Deu 7:15 And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee.
Deu 28:1 And it will be, if you shall listen carefully to the voice of Jehovah your God, to observe and to do all His commandments which I command you today, Jehovah your God will set you on high above all nations of the earth.
Deu 28:2 And all these blessings shall come on you and overtake you, if you will listen to the voice of Jehovah your God.
Deu 28:3 You shall be blessed in the city, and be blessed in the field.
Deu 28:4 The fruit of your body shall be blessed, and the fruit of your ground, and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your cows, and the flocks of your sheep.
Deu 28:5 Your basket and your store shall be blessed.
Deu 28:6 You shall be blessed when you come in, and blessed when you go out.
Deu 28:7 Jehovah shall cause your enemies that rise up against you to be stricken before your face. They shall come out against you one way, and flee before you seven ways.
Deu 28:8 Jehovah shall command the blessing on you in your storehouses, and all that you set your hand to. And He shall bless you in the land which Jehovah your God gives you.
Deu 28:9 Jehovah shall establish you a holy people to Himself, as He has sworn to you, if you shall keep the commandments of Jehovah your God and walk in His ways.
Deu 28:10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of Jehovah, and they shall be afraid of you.
Deu 28:11 And Jehovah shall prosper you in goods, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, in the land which Jehovah swore to your fathers to give you.
Deu 28:12 Jehovah shall open to you His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. And you shall loan to many nations, and you shall not borrow.
Deu 28:13 And Jehovah shall make you the head, and not the tail. And you shall be always above, and you shall not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of Jehovah your God, which I command you today, to observe and to do them.
Deu 28:14 And you shall not go aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right hand or the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Mr. Know-It-All
Pro 14:6 A scorner seeks wisdom, and it is not found, but knowledge is easy to him who understands.
"him who understands" is translated "open minded" in other translations. I prefer "teachable", otherwise the scorner is a "know-it-all" and refuses wisdom even when it is right under his nose.
"him who understands" is translated "open minded" in other translations. I prefer "teachable", otherwise the scorner is a "know-it-all" and refuses wisdom even when it is right under his nose.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Spirit Testisfieth of Jesus
Joh 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Neh 9:30 And many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit, by Your prophets, but they would not give ear. And You gave them into the hand of the people of the lands.
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Neh 9:30 And many years You had patience with them, and testified against them by Your Spirit, by Your prophets, but they would not give ear. And You gave them into the hand of the people of the lands.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Test the Spirits
1Jo 4:1 (GNB) My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God. For many false prophets have gone out everywhere.
1. Will know them by their fruits
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
2. The Spirit of God will Confess Jesus as Messiah, God's Son, the Word made flesh
1Jo 4:2 This is how you will be able to know whether it is God's Spirit: anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came as a human being has the Spirit who comes from God.
1Jo 4:3 But anyone who denies this about Jesus does not have the Spirit from God. The spirit that he has is from the Enemy of Christ; you heard that it would come, and now it is here in the world already.
1Jo 4:2 (MSG) Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ--the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person--comes from God and belongs to God.
1Jo 4:3 And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner than we thought!
3. False Spirits Talk the World's Language. Instead of the Truth, they tickle the ears of listeners with what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
1Jo 4:4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
1Jo 4:5 These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world's language and the world eats it up.
1Jo 4:6 But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.
4. Love for one another just as He first loved us. The Spirit moves us to show our love to God by loving people.
1Jo 4:7 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God.
1Jo 4:8 The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love--so you can't know him if you don't love.
1Jo 4:9 This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him.
1Jo 4:10 This is the kind of love we are talking about--not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
1Jo 4:11 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other.
1Jo 4:19 We, though, are going to love--love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.
1Jo 4:20 If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see?
1Jo 4:21 The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.
5. Keep His commandments. The Holy Spirit and messengers from God will never say or do anything contrary to God's Word.
1Jo 5:2 The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands?
1Jo 5:3 The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome.
1. Will know them by their fruits
Mat 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
2. The Spirit of God will Confess Jesus as Messiah, God's Son, the Word made flesh
1Jo 4:2 This is how you will be able to know whether it is God's Spirit: anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came as a human being has the Spirit who comes from God.
1Jo 4:3 But anyone who denies this about Jesus does not have the Spirit from God. The spirit that he has is from the Enemy of Christ; you heard that it would come, and now it is here in the world already.
1Jo 4:2 (MSG) Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ--the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person--comes from God and belongs to God.
1Jo 4:3 And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God. This is the spirit of antichrist that you heard was coming. Well, here it is, sooner than we thought!
3. False Spirits Talk the World's Language. Instead of the Truth, they tickle the ears of listeners with what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
1Jo 4:4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.
1Jo 4:5 These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world's language and the world eats it up.
1Jo 4:6 But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.
4. Love for one another just as He first loved us. The Spirit moves us to show our love to God by loving people.
1Jo 4:7 My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God.
1Jo 4:8 The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love--so you can't know him if you don't love.
1Jo 4:9 This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him.
1Jo 4:10 This is the kind of love we are talking about--not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God.
