The Journey: Devotional Teachings on Spiritual Growth, Prayer, Family, and Recovery

The Song of Destiny 3: How to FInd God's Will for Your Life

2009-08-20T06:02:00.000-05:00

Continuing on in the series on discovering God's will for our live's today we will cover the Shepherd. The Shepherd is a picture of God's best for our lives. Let us examine some attributes of the Shepherd, and we will learn more about determining God's will.

The Shepherd- The Shepherd was the Shulamite's one true love, and he had a number of attributes that set him apart from Solomon. Let's look at what made him so unique.

Found God’s Choice doing God’s will- The will of God is discovered by doing what we already know to be the will of God. For instance when Eleazer was seeking a bride for Isaac he said, "I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren." What this means is that we have made the will of God far too complicated if we were to do the things we know are God's will then God would lead us from there.

The Shulamite did not necessarily know God's will for marriage, but she definitely knew that the Shepherd had a shared calling with her because he was a shepherd. Solomon on the other hand was from a completely different walk of life, and had different goals, dreams, and ambitions. If someone has a definite calling they should never consider choosing a spouse, a job, town, relationship etc. that would take them one step away from that calling.

Unfortunately Satan will often offer a relationship with someone who is headed a different direction in life then you. To make things worse because they are different he will tell you that they are exotic, interesting, in short way better than what you have experienced before. This inevitably is deceitful men, and women are already so different in so many ways why would it be better to add to that. So that you not only have the standard differences, but a different calling, and different direction. Amos the prophet said, "how can two walk together except they be agreed?" The simple answer is they can't. Different isn't exotic it's erroneous avoid it at all cost.

Looked at the countenance and words not outward attributes- Song of Solomon 2:14 says, "O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." The next thing that made the Shepherd God's choice was his correct focus. As you study Solomon you quickly see that his primary ways of wooing were: alcohol, flattery, coercion, peer pressure, harlequin romance, power, and promises of security. He starts with flattery of her shape, proportions etc. The Shepherd on the other hand does not start with the physical, or external, but rather looks at her character.

One of the marks of a worldly suitor is their focus on the externals. The problem with this approach is that physical beauty is transitory, fleeting, and time has a way of taking it away from us. Character on the other hand is who we really are under the skin, and it is what will make a great marriage decades later. The shepherd started with the eyes, and the countenance. It has been said eyes are the windows to the soul, and I think that is very accurate. Someone's eyes can reveal whats in their heart. Take for instance a disobedient child, inevitably they can't look their parents in the eye because of what's in their heart.

When the Shepherd looked into the Shulamite's eyes it caused him to declare, "thou hast dove's eyes". What does that mean you may wonder. The following attributes that the Shepherd saw in his beloved made her an ideal mate.

Dove's mate for life- He saw a woman that was commited to a lifelong relationship for better or for worse

Dove's are very pure- A dove will never rest on a dead carcasse. He could see her commitement to purity

Dove's can fly long distances- He could see in her a commitment to the long term vision

Dove's are transparent- Dove's have transparent eyelids , and this is a picture of the Shulamite's honesty, and transparency.

Was under authority- The last that made the Shepherd an ideal mate was the fact that he was under authority. From the story we get the impression that the Shepherd was an older man, and furthermore the story tells us that the Shulamite's father was dead. So the Shulamite could have said, "your father's dead, and I'm an older wiser man so lets just get married".

However the Shepherd was a man under authority. In the beginning of the story when the brothers moved the Shulamite to the vineyards to slow their relationship they accepted that. They could have said, "we know this is God's will, let's just go for it" instead they waited patiently for God to reveal to their authority the will of God. In the last chapter likewise they have a willingness to share their story with the family, and ask for marital blessing.

If you are considering a course of action that requires you to go against your God ordained authority, preachers, teachers, parents, employers, goverment. Then you are probably about to make a mistake, God leads through authority, and the king's heart is always in the hand of the Lord. So today let's analyse our decision making paradigm, and make decisions like the Shepherd, and Shulamite today.

I love you, I love you, don’t leave me here to die.

2009-08-13T17:01:00.001-05:00

As I sit here in darkness I wonder what is to happen to me. Will she keep me? Will I live to see light? I want her to know that I love her. I want to shout, ” I love you, I love you, don’t leave me here to die. Someone hear my cry!” But as usual I’m not heard. I grow stronger, but I will not live to use my strength.

Most babies fall asleep to their mother reading them a story, but I fall asleep to her crying. Many have died, but I still have a little hope to live. I wish there was someone to tell her how I feel and that I’m alive. If only someone could hear my cry!

It has been a while now. I feel her moving about. I can tell she is nervous. She has been sitting for a while. I can hear names being called and after a name is called I hear footsteps and then a door closing. People are talking about something. She is getting up, she is opening a door. I think we are outside. I am so confused! What is happening? Now I hear nothing, nothing, but silence. Am I dead? Will I live?

Wait. Now I hear whispering and the name Jesus being uttered.

A couple months later…

Wow! She is moving so much! I hear her yelling. Her muscles tighten as she yells. I think she is in great pain. Is it time? Will I die or will I see the light? I start to move I see a blur! It’s so bright! Light, light!!! I’m alive! I’m alive!

