Tag Archive | faith

Failure to read…

Jan22

When we fail to read our bibles, what are the consequences? What happens when we fail to read a map? We lose our way. What happens when we fail to read an instruction manual? We become confused. It’s no different with the Bible, we lose our way and become confused. In this state of lostness and confusion we will search for someone or something that will remedy our lost and confused state. And the dumbest thing we can do is to check out everything but the Scriptures for a remedy. Now I ask you. Why would we do such a thing?

Okay readers, the answer is simple. We live in a world predisposed to sin. With Satan prowling around seeking whom he can devour, those of us ignorant of the instructions from God’s word about sin are easy pickings. This ignorance on our part, sets us up for the enemy’s deception and manipulation. We become victimized by human reasoning and false assumptions. Therefore, not surprisingly, his primary weapon will be to distract us from reading God’s word.

Satan’s point in his deception is to desensitize us regarding God’s instructions. Therefore, in order that our faith will not be reinforced or strengthened by reading and learning from the Bible, Satan creates distractions. (Just give a thought to the recent distractions that kept you from opening your Bibles lately.) Subtle weren’t they. The enemy knows that the less we know about what’s in the Bible, the greater is his advantage.

Consider the things we watch on tv, the movies we attend, the books we read, or the people we hang out with. Let’s ask ourselves this question. Do we find ourselves less sensitive to the difference between right and wrong after watching these shows, reading these books, or spending time with these people?

If we desire to thrive as a Christian, which by the way is God’s desire, then we must seek His instructions secured for us within the pages of the Bible.

Bored and lonely at Christmas…

Dec16

Not the usual word paring linked with Christmas, I know! Yet, I find that these two fiery darts collaborate to invade my thoughts this Christmas. My best friend, who was my confidant and companion, passed away early last year. By God’s grace, accepting the reality of her passing has been accomplished. Yet without her presence the temptation to be undone by the boredom and loneliness I feel without her is a recurring struggle.

We all know life experiences can sow seeds of loneliness and boredom. Contrast that with the fullness and warmth of Christmas and the mix can be unbearable at times. Lessening the fullness of one and intensifying the pull of the other. While Christmas is undeniably magical, life doesn’t always contribute to that magic. But life refuses to change its pace, no matter what it has thrown at us, even at Christmas time.

Donning a fake holiday countenance as our seasonal apparel, won’t remove the lonely and/or bored emotions hidden underneath. For when we withdraw from the celebratory crowd, those disturbing emotions come out of hiding. Emotions, or shall I say fiery darts, programmed to derail the healing magic of the holidays, in particular Christ’s birth.

So how do we, as Christians, outmaneuver the enemy’s attacks? In my book, Fiery Darts, I emphasize again and again the primary method to counter these attacks. Immersing ourselves in God’s word and connecting with Him in prayer. By becoming knowledgeable of the mighty weapons found in God’s word, we can preempt Satan’s attacks. We also increase our sensitivity to hear God’s Holy Spirit guiding us in prayer.

We achieve this through such weapons as is mentioned in Ephesians 6:16, “…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”, and Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” And Psalm 91:2, reminds us “My refuge and my fortress; My God in whom I trust.” (and these are just a minuscule sampling of what’s available.)

But we need to “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8 ESV” Calling upon God’s mighty weapons must be a daily discipline. For an unarmed Christian is easy prey for the enemy. During the Christmas season, there is an avalanche of emphasis on gift giving. It acts as a stealth weapon of the enemy. This emphasis causes us to become wrapped up in ourselves. A plethora of fiery darts including ones of boredom and loneliness will be used to devour us. To thwart the enemy’s plans, we must redirect our focus. Focusing instead on God’s mighty weapons revealed in His word.

Contentment – learning to trust that what we have has been given to us by God and He will use it to our good purpose. No matter what!

Dec9

We live in a world where contentment has become a neglected virtue. Those who have much, are often craving for more. While on the other end of the spectrum, those who have little grow weary of doing without. And it’s not only about possessions, but how about life situations? But how on this earth can we find contentment when on every hand we are bombarded with the enticement of desiring more? Having what others have?