1Jo 4:11 My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other.
1Jo 4:19 We, though, are going to love--love and be loved. First we were loved, now we love. He loved us first.
1Jo 4:20 If anyone boasts, "I love God," and goes right on hating his brother or sister, thinking nothing of it, he is a liar. If he won't love the person he can see, how can he love the God he can't see?
1Jo 4:21 The command we have from Christ is blunt: Loving God includes loving people. You've got to love both.
5. Keep His commandments. The Holy Spirit and messengers from God will never say or do anything contrary to God's Word.
1Jo 5:2 The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands?
1Jo 5:3 The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Gangs are nothing new
Pro 1:10 My son, if sinners lure you, do not be willing.
Pro 1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, we will watch secretly for the innocent without cause;
Pro 1:12 let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those who go down into the pit;
Pro 1:13 we shall find all precious goods; we shall fill our houses with plunder;
Pro 1:14 cast in your lot among us, and let us have one purse.
Pro 1:15 My son, do not walk in the way with them! Keep back your foot from their path,
Pro 1:16 for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood.
Pro 1:17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird,
Pro 1:18 And they lie in wait for their own blood; they watch secretly for their own lives.
Pro 1:19 So are the ways of everyone who gains unjust gain; it takes away its owners' life.
Pro 1:11 If they say, Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, we will watch secretly for the innocent without cause;
Pro 1:12 let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those who go down into the pit;
Pro 1:13 we shall find all precious goods; we shall fill our houses with plunder;
Pro 1:14 cast in your lot among us, and let us have one purse.
Pro 1:15 My son, do not walk in the way with them! Keep back your foot from their path,
Pro 1:16 for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood.
Pro 1:17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird,
Pro 1:18 And they lie in wait for their own blood; they watch secretly for their own lives.
Pro 1:19 So are the ways of everyone who gains unjust gain; it takes away its owners' life.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Smell of money
Pro 14:4 Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox."
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
It is easy to believe a lie, just ignore the truth
Isa 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Rev 22:15 But outside are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and makes a lie.
-> Everyone who loves a lie, and everyone who makes a lie
It is easy to believe a lie, just ignore the truth.
"Everyone who loves a lie" are people who like to have thier ears tickled with what they WANT to hear. They will ignore the truth because it is not what they want to hear.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
People go "shopping" for whichever "truth" legitimizes their behavior.
Pro 17:4 (KJV) A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
Pro 17:4 (MSG) Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.
Jer 9:4 "Be wary of even longtime neighbors. Don't even trust your grandmother! Brother schemes against brother, like old cheating Jacob. Friend against friend spreads malicious gossip.
Jer 9:5 Neighbors gyp neighbors, never telling the truth. They've trained their tongues to tell lies, and now they can't tell the truth.
Jer 9:6 They pile wrong upon wrong, stack lie upon lie, and refuse to know me." GOD's Decree.
The decietful develop lines of reasoning that have a false basis. The line of reasoning sounds "reasonable", however it has a faulty assumption at its root.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Jam 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jo 4:6 (KJV) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1Jo 4:6 (MSG) But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.
Rev 22:15 But outside are the dogs, and the sorcerers, and the fornicators, and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and makes a lie.
-> Everyone who loves a lie, and everyone who makes a lie
It is easy to believe a lie, just ignore the truth.
"Everyone who loves a lie" are people who like to have thier ears tickled with what they WANT to hear. They will ignore the truth because it is not what they want to hear.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
People go "shopping" for whichever "truth" legitimizes their behavior.
Pro 17:4 (KJV) A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
Pro 17:4 (MSG) Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.
Jer 9:4 "Be wary of even longtime neighbors. Don't even trust your grandmother! Brother schemes against brother, like old cheating Jacob. Friend against friend spreads malicious gossip.
Jer 9:5 Neighbors gyp neighbors, never telling the truth. They've trained their tongues to tell lies, and now they can't tell the truth.
Jer 9:6 They pile wrong upon wrong, stack lie upon lie, and refuse to know me." GOD's Decree.
The decietful develop lines of reasoning that have a false basis. The line of reasoning sounds "reasonable", however it has a faulty assumption at its root.
Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.
Joh 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.
Joh 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Jam 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
1Jo 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jo 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jo 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
1Jo 4:6 (KJV) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
1Jo 4:6 (MSG) But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.
Thursday, November 04, 2004
Love is a Choice
Response To: "My wife of 10 years has recently asked for a divorce. ... Is it even possible we can work this out or am I holding on to false hope."
I've recently gone through a similar situation with my wife. We have been married 9 years, and things basically have gone down hill from the day we got married until about 6 months ago.
Things aren't perfect, but definitely for the first time I have hope about our marriage, that it can really work, and that it can really be more than just getting by but actually great.
Basically years of my going to counselors, her going to counselors, us going together, each of us going on and off meds, reading books, etc didn't make for any kind of lasting change.
Here are a few points, let me know if you have questions about any of them and I'll go into further detail. None of them really work on their own, but build off each other in no particular order
- I had to realize was that there was nothing I could do to change her, I could only change myself. Trite but true.