Finally we are home. I hear a bell and she says ,”come in”. As I turn my head I see five people taking off this red stuff that has words on it. ” Thank you so much” She says. ” No, thank you for saving your baby that God has made.” They reply.

After that I turn my head back to look up into her eyes. All I can think about is that I am safe in her arms, and soon I’ll be able to say I LOVE YOU!

By: Jessi Dinsmore (13 year old girl)

The Song of Destiny 2: How to FInd God's Will for Your Life

2009-08-05T06:10:00.000-05:00

In the last post we laid the ground work for discovering God's will for your life. In this and future posts we'll explore each character role in discovering our destiny.

Shulamite- The Shulamite was a shepherd girl from Shunem who was betrothed to the love of her life who was also a shepherd. When Solomon was returning from his summer palace in Megiddo he aparently was taken by her beauty, and tried to woo her with promises of wealth, and security. When he was unsuccessful in his first attempt he took her to Jerusalem to try to overwhelm her with His regal splendor.

Throughout the entire process the Shulamite carefully guarded her heart, and stuck to what she knew was right. There are many valuable lessons we can learn from this narrative let's look at what made this young lady so special.

Her Love was deeper than some flashy worldy mans attention- In Song of Solomon 1:2-4 the Bible says,

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine. Because of the savour of thy good ointments thy name is as ointment poured forth, therefore do the virgins love thee. the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee"

In an effort to woo this young girl Solomon calls her into his tent, and begins his coarse flatteries, and alcoholic beverages. Isn't funny how the tactics of the world never change? Still to this day worldly people use flattery, and alcohol to lure innocent people into sin. But the Shulamite wasn't deceived, and states to her Shepherd love, "thy love is better than wine." You see when we God brings us a relationship that is pure, and holy, and saturated with Agape love no amount of attention from a worldy person will distract us.

Her confidence was in things that matter- In chapter 1 verses 5, and 6 we see that the Shulamite's confidence was in things that matter, "I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon. Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept."

Solomon always traveled with a full court, soldiers, advisers, and ladies in waiting, or his court. These women began to make fun of the Shulamite for the dark color of her skin. To which she replied, "I am black, but comely." In other words she said I may not have the traditional look, but I'm still attractive. These wordly court women had bought into the same lies Satan has been selling for millenia.

Night and day through television, magazines, and the internet Satan communicates to young ladies a certain weight they should be, certain brands they should wear, or, a certain way their face or body should be shaped. This has led to epidemic levels of anorexia, and bulemia, and even drug, and alcohol abuse for those who feel like they just don't measure up. Nothing could be further from the truth the Bible says we are fearfully, and wonderfully made, God formed us in the womb, and loves us just how he made us. So stop insulting God by denigrating your appearance, and be confident in who you are in Christ.

The Shulamite Goes on to tell the court women that not only was she attractive, but her appearance came by obeying her authority. Her widowed mother, and brothers seeing that her relationship with the Shepherd was moving a little to fast for their taste moved her from shepherding to the vineyard. In obeying her authority she had acquired her tan while doing what God called her to do. Someone who is under authority, sure of their of their calling, and confident of who they are in Christ will always be more attractive then some ditzy, "beauty queen!"

Her dealings were open to scrutiny- In verse 16 of chapter 1 we see that her dealings were open to scrutiny. Oftentimes in a wordly romantic relationship there is a lot of sneaking around as couples are doing things that should be rightfully saved for marriage. However the Shulamite states in verse 16, "Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green." In other words we are not going to hang out in some dark corner, but rather in the open fields where are actions are open to scrutiny. Beware of any relationship, action, or habit that requires secrecy it is probably sinful, because God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. So if your in the dark God is probably not involved.

The Shulamite knew that what she had with the shepherd was right, and thus she was not afraid of scrutiny or accountability. Is your life an open book for your authorities to read, or do you shirk accountability any chance you get?

She Guarded her heart- In chapter 2 verse 7 we see that the Shulamite carefully guarded her heart. Guarding your heart is another way of saying protect your meditations! You can't just allow yourself to think on anything because your heart is a deceiver (Jer. 17:9), and it can be deceived if you dwell on wrong thoughts.

Lets look at how she guarded her heart verse 7 says, "I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please." I used to think she was perhaps talking about her shepherd lover sleeping in, but upon closer scrutiny the verse in the Hebrew is completely in feminine gender. So that this verse might be literally translated, "stir not up nor wake the love till she please!" What was she saying? These court women were trying to excite unlawful passions in Her heart for the wordly King.

She was saying I'm sensing that my heart is being deceived, and I won't allow you to stir up inappropriate meditations in my heart. Plain, and simple she was guarding her heart. Satan, and the world are constantly trying to excite wrong passions, and mediations in our heart we must constantly avoid meditating on wrong things.

She didn’t go on feelings alone but relied on the truth In chapter 6 verse 11 we see that the Shulamite did not rely on her feelings, but rather clung to truth. The Bible says, "I went down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley, and to see whether the vine flourished and the pomegranates budded. Or ever I was aware, my soul made me like the chariots of Amminadib. Return, return, O Shulamite; return, return, that we may look upon thee. What will ye see in the Shulamite? As it were the company of two armies." The Shulamite finding herself in Jerusalem far from home decided to venture out into the vineyards, do what she loved to do, and was called to do. You see through the guidance of God, and her authority she had determined that herding sheep, and working in agriculture were her life's calling.