The solution my dear readers is found within the pages of Scripture. For instance consider Philippians 4:11-13:

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13, NIV

How about if every time thoughts of discontentment attempt to cross the threshold of our mind, we quote Philippines 4:11-13 to ourselves? (And I mean every time!) If we are persistent, we will notice a loosening of the hold this fiery dart can have.

But what if we fail to familiarize ourselves with the truth of Philippians 4:11-13 and many more such verses? Human reasoning and false assumptions gain momentum. The plan of the enemy, to desensitize us to the power available to us, is set in motion. And all he has to do is to direct our attention away from the Word of God. By doing so, we wander about in the confusion of darkness.

If you notice, Paul emphasizes contentment is something we must learn. It doesn’t come easy. It takes effort and consistent dependence on what we learn as we avail ourselves to God’s word. When we do, we will be rewarded with the wisdom and strength necessary to rise abovePhilippians 4:13, situations that are designed to defeat us. No matter what they are!

The weapon of thankfulness: to be used year round…

Nov23

Recently, I encountered a bold attack of the enemy. And while it had the potential to shift my focus and start the downward momentum, it did not prevail upon me. Even now, though the outcome of my situation is unknown, I know calling upon this singular weapon of God’s, will undo the enemy’s plan.

Allow me to share a bit of background. Depression, for a major portion of my adult life, has often reared its ugly head. It’s first and most severe attack occurring after the birth of my first child during postpartum. Though I never got diagnosed, I survived it. I survived due to the knowledge of God’s unfailing protection. As I cared for my beloved child, God used her dependence upon me, to distract my self-focus. Years later, as the ground work for spiritual warfare was laid, God began teaching me how to recognize the attacks of the enemy, reject those attacks, and replace them with His truths. (p 93, 3rd edition, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice)

Years later, after the up and down battles with depression, I finally locked on to the fact that spending time with God consistently in prayer and His word was my only hope. And with the dawn of such a reality, the way was made clear as to how to defeat the enemy. (And I might add, birthed my book, Fiery Darts: Weapon of Choice)

The Bible is saturated with clues/weapons as to how to conquer the enemy. By learning what those weapons are and how to wield them, our victory over the enemy is secured. So what was the weapon I most recently drew forth? It was the weapon of thankfulness.

For you see what we focus upon tends to direct our thoughts, attitudes, and actions (p. 28, 3rd edition, Fiery Darts Satan’s Weapon of Choice). Seeing the dilemma I was recently faced with, I knew I needed to redirect my focus. Therefore, when I was tempted to focus upon the negatives of my situation, I recognized the enemy was at work. That’s when God prompted me to call forth the weapon of thankfulness. And that my dear readers was the key to defeating the enemy.

As I write this post, I still don’t know exactly what the outcome of my situation will be. But I do know how to face the future no matter the outcome. Every single time I am tempted to think negatively about it, I’ll call forth and focus upon the weapon of thankfulness.

Worry or Peace? You MUST choose!

Sep30

Ok, here’s the scene. We have just poured out our hearts to God about a prayer concern. After we have exhausted every detail we can think of, we close said prayer. Then we move on through our day. Yet. ‘worry’ lingers!

Therefore, I offer this tip: Through the years, I have learned to address my prayer concerns using God’s own words from Scripture. After thoroughly addressing the needs of my prayer using God’s word, I have confidence in God carrying through with His word. It’s like, after walking away from my prayer session with God I turn around and say, “You got this God?” To which He always replies, “I just said I did!”

So, what do I do about the worry that on occasion subtly sneaks back into my mind? I return to the model God has given me about attaching His word to address my particular prayer needs. In this case the lingering worry over what I just prayed about. The conversation with God then goes something like this:

“You have told me you believe my words concerning the prayer request you just gave me. That’s good. But you are still worrying over it. So believe me when I say, Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Me. 7 And my peace, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” taken from Philippines 4:-6-7

For you see while I believed God could do what the Scriptures said He could do about the petition I had presented to Him, worry indicated that I didn’t. So, I ask myself another question, “Are you going to believe Philippines 4:6-7? (Because, if I did, then peace would replace the lingering worry.)