- I had to decide to love her whether she love me or not. Even if she never love me, I would first love her.
- I had to decide to love her even if she never changed or even if she changed for the worse.
- I had to decide I was in love with her and not what she did or didn't do.
- Notice these are all DECISIONS, at no point did I guage success on anyone's feelings. Feelings eventually catch up with whatever you DECIDE.
- Look it up, the bible says in two places "Husbands, love your wives". Eph 5:25, Col 3:19. We are told to love our wives. God wouldn't tell us to do it if we couldn't. We can do everything He says we can do because Jesus strengthens us.
- It is NOT about what you can GET out of the relationship.
- It is ALL about what you GIVE into it.
- Relationships must be built. You must contribute love into the relationship.
- If each of you are expecting the other person to fulfill you, then you are each taking from the relationship until there is nothing left.
- A relationship is only built if both are contributing love into it. You may have to contribute in faith until you rebuild the trust. Do not expect your wife to contribute until she begins to trust you.
- If all you have to give is of yourself, then you will give yourself out. Draw your strength, hope, shelter, and love from God. He will fill you to overflowing, and out of the abundance of your heart direct that love to your wife.
- You may be right or have legitimate grievances. You must decide which is more important: to be right or to rebuild your relationship.
- Take responsibility for your actions and for your house. Do not pass the buck. The buck stops with you.
- Take this on like a project you might be assigned on your job. Realize that you will need a plan, a way to measure progress, milestones along the way, and a definite goal.
- You must fight for your marriage harder than you've fought for anything in your life. Do not stop or give up.
- Your wife is NOT the enemy.
- Direct your anger and battle at the true enemy that seeks to steal your joy, kill your relationship, and destroy your marriage.
- Reconciliation. Your wife may forgive you, but forgiveness does not mean immediate reconciliation of trust.
- You can love and forgive someone, but that does not mean you trust them or approve of everything about them immediately.
- Trust can only be earned and/or regained over time.
I've recently gone through a similar situation with my wife. We have been married 9 years, and things basically have gone down hill from the day we got married until about 6 months ago.
Things aren't perfect, but definitely for the first time I have hope about our marriage, that it can really work, and that it can really be more than just getting by but actually great.
Basically years of my going to counselors, her going to counselors, us going together, each of us going on and off meds, reading books, etc didn't make for any kind of lasting change.
Here are a few points, let me know if you have questions about any of them and I'll go into further detail. None of them really work on their own, but build off each other in no particular order
- I had to realize was that there was nothing I could do to change her, I could only change myself. Trite but true.
- I had to decide to love her whether she love me or not. Even if she never love me, I would first love her.
- I had to decide to love her even if she never changed or even if she changed for the worse.
- I had to decide I was in love with her and not what she did or didn't do.
- Notice these are all DECISIONS, at no point did I guage success on anyone's feelings. Feelings eventually catch up with whatever you DECIDE.
- Look it up, the bible says in two places "Husbands, love your wives". Eph 5:25, Col 3:19. We are told to love our wives. God wouldn't tell us to do it if we couldn't. We can do everything He says we can do because Jesus strengthens us.
- It is NOT about what you can GET out of the relationship.
- It is ALL about what you GIVE into it.
- Relationships must be built. You must contribute love into the relationship.
- If each of you are expecting the other person to fulfill you, then you are each taking from the relationship until there is nothing left.
- A relationship is only built if both are contributing love into it. You may have to contribute in faith until you rebuild the trust. Do not expect your wife to contribute until she begins to trust you.
- If all you have to give is of yourself, then you will give yourself out. Draw your strength, hope, shelter, and love from God. He will fill you to overflowing, and out of the abundance of your heart direct that love to your wife.
- You may be right or have legitimate grievances. You must decide which is more important: to be right or to rebuild your relationship.
- Take responsibility for your actions and for your house. Do not pass the buck. The buck stops with you.
- Take this on like a project you might be assigned on your job. Realize that you will need a plan, a way to measure progress, milestones along the way, and a definite goal.
- You must fight for your marriage harder than you've fought for anything in your life. Do not stop or give up.
- Your wife is NOT the enemy.
- Direct your anger and battle at the true enemy that seeks to steal your joy, kill your relationship, and destroy your marriage.
- Reconciliation. Your wife may forgive you, but forgiveness does not mean immediate reconciliation of trust.
- You can love and forgive someone, but that does not mean you trust them or approve of everything about them immediately.
- Trust can only be earned and/or regained over time.
Sunday, October 31, 2004
Fear of Man brings a snare
Pro 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.
Pro 29:26 Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD.
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Pro 29:26 Many seek the ruler's favour; but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD.
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Saturday, October 30, 2004
The Fundamentals
A group of theologians, pastors and laypeople published a series of volumes titled "The Fundamentals". Published between 1910 and 1915, these booklets defined what had been the non-negotiables of the faith since the Apostles' Creed:
1) the infallibility of Scripture
2) the deity of Christ
3) the Virgin Birth and miracles of Christ
4) Christ's substitutionary death
5) Christ's physical resurrection and eventual return.