However while she was pursuing her calling Solomon came upon her suddenly in his chariots, and tried to woo her. She immediately tried to leave to guard her heart. To which he responded, "return!" Solomon tries to make more out of the moment then is there. Satan is that way from time we are little kids he paints for us what I call the "disneyland romance" in other words a romantic love story that causes us to "fall in love."

As if we didn't have a choice, and we just fell into a hole or a trap. Love isn't something you fall into it is a daily choice. A daily choice to yield to God's agape love for this person, and love even when it's not "romantic."

Solomon tried to make this "chance" meeting into something it wasn't, but the Shulamite didn't buy it , and responded wisely. She said, I didn't come out here to the gardens for romance, but rather to pursue my calling. You see this young lady was called of God to be in agriculture, and so you could whisk her away to Jerusalem, but she was more interested in her calling than the coarse flattery, power, and wealth of Solomon.

She was under authority- In Chapter 8 the Shulamite returns home after Solomon realizes she is too virtuous to choose him over God's best for her life. She immediately returns home, and tries to get her authority to approve the marriage. You see when your in God's will your life is completely available to your authorities for guidance, and correction. The Shulamite could of said my dad is dead, and your not my boss: to her mother, and brothers. Instead she embraced her authority.

The brother respond to her request for the blessing of her marriage with a question. Are you a door, or a wall? If you are a door then your heart is available to anyone who wants to turn the knob, and have a piece. If you are a wall this means you are virtuous, and your heart is guarded from choices that are less than God's perfect plan. Isn't sad how are modern philosophy of dating turns us into doors? We often have given away dozens of pieces of our heart before we actually find God's perfect mate for our life. The Shulamite could honestly say however that she had guarded her heart from the most powerful man in the land, and saved herself for the shepherd.
The end of this story finds the Shulamite right in the center of God's will with the full blessing of her authority on her decisions. We can all learn some lessons from the Shulamite, and find God's best for our life.

13 Steps to Setting Goals and Forming Permanent Good Habits

2009-07-31T06:32:00.004-05:00

1. Identify the end results (goals) of what you would like to accomplish from this new habit. When you decided to start this new habit, it was because there was something about your life that was not working. Maybe your problem has created conflict in an important relationship in your life or career. Maybe your goal is to rid yourself of an existing “bad” habit or behavior. Be sure to identify your goal. Be sure to identify the behavior you are going to substitute along with the “new” behavior. Be very specific. “I want to be a better Christian” or “I want to quit smoking” is not a new habit. “I will study the Bible on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6pm to 7pm instead of watching television” is more specific and doable. Develop a strategy for completing your goals so the end results can be attained.

2. Discover your motivations for sticking to this new habit. Write down all of your motivations for forming this new habit on a piece of paper. We all have different motivations for accomplishing things. For example, you may want to get in shape, lose weight, lower your blood pressure, or feel youthful. Look at how this forming this new habit will benefit all areas of your life, not just your spirit or soul, but your body as well. God wants you to glorify Him in all things! So consider how this habit will affect your relationship with God, spouse, children, job, income, social contacts, and physical health. The more thorough you are when doing this exercise, the easier it will be for you to follow through! Keep writing until you can’t imagine a life without this new habit.

3. Examine the consequences for quitting this new habit. Along with the reasons why you should finish your goal, write down the ways you will be negatively affected if your life does not change dramatically. Again, consider all areas of your life: spiritual, physical and emotional. We all have urges to quit things. Have powerful reasons not to quit ready and accessible, so you are prepared when doubts come.

4. Make a public commitment. Be fully committed. This will do the trick every time. Accountability is a powerful stimulus to stick to a new habit. So tell everyone you can, at church, blog it, twitter, facebook it. When you have publicly committed to a goal or new habit your much more reluctant to quit.

5. Choose an accountability partner to support you in your development to help keep you focused and motivated. An accountability partner will help keep you on track. You can report your progress (and failures) as you go along. They will be there for great advice, for moral support, and to help keep you going when you want to stop. Marks of a good accountability partner are:

a. Unity- Either an accountability partner of the same gender or your spouse is preferred so you can comfortably share your inward struggles and failures.

b. Solidarity- Someone who understands your struggles and has developed past them can often be more effective in helping you. They know where you are coming from, and can speak from experience.

c. Transparency- Pick a partner who can have forthright and candid conversations with you. Accountability is not useful if you are lying about your struggles or progress with your partner.

6. Find inspiration from God on a daily basis. Inspiration is one of the best motivators, and it can be found everyday in the Word of God and by prayer. Every day, ask God for new inspiration for your meditations, and it will help sustain motivation over the long term.

7. Always think positively about what God is trying to accomplish. Cast down all negative thoughts while you monitor your thinking. According to the Bible, what a person thinks is what they become. The Bible also tells us that all thoughts that are negative, unbelieving, or untrue need to be pushed out, and replaced with positive (truthful) thoughts. Positive thinking based on God’s Word can be amazingly transformational.