I really wanted that, but it didn’t happen suddenly. I had to fire back with verses like Romans 8:28, Philippines 4:6-7 every time worry tried to infiltrate my thinking. You know, like in Ephesians 6:16. Thus over time and with consistent use, I continue to gain skill in wielding the force of these mighty weapons.

But remember, it’s a choice!

The Voice to Listen to…

Jul23

My most difficult battles are fought within the arena of self! As a Christian, I understand that I am made up of my body, soul, and spirit. My body while alive on this earth is in a constant civil war between my soul (ruled by my flesh) and my spirit (ruled by God’s Holy Spirit at the point when I believed in and accepted Christ). But I must choose who rules. And therein lies the struggle.

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.Galatians 5:17

*For too many years, I experienced more defeat than victory. (Fiery Darts 3rd Edition, p. 14) And it wasn’t until God made me aware of the weapons (fiery darts) of Ephesians 6:16 that I began to understand why.

As a young adult (that’s been a long time ago now!), I succumbed to the enemy’s main line of attack: keeping me distracted from daily spending time with God in prayer and in His Word. I naively thought that by attending church faithfully, reading my Bible now and then, praying often, taking to heart the Truths I heard in sermons, and just basically trying to be a good Christians that would suffice in overcoming the attacks from the enemy. I would have victories, yes, but some of my greatest failures occurred during those years. Why?

By not setting aside daily time with God in prayer and the reading of my Bible, God’s Spirit within me was simply not getting fed enough . I fell prey to human reasoning and false assumptions fed to me by my flesh. The weapons I needed to fight my battles successfully were within the pages of Scripture. By not availing myself to God’s instruction on what the weapons were and how to use them, my vulnerability to the manipulation and deception of the enemy increased.

Now that I’m older and thankfully wiser (due to the instruction from God’s word about the weapons available to me), I am more alert to the enemy’s attacks. Thus my victories have increased. For example, as a 76 year old, I have questions about my future. How much more time I might have left with my children and grandchildren? Will I still have decent health or not? Will I still be able to stay in my home? If I’m not careful those questions (note they are all self-centered) will pop up in my mind and my flesh will attempt to grab them. Fear, despair, doubt, worry, all stand by, on the ready to receive the baton and run.

But God has taught me a cleaver trick. He asks me a question of His own when those questions arise. “Whose voice is speaking to you?” Because I have learned from time spent with God in prayer and His word, I have been made aware of the following:

God gives us the ability to think. We are capable of our own independent thoughts and we will frequently have thoughts such as “I’m hungry” or “I’m tired.” But it’s also important to keep in mind that the enemy will also speak to us in the form of thoughts in the first-person singular, such as “I can’t do this.” We must take those thoughts and determine if they are consistent with God’s word.

Thus I knew that thoughts of my future that invoked fear, despair, doubt, or worry were not consistent with God’s word. For example, God tells me in 2 Timothy 1:7, that He has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a strong mind. In Philippians 4:6-7, I’m reminded, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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. These are just two examples (they are in abundance in the Scriptures) of how to distinguish between God’s voice and the enemy’s voice.

So when these negative questions arise originating in my flesh and influenced by the enemy, I counter them with this prayer based on Isaiah 54:17, May this weapon formed against me not prevail… It stops there. The battle is won.

But allow me to add those fiery darts will return again and again. It’s not a one time battle. As long as we live we will wage war with the enemy. He won’t give up, until we are secure in heaven. It’s just the truth of the matter. But thankfully God sent Christ to secure our heavenly home and equip us with the weapons we need to fight successfully against our enemy, Satan, while we live here on earth.

*Remember, my book Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice can be purchased as an e-book. If you are interested, please check the sideboard.

Are we using the wrong weapons?