These were then, as they are today, the backbone of orthodox Christianity. If a fundamentalist is a person who affirms these truths, then there are fundamentalists in every denomination - Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Brethren, Methodist, Episcopal .... Everyone who believes in the orthodox truths about Jesus Christ - in short, every Christian - is a fundamentalist. And we should not shrink from the term nor allow the secular world to distort its meaning.
- An excerpt from "The Body" by Charles Colson.
1) the infallibility of Scripture
2) the deity of Christ
3) the Virgin Birth and miracles of Christ
4) Christ's substitutionary death
5) Christ's physical resurrection and eventual return.
These were then, as they are today, the backbone of orthodox Christianity. If a fundamentalist is a person who affirms these truths, then there are fundamentalists in every denomination - Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Brethren, Methodist, Episcopal .... Everyone who believes in the orthodox truths about Jesus Christ - in short, every Christian - is a fundamentalist. And we should not shrink from the term nor allow the secular world to distort its meaning.
- An excerpt from "The Body" by Charles Colson.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Intercessions
Luk 1:17 And he shall go before his face in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.
1Ki 19:15 And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
1Ki 19:16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
3 Annointings
Hazael - Government
Jehu - Military
Elisha - Ministry
1Ti 2:1 First of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
1Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1Ti 2:4 who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For God is one, and there is one Mediator of God and of men, the Man Christ Jesus,
1Ti 2:6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1Ti 2:7 To this I am ordained a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie), a teacher of the nations, in faith and truth.
1Ti 2:8 Therefore, I desire that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
- Pray for All Men
- Pray for Kings and all in authority
- Pray for Ministry
1Ki 19:15 And Jehovah said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, thou shalt anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;
1Ki 19:16 and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.
3 Annointings
Hazael - Government
Jehu - Military
Elisha - Ministry
1Ti 2:1 First of all, then, I exhort that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
1Ti 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1Ti 2:4 who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For God is one, and there is one Mediator of God and of men, the Man Christ Jesus,
1Ti 2:6 who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1Ti 2:7 To this I am ordained a preacher and an apostle (I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie), a teacher of the nations, in faith and truth.
1Ti 2:8 Therefore, I desire that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
- Pray for All Men
- Pray for Kings and all in authority
- Pray for Ministry
Saturday, October 16, 2004
My Sheep Know My Voice
Joh 10:4 And when he puts forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him. For they know his voice.
Joh 10:5 And they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
I'm not sure where i got it, but somehow "my sheep will hear my voice and not hear the voice of another" got stuck in my head. I can't find a verse like that. Instead it could be summarized "my sheep will hear my voice and not HEED the voice of another". Otherwise, according to John 10:5, the sheep can hear the voice of the good sheepherd and the voice of the stranger, however, they follow the voice they KNOW and flee from the voice they don't recognize.
Now, how do we KNOW the Master's voice? The answer is to have His word abide in us. What you spend time on, you will be sensitive to.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Joh 10:5 And they will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
I'm not sure where i got it, but somehow "my sheep will hear my voice and not hear the voice of another" got stuck in my head. I can't find a verse like that. Instead it could be summarized "my sheep will hear my voice and not HEED the voice of another". Otherwise, according to John 10:5, the sheep can hear the voice of the good sheepherd and the voice of the stranger, however, they follow the voice they KNOW and flee from the voice they don't recognize.
Now, how do we KNOW the Master's voice? The answer is to have His word abide in us. What you spend time on, you will be sensitive to.
Joh 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
Joh 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Joh 15:6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Joh 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Cost/Benefit Analysis
Luk 14:28 "For which of you*, the one wanting to build a lookout tower, does not first, having sat down, calculate the cost, whether he has the [resources] for [its] completion?
Luk 14:29 "Lest perhaps, after he has laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all the ones watching begin to be ridiculing him,
Luk 14:30 saying, 'This man began to be building and was not able to finish.'
Luk 14:31 "Or what king going to engage another king in battle, does not, having sat down, first consider if he is able with ten thousand [soldiers] to encounter the one with twenty thousand [soldiers] coming against him?
Luk 14:32 "But if not, while he is still far away, having sent a delegation, he asks the [terms] for peace.
Luk 14:33 "So likewise, every [one] of you* who does not give up all his own possessions is not able to be My disciple.
Mat 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like treasure hid in the field, which a person having found hid, and as a result of his joy, he goes, and all, as much as he has, he sells, and buys that field.
Mat 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a person, a merchant, seeking precious pearls,
Mat 13:46 who having found one very valuable pearl, having gone away, has sold all, as much as he has, and bought it.
If you truly understand the greatness of God and weigh that against any of your wordly possessions, then it is obvious that the cost is miniscule compared to the gain.
Contrary to the opinions of many media moguls, those who follow Christ are not uneducated fools who don't know what they are missing. All the believers I have ever met have been very intelligent, educated individuals who have tried what the world had to offer and found it wanting. They finally found what they were looking for by following Jesus, and the kingdom of heaven caused anything in this world to pale in comparison.