8. Give it time – be patient. This is often easier said than done. Our 21st century thinking causes us to expect instant results. When you think about your goals, think long term. It has taken you years to develop the problems and mindsets that have led you to this new habit. So obviously, it will take God some time to change your thinking and bad habits.

9. Track your progress without condemnation. When you are not being consistent or lapsing, ask yourself “Why?” But be careful not to “beat yourself up” over a lapse. Ask God to help you have the strength to finish what you started.

10. Plan for a marathon, not a sprint. This is going to take a little time. Here are some methods for not burning out:

a. Break your goals into smaller, mini-goals. Sometimes large or long-term goals can be overwhelming. Instead of saying you are going to read a whole book or run 10 miles, say you will read 10 pages during lunch, or jog 1 mile during your lunch break.

b. Don’t burn your self out the first week in your enthusiasm for a new life. Plan out a course of action where you slowly increase your effort over time, then prepare for God’s grace on your behalf to keep it going. Keep a pace that you can reasonably maintain till you accomplish your goal.

11. Make the habit enjoyable. One reason you might be tempted to put off this new habit is because it is hard work. This might be true, but the key to success is to find a way to make it fun or pleasurable. For instance, if you do not enjoy memorizing scripture, try making it into a song or a game. If you do not enjoy reading, try reading the book with someone you enjoy, rather than watching television with them. If you focus on making this habit enjoyable, the duty of it will become delight.

12. Just do it. You are going to have to conclude that you are going to just do it! This is essential. Your life has come to the point, that you need to change something. Stop making excuses and just start doing the new habit! Here are some thoughts to help you with this:
a. Just get started. There are some days when you will not feel like getting out of bed, or reading, or exercising, or whatever your new habit is. Instead of thinking about how hard it is and how long it will take, ask God for help to start then do it! He will help you.

b. Make it a rule to never skip two days in a row. This rule takes into account our natural tendency to miss days now and then. We are not perfect. So, you missed one day … now the second day is upon you and you are feeling lazy, apathetic, or discouraged … tell yourself NO! You will not miss two days in a row

c. Commit to this new habits for a minimum of 30 days uninterrupted. Research tells us that it takes a minimum of 3-4 weeks to develop a new habit. Don’t quit. Permanent, habits are just around the corner.

13. Chart Your Progress with a journal. A journal will help track how you are progressing. Make a habit of looking back on your previous day to see how you are progressing. Then, at longer intervals, (weekly, monthly, etc.) look at previous days in your journal to see how you are developing through your struggles and see the victory. You will be amazed at the progress that you will see in hindsight.

The Song of Destiny 1: How to FInd God's Will for Your Life

2009-07-30T05:19:00.001-05:00

I don't know how many of you have ever read Song of Solomon, and gone, huh? If so, your not alone I have definitely never found it very helpful or even understandable. That was until one night as I was meditating on the phrase "dove's eyes" from chapter 2 that God laid out the interpretation of Song of Solomon for me. To really understand what God showed me you have to understand different historical interpretations of Song of Solomon.

The first interpretation takes a literal approach, and says that Song of Solomon is a story of King Solomon wooing a young shepherd girl, or "the Shulamite." Therefore the book was held in high regard by Jewish people as sort of a marriage manual, and in fact Jewish males were often forbidden to read it before they were thirty. The problem with this interpretation as we shall see through this series of posts is that Solomon takes a very externally focused path to woo this girl, and furthermore acts more like a ladies man than a man of God.

Another interpretation explains the Song of Songs as an allegory of Jehovah's love for Israel, or in a New Testament context Jesus' love for the Church. While I believe this is a good application for Song of Solomon, it is not the primary interpretation. While it is an excellent picture of our intimacy with God it was primarily written about real people with an interpretation that implies to us in concrete, not abstract or allegorical ways.

The correct interpretation in my opinion is that Song of Solomon is not about Solmon at all. Rather it is a story about a young woman trying to find God' will for her life, and discover her destiny. Along the way she is severely opposed by the flesh the world, and the devil in her choice of the right calling, and right mate. So lets look at the choices this young lady was faced with, and in so doing understand how to determine God's will for our lives.

To understand this story you must first know the characters which are as follows:

The Shulamite- this is the young shepherd girl who is trying to determine God will for her life. She is in love with the Shepherd, but the strong advances from the rich, and powerful King solomon are very confusing to her. She must finally make a decision between her shepherd lover, and the wordly king. In this story the Shulamite definitely represents us.

The Shepherd- the Shepherd is a picture of God's will for our lives, he was the Shulamite's destiny. Throughout the story he is actively wooing the Shulamite, and trying to protect her from the advanced of King Solomon.

The Sovereign- Solomon is the King of Israel, and the Shulamite catches his eye not because of her virtue, but because of her extreme external beauty. Throughout the entire story Solomon uses flattery, power, and wealth to try to lead the Shulamite into a decision that will ultimately land her in a harem given to heathen idolatrous worship.

The Silly Women- these are the women of Solomon's court they are deeply focused on sex, security, and silly talking as such they are a powerful representation of the world. These women repeatedly try to tease, and tantalize the Shulamite into unguarding her heart.

The Siblings- Ultimately in this story we discover that the Shulamite does not have a father in her life, but she has placed herself under the authority of her Brothers. These brothers represent our godly authority, and are an important part of a spiritual decision making paradigm.

