Tag Archive | confusion

Overcoming fear through God’s Word…

Mar11

Since last Saturday, I find myself watching the news far more than I usually do. I search for headlines daily reporting on the Middle East crises. (Choosing my sources for this information requires that I depend upon God for guidance.) Considering the nature of the rhetoric, I could picture the enemy reaching for the poisoned dart of fear. Biding his time as to when to fire it off.

I confess, prior to February 28 I was already caught up in a fight of resistance against fiery darts. Resistance against some personal issues of worry, confusion, and anxiety. And right up until the day before, I was dealing with this onslaught. Then Saturday happened. So realizing I was already in a weakened state, Satan added his pièce de résistance – fear!

If I was to have any hope in countering the enemy’s plan, I knew I needed to secure an alliance with a force greater than my enemy. Past experiences has proven that spending time with God in His word and prayer is the key to deflecting the enemy’s attacks. This has been my modus operandi in extinguishing an invasion of fiery darts. Yet, I can tell you it wasn’t a sudden fix. It took days of prayerfully reading and meditating on God’s word for the transforming truths to penetrate. And along the way as I availed myself to God’s truths, I settled down. The fiery dart of fear, lost its momentum along with the worry, confusion, and anxiety.

Satan goes after the most vulnerable. That would be those who aren’t equipped with the weapons of our warfare. Stands to reason, if we aren’t aware of our weapons we won’t know how to use them. Therefore, we are easy prey. Understandably, getting informed of how in control God is, we will have the confidence to endure. And that my dear readers is how we can overcome fear and all its fiery dart companions. No matter how the headlines read!

Finding Hope: God’s Protection Amidst Turmoil

Jan28

With all the disruption taking place in our country these days, we need something to cling to that will inspire hope. Something that will strengthen our grasp on the assurance that evil will not prevail. So where are we to turn? Many turn to the wisdom of man, the power of worldly weapons, the strength of government, or financial wealth. Only to find these fall short to offer the protection we need. We may try religions that promote a variety of methods but fails to direct our focus towards the Triune God of Christianity.

In such trying times, we must be alert to the deception and manipulation of the enemy, aka Satan. Lies are his foremost fiery darts. The weapons he exploits to manipulate and deceive. Especially, those who without a relationship with God through Christ, become his pawns. And if we as Christians fail to search the Scriptures for answers, we will face the temptation of despair, confusion, and doubt.

Nevertheless, if we open our Bibles, that is where we will find the hope and assurance we need in these threatening days. In particular Psalm 91. Psalm 91 is primarily a Messianic Psalm but presents a clear message to individual believers found in verses 1-2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

And it is by having this mindset that we access peace and assurance, no matter the assault from the enemy. The enemy just can’t compete with this Divine protection of Psalm 91. For this psalm reassures us of God’s faithful presence during our storms. We know that because of God’s protection the weapons formed against us will not prevail. We will ride out the storm. We will persevere. We will rise above and become the stronger for it.

What is accomplished by concealing the importance of discipleship in our churches? 

Nov9

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Some subtle alterations take place when churches fail to grasp the balance that needs to be maintained concerning conversion and discipleship. Consider these:

    Churches over-focus on evangelism while the role of discipleship fades away into confusion. Evangelism must be followed by discipleship if the church is to be filled with Christians who are growing and maturing in their faith.

Satan doesn’t shutter in fear when we become believers in Christ. It’s our being discipled that sends shivers up his spine!

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     New converts are often left to fend for themselves as they face the world and encounter life’s challenges. Without the counsel of a discipler, we fail to learn that God’s plan is to take what Satan means for bad and turn it into good. Romans 8:28

     Consider what often happens to new adult converts. Too often they are given responsibilities within the church by virtue of their physical age, not spiritual maturity. In the physical world, no one would expect an infant to teach a class of adults! No wonder many face burn out and/or disillusionment. They need to be a learner; not a teacher. Many leave the church because they were put in just such a position. 

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     Without discipleship, our churches are likely to be filled with immature Christians. These baby Christians, simply put, are suffering from failure to thrive. Due to their immaturity, they are easily deceived and manipulated by Satan. They haven’t been taught how to recognize the truth from a lie. Which is why fiery darts can be so deadly in these cases.

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Fiery darts of Confusion dull our understanding of these terms

Conversion births us into God’s kingdom. Discipleship means to allow God to form our lives, our real, everyday, actual practices, choices, and beliefs – to look more and more like Christ.

Conversion and Discipleship are the two parts of the whole. Conversion is all about the birth and Discipleship is all about growth after the birth.

Disciples making disciples go out into the world impacting for Christ the systems we create and participate in. (and that makes for a better world for all.)

 

God’s Will? or not! Sometimes you just have to get up and move!

Nov1

 

Be Aware! The fiery darts are really tricky when it comes to discerning God’s will. For example:

 

Feel confused, troubled, or things just won’t clear up? 

Remember:  

1 Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion. (If confusion remains, then hold off on that decision.)

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Being rushed to make a decision but  we don’t feel ready?

Remember:

Psalm 37: 7a, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him… 

(Be careful here. Sometimes we make a decision then ask God to bless it. Get the direction clear in your head first. A fiery dart will always push us to get the cart before the horse.)

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Feel we should take a step of faith, but we are too afraid?

Remember:

2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us the spirit of fear

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Feel we should take a step of faith, but we are bombarded with doubt?

Remember:

Mark 9:23, Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

 

   When we face of time of decision consider this. If we have not been consistently and I mean daily spending time with God in prayer and His Word, then it’s going to be a bit harder. And it will take some time. Too many aren’t willing to give God that time. Satan takes advantage of that. Confusion, fear, doubt, are the tools of his trade. If there hasn’t been a daily going back and forth between us and God, then whatever has caused that needs to be faced and discarded. Then considered the decision.

Me & my new jeep

Oh! Be careful about over spiritualizing the situation. I use to be really bad about that. For instance,

   I was traveling all by myself for the first time to go visit my son. At the time he lived an 8 hour’s drive away. I don’t like traveling alone. But I strongly desired to go and see my son and nothing else had worked out. It was either, go by myself or stay home. 

   I thought, “If I’m just stepping out in my own will, then I won’t have God’s protection!” (Oh that’s a paralyzer!) I shared that with my son and this was something like his reply.

“Mom, do you want to come for a visit? 

To which I replied, “Of course, I feel very strongly about that.”

“Then get yourself in that car and come on!” was his pert reply.

   I had prayed and prayed and prayed some more about traveling to go see my son. (and he knew that)  My traveling alone was the only thing that had worked out. There was nothing left for me to do but get myself in that car and head out. God had opened the door, but the fiery darts of fear and doubt were paralyzing me. Sometimes, you just have to get up and move!