goodbye, despair; for hope and despair don’t share the same space.

Gotta a verse for you:

Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.


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

May15

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1.  Acknowledge the fiery dart

2.  Find a verse to focus on

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

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

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

“It’s complicated!”

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

Defeating the Enemy-One book at a time!

Apr18

Book signing at Applegarth Books

Things went well at my last book signing.  Dorie & Rachel both were there giving me their faithful support.  Rachel had the poster made (can’t see details because of the glare but it was just what I needed) and provided me with the stand.  This will be handy for future book signings.  While there were family members who weren’t able to attend (some just too far away!!!), it is comforting to know they would have been there if they could have.  Having my family’s support in this endeavor is a blessing from God.

I haven’t any personal ambitions concerning this book for what’s important to me is that other’s learn how to equip themselves to fight victoriously the battle against fiery darts.  With each book I sell, I’m encouraged that one more person has been given instructions in how to defeat the Enemy.

And if I’ve discovered anything, it’s that the skill to identify fiery darts grows with practice.  But I’ve also discovered that with increased skill comes increased attacks.  That’s not necessarily bad news folks!  It’s good news actually because it means more and more Christians are experiencing victory instead of defeat.  AND we live in a time when spiritual warfare has been intensified, SO we need to be prepared.

I’m particularly concerned for young people who live in a world that has trashed God’s standards for conduct.  I’m concerned for parents who have become confused and disoriented about how to raise their children to be strong in the LORD.  I’m concerned about the Church’s failure to support missions and to encourage discipleship; focusing instead too much on themselves.  I’m concerned that godly men and women in the political arena seem to be so confused about the difference between right and wrong.

At the core of the above problems are people who have become delinquent in their communication with God through prayer and Bible study.  Because of this, they aren’t aware of the most subtle and destructive weapon of fiery darts.  BUT I BELIEVE, that these same people will, if alerted, step up to the plate and cooperate with God in transforming their lives to becoming young people who are singleminded about serving their LORD; to becoming parents who know how to shut down the influences of the world on themselves and their children and instead raise up their children to be bold and active in living for God; to becoming the Church that never lacks the resources to send out missionaries (no matter the economic state of their environment) and has their priorities set on making Christ known to the world; to becoming a politician who isn’t confused about right and wrong and is bold and fearless when it comes to taking a stand for Christ.

Hosea 4: 6 (KJV) My people perish from a lack of knowledge.

The ability to obtain knowledge and not perish is available to anyone who desires it.  Hopefully, what you read in my book (and others like it) will alert you to the manipulation you might have succumbed to and you will turn to God and His Word and keep the Enemy at bay!