In our nexts posts we will discuss each of these characters in depth and determine how to find God's will for our life

How to Pray in the Spirit Part 4

2009-07-29T06:08:00.002-05:00

Continuing in our series on How to pray in the Spirit Pauls says in Romans 8:26, "...but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

Groaning which cannot be uttered-
In verse 26 the word groanings is the greek word, stenagmos which means heart murmurings. It is used in Acts 7:34, "...I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them." As the Holy Spirit births prayer burdens in our heart we have a fervent desire to express these things eloquently in prayer in such a way as to be answered. However often we can't put words to the burdens of our heart, and we really just groan in our spirit, but don't feel as if we're accomplishing much. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit takes the groanings of our heart and turns them into intelligible prayers that God answers.

There are many examples of men and women who were so burdened for something that they couldn't do anything but groan in prayer, but God answered them. An Old Testament example of course would be Hannah, she was in so much agony, and groaning in prayer for a child that the priest thought she was drunk.

In more modern times the example of Daniel Nash is instructive. He was one of Charles Finney's advance men, meaning he would enter a city several weeks or months before a meeting just to pray. Finney relates a story of His prayer,

"When I got to town to start a revival a lady contacted me who ran a boarding house. She said, "Brother Finney, do you know a Father Nash? He and two other men have been at my boarding house for the last three days, but they haven't eaten a bite of food. I opened the door and peeped in at them because I could hear them groaning, and I saw them down on their faces. They have been this way for three days, lying prostrate on the floor and groaning. I thought something awful must have happened to them. I was afraid to go in and I didn't know what to do. Would you please come see about them?" "No it isn't necessary," I replied. "They just have a spirit of travail in prayer."

In his travail for souls, like a woman in labor, all that Daniel Nash could do was groan. It is interesting to note that after Nash died, Finney stopped holding meetings, and took a church the groaning prayer warrior that had helped bring thousands to Christ through his meetings was dead.

According to the will of God- The Bibles says in verse 27, "...he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God." What this means is that the Holy Spirit and God the father our in constant communion. The Holy Spirit takes our feeble prayers which have an inability to produce results, and turns them into prayers that are according to the will of God. Why is this important you ask?

1 John 5:14-15 explains, "...this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." Quite simply put the prayer that is according to God's will is the prayer that He answers. So how do we know the will of God? Two ways, the Word of God, and the Spirit of God. This is why it is so essential to pray the word of God. When we claim one of the 7,000 promises of the Word of God in prayer, we are praying the will of God.

Likewise it is just as essential to incorporate the Spirit of God in prayer. Because He is God, He obviously knows what His will is. So instead of bringing the same prayer list you have been praying over for twenty years. Start asking God what should I pray for? When you pray for what He tells you, you will always have your prayer answered because it is the will of God. So now that we have seen the many benefits of praying in the Spirit, lets start doing it the results will be amazing.

56 I AM's of Who We are in Christ from Romans

2009-07-28T16:32:00.002-05:00

My dad wrote these some time ago, and they blessed my heart.

I am a debtor to all men. Ro 1:14 
I am ready to preach the gospel. Ro 1:15 
I am not ashamed of the gospel. Ro 1:16 
I am without excuse to sin. Ro 1:20 
I am without excuse to judge. Ro 2:1 
I am blessed by being a doer and a teacher of the law. Ro 2:13, Mt 5:19 
I am blessed by having my lawless deeds forgiven and my sins covered. Ro 4:7 
I am walking in the steps of faith of our father Abraham. Ro 4:12 
I am of the faith of Abraham. Ro 4:16
 I am not under the dominion of sin or the law, but under grace. Ro 6:14-15
 I am a slave of obedience leading to righteousness. Ro 6:16 
I am in Christ Jesus, walking in the Spirit, and under no condemnation. Ro 8:1
I am set free from the law of sin and death by the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Ro 8:2 
I am fulfilling the righteous requirement of the law walking according to the Spirit. Ro 8:4 
I am setting my mind on the things of the Spirit. Ro 8:5
 I am spiritually minded and have life and peace. Ro 8:6 
I am not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, the Spirit of God indwells me and I have the Spirit of Christ. Ro 8:9
 I am indwelt by Christ. Ro 8:10
 I am indwelt by the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead and I am receiving His life. Ro 8:11
 I am a debtor mortifying the flesh to live after the Spirit. Ro 8:12-13 
I am not receiving the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the Spirit of adoption whereby I cry out, Abba Father. Ro 8:15 
I am a son of God led by the Spirit of God. Ro 8:14-16 
I am an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ sharing in His sufferings and sharing in His glorification. Ro 8:17 
I am a wretched carnal man, sold under sin, apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Ro 7:14, 7:24 
I am inseparable from the love of God. Ro 8:38-39
 I am a saint of God. Ro 1:7, 1Cor 1:2
 I am justified by faith in the blood of Jesus. Ro 3:24, 5:1, 5:9, 8:30, 1 Cor 6:11, Gal 2:16, 3:24 
I am saved from the wrath of God through Jesus. Gal 2:16 
I am glorified. Ro 8:17, 8:30, 2 Th 1:10-12
 I am dead to sin, but alive to God. Ro 6:11, 6:6
 I am spiritually minded and have life and peace. Ro 8:6 
I am revealing the glory of God. Ro 8:18 
I am what the creation is eagerly waiting for. Ro 8:19 
I am delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Ro 8:21 
I am possessing the first fruits of the Spirit. Ro 8:23 
I am groaning within myself eagerly awaiting the adoption of the sons of God. Ro 8:23 
I am saved in this hope eagerly waiting for it with perseverance. Ro 8:24-25
 I am being helped in my weaknesses through the prayerful intercessions of the Spirit according to the will of God. Ro 8:26-27
 I am believing that all things work together for my good. Ro 8:28
 I am called according to God’s purpose. Ro 8:28
 I am predestined to be conformed to the image of God's Son. Ro 8:29
 I am justified. Ro 8:30 
I am glorified. Ro 8:30 
I am believing God is for me. Ro 8:31 
I am believing God is freely giving me all things. Ro 8:32
 I am God‚s elect. Ro 8:33 
I am interceded for by Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father. Ro 8:34 
I am convinced that neither tribulation, nor distress, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor peril, nor sword shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Ro 8:35
 I am more than a conqueror through Him who loved me. Ro 8:37
 I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Ro 8:38-39
I am a son of the Living God. Ro 9:26
I am not nor will I ever be ashamed. Ro 10:11, 1Pe 2:6, 1Jo 2:28
 I am grafted into Israel‚s olive tree. Ro 11:19 1
I am not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of my mind. Ro 12:2, Eph 4:23 
I am full of goodness and knowledge and able to admonish others. Ro 15:14
 I am wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. Ro 16:19