Luk 14:29 "Lest perhaps, after he has laid a foundation, and not being able to finish, all the ones watching begin to be ridiculing him,
Luk 14:30 saying, 'This man began to be building and was not able to finish.'
Luk 14:31 "Or what king going to engage another king in battle, does not, having sat down, first consider if he is able with ten thousand [soldiers] to encounter the one with twenty thousand [soldiers] coming against him?
Luk 14:32 "But if not, while he is still far away, having sent a delegation, he asks the [terms] for peace.
Luk 14:33 "So likewise, every [one] of you* who does not give up all his own possessions is not able to be My disciple.
Mat 13:44 "Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like treasure hid in the field, which a person having found hid, and as a result of his joy, he goes, and all, as much as he has, he sells, and buys that field.
Mat 13:45 "Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like a person, a merchant, seeking precious pearls,
Mat 13:46 who having found one very valuable pearl, having gone away, has sold all, as much as he has, and bought it.
If you truly understand the greatness of God and weigh that against any of your wordly possessions, then it is obvious that the cost is miniscule compared to the gain.
Contrary to the opinions of many media moguls, those who follow Christ are not uneducated fools who don't know what they are missing. All the believers I have ever met have been very intelligent, educated individuals who have tried what the world had to offer and found it wanting. They finally found what they were looking for by following Jesus, and the kingdom of heaven caused anything in this world to pale in comparison.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
Pride is the source of contention
Pro 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
Pride is the source of contention.
The well-advised are those who are willing to listen to others. Pride prevents you from listening to correction or good advice.
Jam 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Pride is the source of contention.
The well-advised are those who are willing to listen to others. Pride prevents you from listening to correction or good advice.
Jam 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Love God, Hate Sin
Note: This is a study in not tolerating sin. There is a difference between hating sin and hating people. Nowhere in the bible is there an advocacy that we should hate people. We are to love people even if they are unlovable the same as God has shown us love when we were unlovable. What we cannot give place to is the bondage of sin. Loving someone does not mean you approve of their behavior.
Mat 6:24 "No one is able to be serving as a slave to two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other; _you_ are not able to be serving as a slave to God and to worldly wealth.
Lev 19:17 Let there be no hate in your heart for your brother; but you may make a protest to your neighbour, so that he may be stopped from doing evil.
Amo 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Zec 8:17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah.
Psa 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Psa 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Psa 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psa 26:5 I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked.
Psa 97:10 O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Psa 101:1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
Psa 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Psa 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Psa 101:4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
Psa 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Psa 101:6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
Psa 101:7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
Psa 101:8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
Psa 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Psa 119:113 SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.
Psa 119:127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.
Psa 119:128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
Psa 119:163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
Psa 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
Psa 139:21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
Psa 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Pro 8:13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.
Psa 31:6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.
Isa 61:8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Exo 18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Deu 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu 16:22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.
Rev 2:6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Jud 1:23 But save others with fear, snatching them out of the fire, hating even the garment being stained from the flesh.
Mat 6:24 "No one is able to be serving as a slave to two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other; _you_ are not able to be serving as a slave to God and to worldly wealth.
Lev 19:17 Let there be no hate in your heart for your brother; but you may make a protest to your neighbour, so that he may be stopped from doing evil.
Amo 5:15 Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish justice in the gate: it may be that Jehovah, the God of hosts, will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.
Zec 8:17 and let none of you devise evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith Jehovah.
Psa 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.
Psa 5:5 The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Psa 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.
Psa 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Psa 26:5 I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked.
Psa 97:10 O ye that love Jehovah, hate evil: He preserveth the souls of his saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.
Psa 101:1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
Psa 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
Psa 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
Psa 101:4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
Psa 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Psa 101:6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
Psa 101:7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
Psa 101:8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
Psa 119:104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.
Psa 119:113 SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.
Psa 119:127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.
Psa 119:128 Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.
Psa 119:163 I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.
Psa 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.
Psa 139:21 Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
Psa 139:22 I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.
Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Pro 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pro 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pro 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Pro 8:13 The fear of Jehovah is to hate evil: Pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, And the perverse mouth, do I hate.
Psa 31:6 I have hated them that regard lying vanities: but I trust in the LORD.
Isa 61:8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
Exo 18:21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
Deu 12:31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Deu 16:22 Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.
Rev 2:6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Jud 1:23 But save others with fear, snatching them out of the fire, hating even the garment being stained from the flesh.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Storms
It rains on just and unjust alike.
The same storm came against the man who built his house on the sand as came against the man who built his house on the rock.
After the storm, which house was still standing?
The same storm came against the man who built his house on the sand as came against the man who built his house on the rock.
After the storm, which house was still standing?
Wednesday, October 06, 2004
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Don't be a victim
I'm 34 years old, married for 9 years and have two great kiddos. I spent the majority of my 34 years struggling and drifting from extremes of guilt on one side, to trying to rationalize or legitimate the sin in my life on the other.
