Tag Archive | Jesus

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.

The debacle of the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics…

Jul27

When I first heard of the willful slam against Christians during the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics, I was appalled. The blatant disrespect of the drag queen performers and the ones who orchestrated the parody of the Last Supper reveals an evilly inspired blindness to God’s truth.

My mind was bombarded with a plethora of negative thoughts. I read article after article describing the backlash from all over the world condemning such shameless disregard of Christ and Christians. (Notice though, you didn’t hear much from the tv news about it)

Eventually, I settled down and prayerfully sought God’s wisdom in how I should respond. A verse in Romans came to mind:“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 HCSB

God is in the business of thwarting the intentions of evil to produce good. He will not allow evil to get the upper hand. Christ’s death on the cross is proof positive of that. Satan must have thought, I won! But he had only succeeded in insuring his own demise. For those who understand that Jesus paid their sin debt, will spend eternity in heaven with Him. And those who do not? Well, they will join Satan in his everlasting punishment. Only because of their unbelief.

The good that could come from this is that Christians will finally admit that enough is enough. The time has come when we as Christians must no longer be weak bystanders when our faith is challenged. There should be no more compromising. Standing firm in our faith without being condemning should be our mantra. (Remember Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save the world through Him. John 3:17)

So be encouraged fellow Christians, for Philippians 2:10-11 tells us, “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”   

The day will come when those who slammed God and His people will regret every word, every act, but it will be too late. So, we must pray for them while there is still time for their blindness to be exposed. 

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

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…..  

Does it count for eternity?

Jan2

A new year has begun. We all have an opportunity for a fresh beginning. But will we take advantage of it, or do we even know how. Will we be able to detach ourselves from the trials, disappointments, and losses experienced from 2023? While last year did have its mountaintop moments, why is it that the valley moments seem to possess a greater force to pull us downward?

How do we overcome this downward force? The world offers their solutions and I might add that the source of those solutions have very little, if any, to do with God. True and lasting peace, even in the midst of life in our valleys, can only be found in God.

I met a man on a mission trip several years ago who would be considered poor by my country’s standards. Yet, the riches this man possessed was reflected in the words of his young adult daughter when she was asked about her life’s ambition. Her heart’s desire was to serve God as she had seen her father do. Her father passed on a legacy to his daughter far more valuable than any worldly possessions or riches.

This man and his family had discovered the secret of living a life that counted. Not to obtain material possessions, success, wealth, or fame. Their focus was on living a life that counted for God, a life that counted for eternity.

Living a life that counts for eternity is reflected in the choices we make on a daily basis. It is especially apparent when there are valleys to be endured and when the mountaintop experiences may be in short supply. The secret to making right choices is in asking ourselves this question: Will the choice I want to make count for eternity?

 

What’s being hidden?

Jan29

Oh my goodness, what a question! The paradox here is that so much is being hidden we can’t even recognize what it is that is being concealed!

But we have to start somewhere so let’s start with a clue from the world of literature. Every epic saga contains a protagonist and an antagonist. The antagonist, who is clever, deceitful, manipulative, and enticing is typically engaged in battle against the protagonist. After many failed attempts at directly assaulting the protagonist, the antagonist will modify his methods. If he can’t hurt the protagonist, then he will hurt those who the protagonist loves.

Well, my dear readers, this is the point at which we can begin our investigation in exposing what is being hidden. For the book that exposes this epic saga is the Bible. In the Bible the epic battle between good and evil or God, the protagonist, and Satan, the antagonist, is disclosed. Stands to reason then Satan’s first plan of attack would be to conceal the truths of Scripture. Why?

The further removed humanity is from God and His plans for them, the more room Satan has to work. By being unaware of the Truth revealed in the Bible, mankind will discard the existence of God. Therefore, when belief in God is discarded, who’s going to believe in the existence of Satan?

Deception and manipulation are his primary tools to destroy individuals and thus in turn hurt God. For mankind is not Satan’s main target. God is! He hurts God by hiding the Truth from individuals and making them unaware of what is Truth.

So what about those who have been somewhat exposed to the Truths in the Bible? What is Satan’s line of attack with them? Keep them confused about who God, Jesus, Jesus’s death on the cross to pay for our sins, and the Holy Spirit is. All is hidden, if Satan can distance us from God’s word.

So what does Satan want to hide from those of us who are believers?

Well, mainly the Truth contained in the Bible. For the more familiar we are with God’s Truth, the less likely Satan will be able to hide Truth. And as believers, who have had the Truth unveiled, we understand that the more time we spend in God’s word and in prayer, the stronger we will become. We will gain insight into what is a lie and what is Truth. We will know the Truth and Satan’s attempts to hide it from us will utterly fail.