How to Pray in the Spirit Part 3

2009-07-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing on about how to pray in the Spirit Paul says in Romans 8:26, "...but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us" Thank God for that blessed conjunction but, we have an inability to produce results in prayer, and we don't know what to pray, But the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us. Great but what does that mean? I'm glad you asked lets look at the different aspects of praying in the Spirit.

God led prayer- The amazing thing about partnering with God is you always know what to pray, when to pray, and how long to pray for, if your letting God lead. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said,
"Always respond to every impulse to pray. The impulse to pray may come when you are reading or when you are battling with a text. I would make an absolute law of this – always obey such an impulse." You see God is omniscient, meaning He knows everything so rather than bringing the same prayer list you have been bringing for twenty years to Him ask Him what to pray for. No other relationship in the universe survives on 1 way communication, you have to listen. So why is it that we talk to God, and ask Him questions then don't wait for an answer? God wants to tell you what to pray for why don't we start letting Him.

Birthing- Praying in the Spirit is a lot like having a baby! The Holy Spirit impregnates our minds with holy passions, desires, and prayer burdens. Then as a midwife praying in us, and through us He births the prayer burden into being. Oswald Chambers said of this, "Is the Son of God praying in me, or am I dictating to Him?....Prayer is not simply getting things from God, that is a most initial form of prayer; prayer is getting into perfect communion with God. If the Son of God is formed in us by regeneration, He will press forward in front of our common sense and change our attitude to the things about which we pray." Jonathan Edwards similarly said, "The true spirit of prayer is no other than God's own Spirit dwelling in the hearts of the saints. And as this spirit comes from God, so doth it naturally tend to God in holy breathings and pantings. It naturally leads to God, to converse with him by prayer."

Words are overrated- Newsflash, prayer does not require you to say a thing words are way overrated in prayer. For instance some times we don't know what to say, sometimes God is trying to talk to us, sometimes God is searching our hearts. The Psalms state, "Be still, and know that I am God" we don't have to talk all the time. In America with our TV, Movies, Radios, Internet, Text Messaging, etc. We feel as if we must always have noise going, and be communicating. It would scare the average Christian to death to just hang out with the Lord without it being in their planner, with an agenda, a prayer list etc. What happened to just having a relationship with God? That is what the Holy Spirit can accomplish through you perfect communion with God no words required. Just bringing us into a "spirit of prayer".

Because, "words are overrated" may be a controversial statement lets hear from some past prayer warriors.

E.M. Bounds said, "It is better to have prayer without words, then words without prayer."

John Bunyan said, "In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart."

Martin Luther said, "The fewer the words, the better the prayer."

So today lets start listening to God, and letting Him lead you in prayer, acknowledge the Holy Spirit in the prayer closet. Acknowledge your inability to produce results, the fact you don't know
how to pray. Ask for His help, His guidance, and listen to what He has to say.

Interview with a man of God: Leonard Ravenhill

2009-07-24T19:49:00.002-05:00

Leonard Ravenhill was a great man of God this is interview with Him towards the end of his life.

How to Pray in the Spirit Part 2

2009-07-22T06:02:00.002-05:00

Continuing on in this series on praying in the Spirit we will cover the fact that there is a precise way in which we need to pray but cannot without God's help. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

For we know not- Paul makes an amazing statement we don't have a clue what to pray for. The most amazing thing about that statement is he includes himself. If anyone in all of history would pray right: he was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, was a pharisee of the pharisee's, he was hand picked by God to take the Gospel to the gentiles. Furthermore, he wrote a large part of the new testament while simultaneously planting dozens of churches. Despite all of that Paul said apart from divine enablement I don't know what to pray for. Paul knew that his flesh, and deceitful heart would make it impossible to ever pray the right prayer.