Finally I got to a point where I found I had to stop struggling under my own power and submit to God and trust Him to show me. What I needed was a teachable heart that would receive God's Word and wisdom. I also began asking God to plant in my heart a desire to learn everything I can about Him, about what Jesus has done for me, and about what it means to have His Holy Spirit living in me. Since then, I have had the greatest turnaround in my life and I have learned so much (though have barely scratched the surface), and am eager to learn more.
Below are some practical things that I found I could do to overcome sin. Each point could easily be a book on its own, but I'll hit on some ideas and explain them further in future posts. I encourage folks to get a bible and concordance and dig further.
1. Get a revelation of what Jesus has done for us and who we are in Christ.
The devil's #1 priority is to make us forget who we are. The fact is, Jesus took our sin and iniquity to the cross and bore the curse so that we don't have to. Satan lies to us and tries to make us a slave to sin in order to separate us from the love of God. What we can do is resist these lies by speaking back to them according to the Word, according to the fact that we are set free through Jesus. The battle has already been won, Satan is defeated. He has no power over us except that which we allow him.
2. We are not victims.
Everything that God has commanded we know we can do, because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can't do it alone, but we don't have to. Jesus has already promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He wants you delivered and free more than you do. God has delivered us and given us the strength to resist. It is up to us to believe it and not let it pass out of remembrance. God has set before us death and life. The ball is in our court, it is up to us to choose.
3. God is not in love with our behavior -- He is in love with us
God loves you unconditionally and independent of your behavior. We are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. It is not by works of the law that we are saved.
When we get a realization of this, what Jesus has done for us, how much God loves us, how much it hurts God and breaks His heart when we rebel against Him our actions cannot help but change. We have works of Love and His love reflects in our lives.
4. Crucify the flesh
Jesus took away our sin and our spirit is reborn. It is then up to us to master our desires. The more you feed the flesh, the hungrier it gets -- it always wants more. Satan cannot tempt us except with that which is common to man. Where God works through our spirit, Satan comes at us through our flesh. The more we feed the flesh in any one area, the more we "give place to the devil" and the stronger foothold he gets.
I had problems with masturbation, internet porn, overeating (gluttony), hiding things from my wife, lying, slothfulness, fear, depression, feeling sorry for myself, complaining, (just to name a few).
Each of these would feed off each other. Guilt from one would drive me to indulge in another to try and quiet or at least "drown out" the guilt and the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Trying to tackle these individually under my own strength did no good.
Realize that God has already delivered us. Receive that in the spirit as a fact and you will have the strength to resist. We have an alternative.
The key is to believe God's Word and not feelings.
Ok. So... Now what. We are supposed to be doers of the Word. What are some practical things to do to demonstrate being an overcomes instead of a victim?
If you try to just fight and suppress thoughts and/or urges, they only come back stronger.
Get the focus off of the sin, the more you spend time thinking about and dwelling on the sin, the stronger the hold it has on you.
Redirect thoughts and attention onto God's Word.
Here's some things I started doing (in no particular order):
A. Have verses ready to fill my mind with and/or speak them out loud (keep a bible handy, put verses on notecards, put up sticky notes, have a bible program in the PC)
B. Thank Jesus that He set me free
C. Sing songs of praise and worship (praise God in all things. Don't wait around for feelings. Feelings will catch up when you offer a sacrifice of praise)
D. Look at pictures of my wife and kids and pray for them
E. Listen to bible teaching tapes/CD's
F. Listen to Christian music/radio
G. Pray in the spirit and with understanding, fellowship with God
H. Fasting. Fasting definitely disciplines the flesh. Keep in mind, that you are not trying to kill your body, your body needs food and water. The goal is to subjugate the flesh. Start out small: fast off sweets/sodas, fast for a meal, or fast for a day or two. Continue to drink water. You are not out to do "penance" or try and impress God. You are telling your flesh that it isn't in control anymore and that you are no longer a victim.
Over time there have been lots of things that I quit doing, but I didn't realize I quit doing them because the desires of my heart have changed. What my attention is focused on, I want more of.
5. Hardness of heart
'Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.' (Phil 4:8)
It is very true and worth repeating. Matter of fact, in the bible, repetition is used as a way to emphasize a point. It is repetition and "mulling" God's Word over and over that gets it off the page, in your mind, and dropped down into your heart.
Your heart "softens" to whatever you dwell on, and hardens to whatever you don't spend time on. The more time you spend meditating on God's Word, the "hungrier" you will be for more.
God never leaves us or forsakes us, He speaks to us all the time. The reason we don't have a sense of His presence or hear His voice is because our hearts are hardened to Him.
Don't take my word for it, find out for yourself. If you don't know where to start, then personalize Ephesians 1:17-23 as a prayer for yourself. Read Romans, Galatians, the Gospels and James. Prepare your heart to be fertile ground, plant seeds of the Word, fertilize with repetition and prayer, water with love.
6. Passion is not bad
Feelings, emotions, and passion are not bad things. God created them. Just like everything else they can be a positive tool for you to use to be an overcomes, or they can utterly defeat you if you let them.
One example I'll deal with here is that you need to hate sin.
As long as you are tolerant of sin--as long as you justify, legitimate, make excuses for, and rationalize sin--it will rule your life.