Jun30

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, NLT)

Instead of the belt of truth, they fight with manipulation.
Instead of the breastplate of righteousness, they fight with the image of success.
Instead of the shoes of the gospel, they fight with smooth words.
Instead of the shield of faith, they fight with the perception of power.
Instead of the helmet of salvation, they fight with lording over authority.
Instead of the sword of the Spirit, they fight with human schemes and programs.https://enduringword.com/weapons-of-our-warfare/

It troubles me deeply as I watch people, especially Christians, suffering (without realizing they are suffering) from the effects of Satan’s manipulation. They don’t recognize their lack of desire to spend time with God in prayer and His word, is nothing more than a subtle attack of the enemy. An attack to keep them ignorant of the true weapons with which we can find the answers to the suffering and problems we all endure.

When problems arise, we will grab the weapons with which we are most familiar. If we are only familiar with the weapons of the world (like the ones mentioned above) lasting solutions or victory, or peace, or freedom, etc. will always evade us. .

Worldly weapons are fueled by human reasoning and false assumptions. Take a look at the church as a whole. Consider the human reasoning and false assumptions infilterating too many of them today. No real victory is achieved, only continual deterioration. Just what the enemy has in mind.

ONLY by becoming familiar with the weapons God has given us (again through spending time with God in prayer and His word) will we be wise to the enemy’s deception and manipulation. ONLY there can we find the answers to solve our problems.

So let’s examine ourselves. When problems, and suffering, enter upon the battlefield of our lives what weapons do we grab first? Do we turn to a verse in Scripture that will expose the true problem and solution? Do the weapons we choose actually resolve the situation or only prolong it?

Let’s be real here. Daily we are being attacked by the enemy. Therefore, daily we need to learn which weapons we should be choosing, and therefore have the wrong weapons exposed.

Who gets to rule?

May9

1 Thessalonians 5:23 says the human soul is not only real but distinct from the body and the spirit: “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Here’s an explanation:

Our bodies were given to us by God to live in and experience life on earth. It is via our bodies that we see (a glorious sunset), feel (the warmth of a child in your arms), taste (a chocolate cake with chocolate icing), smell ( the aroma of burning oak on a cool autumn day), and hear (the voices of those we love).

But we all know that at some point in time our bodies will cease to exist, we will die. So then what happens to our soul and our spirit?

The body contains the soul and the spirit. The body is NOT eternal, yet the soul and spirit are. The soul’s eternal destination is determined by the choice we make while living on this earth to either accept Christ as our Savior or not. Heaven is our eternal home for those of us who choose Christ. Hell is the eternal home for those who reject Christ.

Our soul is made up of our mind, emotions, and free will. The driving motivator of our soul is self. So visualize a throne at the center of your life. Whoever sits there gets to rule. Therefore, a soul that is ruled by self gets to do what it wants to do. Pleasing self is the primary goal. It is adverse to anything that would dethrone self.

WHO GETS TO RULE?

And finally, there is our spirit. Our spirit is what distinguishes us as Christians. It is our spirit that responds to the invitation of Jesus Christ bringing our spirit to life. Therefore, it is by our spirits that we interact/communicate with God. It is God’s spirit that reveals to us truths from God’s word. And the more we delve into God’s word, the more we will hear and understand God’s voice.

Now back to my throne analogy. When our spirit is made alive by accepting Christ as our Savior, then guess who gets dethroned? Yep, self! Our spirit, that part of us who belongs to and desires to obey God, now sits on the throne of our lives. The primary goal has now changed. Pleasing God becomes the drive that motivates us.

An individual whose spirit is NOT made alive through belief in Christ, is easy takings for Satan. Since our soul is so self-centered we are easily manipulated to go after what we want, when we want it!

Without the influence of God’s spirit within us, Satan’s subtle tactics can proceed unhindered. As he influences the soul of someone who is not a believer in Christ, he is free to manipulate, deceive, distract us away from God, Jesus, Holy Spirit. (Three components just like us). That is his whole aim on earth. His plan is to take as many souls with him as he can to his eternal hell.

But, an individual whose spirit is made alive through belief in Christ, has the power to avoid being victimized by the enemy. Our spirits, when communicating with God constantly and growing in wisdom through the absorption of His truths, expose the tactics of the enemy.