Well if the Apostle Paul doesn't know what to pray for then we can be sure we don't. Consequently we must be completely reliant on the Holy Spirit to be leading, and guiding our prayers. That is why it is a good discipline to be asking God what to pray for. You see we treat God like some cosmic Santa Clause, that's just there to listen to all our wants, and needs. Don't get me wrong God wants to take care of you, but what he really wants is to have a relationship with you. Relationships require two way communication not just talking listening. What relationship has ever lasted when one party always talked, and never listened. God wants to tell you what to pray for. So put away your Christmas list, and auctioneer voice, and start asking God questions then shutup and listen to His answers.

Why is it important to pray for the things God leads you to pray for instead of always whats on your prayer list? Because what God leads you to pray for He will bring to pass. 1 John 5:14-15 says it this way, "...this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." So if you pray according to the will of God He will hear, and he will answer." But how do we determine the will of God? Two ways the word of God, and the Spirit of God. That is why it is tremendously important to pray scripture, but it is also important to be led of the Spirit in your prayer.

as we ought- In modern usage ought is an expression of desire with no real intention of follow through. For instance, "I really ought to go to the store", or " I really ought to start exercising." That is not at all what ought means in this verse. The word translated "ought" is the greek word dei, which means that which is required, a necessity, or that which is legally binding. So for instance when Jesus says, "men ought always to pray, and not to faint" He is not saying it sure would be nice if you prayed. No way, He is saying it is legally binding upon you that you pray.

So in other words Paul is not saying, "you know we really should pray a certain way, but we don't know how." Rather he is emphasizing the fact that is it essential, and legally binding that we pray for the right things, at the right time, in the right way, but we don't have a clue how to apart from the Holy Spirit. So in our praying we need set aside our agenda, and let God lead us. E.M. Bounds said, "it is better to have prayer without words, then words without prayer." Take time to ask God how to pray, when to pray, and what to pray for. Then listen to what He has to say. Today lets make our prayers a conversation, a dialogue not a monologue.

How to Pray in the Spirit Part 1

2009-07-20T05:58:00.002-05:00

In this series of posts I would like to cover a subject that has often been controversial in various realms of Christianity. It is however an essential piece for experiencing a well rounded prayer life. What I am referring to is what the Bible calls praying in the Spirit.

With anything in the Christian life: praying, soulwinning, preaching, it can be done in the flesh, or in the Spirit. If your expecting results that will last for eternity from these activities than you must enlist the Spirit's help. Paul gives us the best outline for praying in the Spirit, lets study it phrase by phrase. Romans 8:26-28 says, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."

The Spirit helpeth our infirmities- I don't know about you but I'm glad the God has provided me a prayer partner for me because I have many weaknesses that make me a poor prayer warrior. Lets look at how the Holy Spirit provides His help to us.

Helpeth- The word translated helpeth in this passage is the greek word sunantilambanomai (Strongs #4878) which means to take hold of together with against something. When you are praying you are literally batting with demonic forces to accomplish things in the heavenlies. For instance while Daniel prayed for Israel in Daniel Chapter 10 there was an intense warfare going on in the Heavenlies to prevent him from getting an answer.

Satan does not want you to pray effectively, and will use a variety of weapons to stop you. Racing thoughts, television, bickering with a spouse are just some of his weapons. Thanks be to God we do not have to go it alone, the Holy Spirit wants to take hold of the weapon of prayer with you, and help you use it against Satan. He doesn't want to just pray through you, He wants to pray together with you. In John 16:7 Jesus called the Holy Spirit the comforter which is the greek word Parakletos. Parakletos means, a helper, and interceeder, one who come along side to help. God sent us the Holy Spirit to come along side of us and help us in the work of intercession

Infirmities- The greek word for infirmities is asthenia, and literally means an inability to produce results. You mean to tell me that the great Apostle Paul admitted to having an inability to produce results in prayer! Absolutely, apart from God's divine enablement the best efforts of sinful men will produce little results. In fact a good definition of sin is falling short, or missing the mark. One of the Hebrew words for intercession (paga) has as one of its definitions striking the mark. Because prayer is like a long range missile, and when we partner with the Holy Spirit we can make missile strikes against his territory that will always hit the mark.

I don't know about you, but I don't want to do something that is not going to produce results. Fortunately we have at our disposal the same power that help create the universe, and resurrect Jesus from the dead. So today as you pray acknowledge the Holy Spirit's role ask for His help. and be prepared to be amazed by the results.

The Chocolate Soldier by C.T. Studd

2009-07-17T20:01:00.004-05:00

C.T. Studd was a wealthy, and athletic young man in the 1800's that gave up everything the world had to offer to be a missionary to China. He gave the following exhortation called the chocolate soldier to the Christians of his day, and I think it's still very relevant.

HEROISM is the lost chord; the missing note of present-day Christianity!In peace true soldiers are captive lions, fretting in their cages. War gives them their liberty and sends them, like boys, bounding out of school, to obtain their heart’s desire or perish in the attempt. Battle is the soldier’s vital breath! Peace turns him into a stooping asthmatic. War makes him a whole man again, and gives him the heart, strength, and vigour of a hero.