Does that mean you hate or are angry at people? Does this mean you get angry at youself? Absolutely not. I'm talking about hating the sin, hating the bondage, hating the sickness. Hate the same things God hates.
You love people, you are compassionate with people, you listen to people.
Listening empathetically does not mean that you condone, approve of, or tolerate their behavior. Focus in on what is causing pain in people's lives. If you spend time judging people, that means you are focusing on the sin and not the person.
In our personal lives, we need to get back to the point that the mere mention of adultery or fornication get us angry and outraged. The mere thought of lying to your wife should cause anger to rise up in you. The thought of participating in any kind of sexual impurity should get get you mad at the devil.
This whole politically correct society that wants you be tolerant of every kind of sin is right out of satan's playbook. Today's society wants everyone to be passive watered down milquetoast where nobody gets angry about anything and men are supposed to be passionless wimps. If you tolerate sin, it will rule your life.
We are taught that these "negative" feelings are bad, and we should feel guilty because we have them. This is wrong, the problem is that we not being taught how to deal with them and direct them into the right things. So we end up striking out at people and the ones we love. Anger and hatred need to be directed at sin, the devil, bondage, and slavery; not at people.
Hating sin will harden your heart against sin, and you won't hear the voice of the stranger.
--
Whew, ok I'm off my soapbox. I haven't "arrived" yet, but I believe that I've left the station and am on my way. In and of myself I'm not better or different than anyone else. There's nothing special about me, God's love and deliverance from bondage is available to everyone. The only thing we need to do is choose to believe God and His Word instead of our feelings and circumstances.
Finally I got to a point where I found I had to stop struggling under my own power and submit to God and trust Him to show me. What I needed was a teachable heart that would receive God's Word and wisdom. I also began asking God to plant in my heart a desire to learn everything I can about Him, about what Jesus has done for me, and about what it means to have His Holy Spirit living in me. Since then, I have had the greatest turnaround in my life and I have learned so much (though have barely scratched the surface), and am eager to learn more.
Below are some practical things that I found I could do to overcome sin. Each point could easily be a book on its own, but I'll hit on some ideas and explain them further in future posts. I encourage folks to get a bible and concordance and dig further.
1. Get a revelation of what Jesus has done for us and who we are in Christ.
The devil's #1 priority is to make us forget who we are. The fact is, Jesus took our sin and iniquity to the cross and bore the curse so that we don't have to. Satan lies to us and tries to make us a slave to sin in order to separate us from the love of God. What we can do is resist these lies by speaking back to them according to the Word, according to the fact that we are set free through Jesus. The battle has already been won, Satan is defeated. He has no power over us except that which we allow him.
2. We are not victims.
Everything that God has commanded we know we can do, because we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We can't do it alone, but we don't have to. Jesus has already promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He wants you delivered and free more than you do. God has delivered us and given us the strength to resist. It is up to us to believe it and not let it pass out of remembrance. God has set before us death and life. The ball is in our court, it is up to us to choose.
3. God is not in love with our behavior -- He is in love with us
God loves you unconditionally and independent of your behavior. We are saved by grace, through faith in Christ Jesus. It is not by works of the law that we are saved.
When we get a realization of this, what Jesus has done for us, how much God loves us, how much it hurts God and breaks His heart when we rebel against Him our actions cannot help but change. We have works of Love and His love reflects in our lives.
4. Crucify the flesh
Jesus took away our sin and our spirit is reborn. It is then up to us to master our desires. The more you feed the flesh, the hungrier it gets -- it always wants more. Satan cannot tempt us except with that which is common to man. Where God works through our spirit, Satan comes at us through our flesh. The more we feed the flesh in any one area, the more we "give place to the devil" and the stronger foothold he gets.
I had problems with masturbation, internet porn, overeating (gluttony), hiding things from my wife, lying, slothfulness, fear, depression, feeling sorry for myself, complaining, (just to name a few).
Each of these would feed off each other. Guilt from one would drive me to indulge in another to try and quiet or at least "drown out" the guilt and the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Trying to tackle these individually under my own strength did no good.
Realize that God has already delivered us. Receive that in the spirit as a fact and you will have the strength to resist. We have an alternative.
The key is to believe God's Word and not feelings.
Ok. So... Now what. We are supposed to be doers of the Word. What are some practical things to do to demonstrate being an overcomes instead of a victim?
If you try to just fight and suppress thoughts and/or urges, they only come back stronger.
Get the focus off of the sin, the more you spend time thinking about and dwelling on the sin, the stronger the hold it has on you.
Redirect thoughts and attention onto God's Word.
Here's some things I started doing (in no particular order):
A. Have verses ready to fill my mind with and/or speak them out loud (keep a bible handy, put verses on notecards, put up sticky notes, have a bible program in the PC)
B. Thank Jesus that He set me free
C. Sing songs of praise and worship (praise God in all things. Don't wait around for feelings. Feelings will catch up when you offer a sacrifice of praise)
D. Look at pictures of my wife and kids and pray for them
E. Listen to bible teaching tapes/CD's
F. Listen to Christian music/radio
G. Pray in the spirit and with understanding, fellowship with God
H. Fasting. Fasting definitely disciplines the flesh. Keep in mind, that you are not trying to kill your body, your body needs food and water. The goal is to subjugate the flesh. Start out small: fast off sweets/sodas, fast for a meal, or fast for a day or two. Continue to drink water. You are not out to do "penance" or try and impress God. You are telling your flesh that it isn't in control anymore and that you are no longer a victim.