The problem here is those of us (Christians that is) who do not spend time with God in prayer and delving into His word on a consistent basis, simply don’t develop the skills we need to recognize the enemy’s tactics. As a result, we become prime targets of Satans fiery darts.

When our spirit (that part that communicates with God and He with us) is positioned on the throne of our lives then God rules. And when God rules, then we discover the life that Satan wants to steal from us. (Now, maybe we can realize why Satan doesn’t want us to read our Bibles.)

So now we need to ask ourselves, Who’s ruling our lives?

Much of my post today was gleaned from the following website: https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/what-is-the-difference-between-the-body-soul-and-spirit.html

The Resurrection and then what?

Mar27

 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, Ephesians 1:18-20

As Christians, we have available to us the ability to access the very same power that raised Christ from the dead according to the above verse. The power to live in this world at this time, with all of the discrediting of God and His word, would necessarily need to be powerful to counter the abundance of lies thrown at us daily.

Our enemy, Satan, is the main force behind the libelous suggestions bombarding us daily that undermine our faith and threaten our spiritual growth. He has whispered lies into our ears that we shouldn’t take God, Christ, the Holy Spirit too seriously. His message is, we will be denied the pleasures in life that make us happy. He has convinced us that all we really need to do is to be a good person, and/or attend church ever so often. It isn’t really necessary to do much praying or reading of our Bibles.

For you see, the main thrust of Satan’s plan is to keep us ignorant of the truths of Scripture. For not only will a little exposure to God’s word, expose the enemy’s tactics, but it will also illuminate all the riches available to us as Christians.

Consider the above verse’s mentioning of the riches of resurrection power! That same power God exercised when restoring life to Jesus, is also ours to access. It’s the power we need to bring the thoughts Satan tries to plant in our mind under God’s control. It’s the power we need to keep the heavy handiness of the enemy from destroying us. It’s the power we need to recognize the temptations the enemy would bring to bear upon us and to resist those temptations. It’s the power we need to choose the right path. It’s the power we need that will expose the enemy’s lies.

So after accepting Christ as our Savior, taking to heart his sacrifice on our behalf, the next step is to learn about this Resurrection power. It will be a growing thing. Like practicing how to use a weapon. The more we learn about how to use it and practice using it, the more skilled we become. We become less vulnerable to the enemy’s tricks.

This is what comes after accepting personally Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Read then pray… A word to grandparents!

Jan17

Last Sunday, I heard a sermon on prayer, the second in a series on prayer. Oddly enough, well maybe not so oddly, these two sermons came on the heals of an entreaty of mine asking God how I could pray more efficiently. Specifically, as to how to better pray for my family, and generally, as to how to better pray for others. My take away from that sermon was profoundly simple:

‘Read your Bible before you pray.’

Since my prayers are usually worded with a particular scripture in mind, I reasoned, “Okay, I do that.” But the more I pondered that simple directive, the more I began to question myself, “Do I actually do that?” My conclusion was No!

So this morning before I began my prayer time, I opened my Bible. I questioned, “Where do I turn to?” The book of Ephesians came to mind. Feeling no need to question further, I turned to Ephesians, and began reading chapter 1 verses 16-20. Here’s what I read.

“I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

The last two sentences lingered in my thoughts as I began to pray for my immediate family, in particular my grandchildren. I pondered how praying this verse back to God on behalf of my grandchildren would benefit them. If my loved ones had a better understanding of the incredible power of God (the very same power that God used to resurrect Jesus from the dead), then it stands to reason they would be empowered to pray with more confidence in God to meet their needs. That could shift their focus. Their focus would then center on the power of God to meet their needs, not solely on their needs.

This is a ‘Need to Know’ kind of information. That being the case, I texted my beloved grans and shared the above verse adding the following comment:

..You have incredible power, to live the life to which God has called you. To call upon during the tough times in your lives. To give you guidance when the way seems uncertain. To encourage and assure you. To enable you to recognize when the enemy is attacking you and empower you to resist him. Just remember you have access to the same power that raised Christ from the dead. Learn how to draw upon that power…..