Over time there have been lots of things that I quit doing, but I didn't realize I quit doing them because the desires of my heart have changed. What my attention is focused on, I want more of.
5. Hardness of heart
'Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable; if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.' (Phil 4:8)
It is very true and worth repeating. Matter of fact, in the bible, repetition is used as a way to emphasize a point. It is repetition and "mulling" God's Word over and over that gets it off the page, in your mind, and dropped down into your heart.
Your heart "softens" to whatever you dwell on, and hardens to whatever you don't spend time on. The more time you spend meditating on God's Word, the "hungrier" you will be for more.
God never leaves us or forsakes us, He speaks to us all the time. The reason we don't have a sense of His presence or hear His voice is because our hearts are hardened to Him.
Don't take my word for it, find out for yourself. If you don't know where to start, then personalize Ephesians 1:17-23 as a prayer for yourself. Read Romans, Galatians, the Gospels and James. Prepare your heart to be fertile ground, plant seeds of the Word, fertilize with repetition and prayer, water with love.
6. Passion is not bad
Feelings, emotions, and passion are not bad things. God created them. Just like everything else they can be a positive tool for you to use to be an overcomes, or they can utterly defeat you if you let them.
One example I'll deal with here is that you need to hate sin.
As long as you are tolerant of sin--as long as you justify, legitimate, make excuses for, and rationalize sin--it will rule your life.
Does that mean you hate or are angry at people? Does this mean you get angry at youself? Absolutely not. I'm talking about hating the sin, hating the bondage, hating the sickness. Hate the same things God hates.
You love people, you are compassionate with people, you listen to people.
Listening empathetically does not mean that you condone, approve of, or tolerate their behavior. Focus in on what is causing pain in people's lives. If you spend time judging people, that means you are focusing on the sin and not the person.
In our personal lives, we need to get back to the point that the mere mention of adultery or fornication get us angry and outraged. The mere thought of lying to your wife should cause anger to rise up in you. The thought of participating in any kind of sexual impurity should get get you mad at the devil.
This whole politically correct society that wants you be tolerant of every kind of sin is right out of satan's playbook. Today's society wants everyone to be passive watered down milquetoast where nobody gets angry about anything and men are supposed to be passionless wimps. If you tolerate sin, it will rule your life.
We are taught that these "negative" feelings are bad, and we should feel guilty because we have them. This is wrong, the problem is that we not being taught how to deal with them and direct them into the right things. So we end up striking out at people and the ones we love. Anger and hatred need to be directed at sin, the devil, bondage, and slavery; not at people.
Hating sin will harden your heart against sin, and you won't hear the voice of the stranger.
--
Whew, ok I'm off my soapbox. I haven't "arrived" yet, but I believe that I've left the station and am on my way. In and of myself I'm not better or different than anyone else. There's nothing special about me, God's love and deliverance from bondage is available to everyone. The only thing we need to do is choose to believe God and His Word instead of our feelings and circumstances.
Monday, October 04, 2004
the test
If your child were to die right now would you:
A) Curse God and wonder why He would allow this to happen
B) Cry "Why Me" and fall into depression
C) Miss them dearly, yet rejoice that they are in heaven
D) Pray in faith that they be raised from the dead
A) Curse God and wonder why He would allow this to happen
B) Cry "Why Me" and fall into depression
C) Miss them dearly, yet rejoice that they are in heaven
D) Pray in faith that they be raised from the dead
Sunday, October 03, 2004
compassion
How "compassionate" is it to try and make someone feel "ok" about being sick or "learn to cope".
Wouldn't it be more compassionate to see the person healed and freed from the bondage of sickness. Isn't living in health a more preferable condition?
Look in the bible for instances where Jesus had compassion on the people. How did He demonstrate this compassion?
Did He pat people on the back and sit in on their pity party?
No, He did something about thier situation.
Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Mat 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
Mat 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Mar 1:40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mar 1:41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
Mar 1:42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
Mar 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
See Also:
Mark 5:1-20, Mark 8:1-8, Matthew 15:3--38, Luke 7:12-15
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Wouldn't it be more compassionate to see the person healed and freed from the bondage of sickness. Isn't living in health a more preferable condition?
Look in the bible for instances where Jesus had compassion on the people. How did He demonstrate this compassion?
Did He pat people on the back and sit in on their pity party?
No, He did something about thier situation.
Mat 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Mat 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
Mat 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
Mar 1:40 And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Mar 1:41 And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
Mar 1:42 And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
Mar 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.
See Also:
Mark 5:1-20, Mark 8:1-8, Matthew 15:3--38, Luke 7:12-15
Luk 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
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