Every true Christian is a soldier – of Christ – scorning the soft seductions of peace and her oft-repeated warnings against hardship, disease, danger, and death, whom he counts among his bosom friends.

The otherwise Christian is a chocolate soldier! Dissolving in water and melting at the smell of fire. “Sweeties” they are! Bonbons, lollipops! Living their lives on a glass dish or in a cardboard box, each clad in his soft clothing, a little frilled white paper to preserve his dear little delicate constitution.

“They say and do not” – they tell others to go, and yet do not go themselves. “Never” said General Gordon to a corporal, as he himself jumped upon the parapet of a trench before Sebastopol to fix a gabion which the corporal had ordered a private to fix, and wouldn’t fix himself, “Never tell another man to do what you are afraid to do yourself!”

To the chocolate Christian the very thought of war brings a violent attack of ague. “I really cannot move,” he says. “I only wish I could, but I can sing, and here are some of my favourite lines:

‘I must be carried to the skies 
On a flowery bed of ease, 
Let others fight to win the prize, 
or sail thro’ bloody seas.  
Mark time, Christian heroes, 
Never go to war; 
Stop and mind the babies 
Playing on the floor.
Wash and dress and feed them
 Forty times a week. 
Til they’re roly poly, 
Puddings so to speak.

Chorus: Round and round the nursery 
Let us ambulate; 
Sugar and spice and all that’s nice 
Must be on our slate.’

God never meant me to be a jelly-fish! God’s men are always heroes.

Spiritual Warfare 7: The Sword of the Spirit

2009-07-17T04:36:00.001-05:00

Today we will cover our primary offensive weapon in the Christian armor the Sword of the Spirit, Ephesians 6:17 "...and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

The Sword of the Spirit- The Roman soldier had two primary weapons a javelin for long range warfare, and a sword for close hand to hand combat. The word Paul uses for sword is machaira, which means short sword or dagger. In greek machaira can be used in three primary ways which I think have important spiritual applications for the word of God.

Surgery- A machaira could be used to perform surgery during, or after battle. Frequently when we are under spiritual attack, or just have been under attack we get wounded, and we need spiritual surgery. Paul says the sword of the Spirit is the word of God, God's word is the most powerful surgical instrument in the universe.

In Hebrews 4:12 the Bible once again likens the machaira to the word of God and says, "...piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, ...and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." In this battle of life it is often very difficult to determine the difference between what God trying to lead us to do in our spirit, and what our mind, will, and emotions (soul) wants us to do. You see if it feels right (emotions), is logical (mind), and its what we want (will) it can be very hard to discern that we are about to make a mistake.

Enter the word of God as we read, study, and meditate on the word of God what we want, think, and feel comes into sharp contrast with what God wants, thinks, and feels. We are then able to make Spirit led decisions that will prevent the enemy from gaining an advantage.

This verse also says that the word of God is a discerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart. The heart is a terrible weakness for us in battle, because not only can it be deceived by Satan, but is in fact a deceiver itself (Jeremiah 17:9). The word of God clearly helps us discern clearly if our thoughts, and motives are Biblical, and Spirit led. Before we make any major decisions we should consult the word of God to make sure we are not being deceived.

Worship- The machaira could also be used to prepare a sacrifice for worship. The Bible says in Romans 12:1-2 that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. The only problem with a living sacrifice is that it has an irritating tendency to get off the altar. Do you find that to be true of yourself? You put your all on the altar during an invitation, or other special time, and seems like hours or days later you have completely hopped off the altar. Animals strangely enough didn't seem to like being placed on a flaming altar they had to be put to death first with a sword or dagger. Our flesh to cannot stand the fiery altar of surrender, and consecration it has to be put to death again, and again by the word of God.

Hand to Hand Combat- When we are in close hand to hand spiritual warfare there is only one thing to do, use the word of God. In Matthew chapter 4 the Lord Jesus Christ is led into the desert to be tempted of the devil, a time of intense hand to hand combat. What powerful weapon did Jesus pull out to battle this formidable ancient foe? Bazooka, RPG, .50 Caliber Desert Eagle? No, he pulled out the most powerful weapon in the universe the word of God. To every temptation He responded, "it is written" when we are under attack that is our only weapon. We must soak ourselves in the word of God so that it is available to us in the heat of battle. The word of God correctly applied will put Satan on the run every time.

The Word of God- There are two Greek words which are translated word in the New Testament that refer to scripture. The first, logos, refers to God's written word, and to Jesus, who is the living Logos (John 1:1). There are many biblical examples of the word logos:

• “In the beginning was the Word [logos], and the Word [logos] was with God, and the Word [logos] was God” (John 1:1).
• “The seed is the word [logos] of God” (Luke 8:11).
• “Holding forth the word [logos] of life” (Philippians 2:16).
• “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word [logos] of truth” (II Timothy 2:15).
• “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word [logos] of God, which liveth and abideth forever” (I Peter 1:23).

However Paul in this passage does not use logos to describe the word of God he uses the greek word Rhema. Rhema refers to the spoken word, and literally means “an utterance.” In New Testament usage a rhema is a verse or portion of Scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention with application to a current situation. Another way we might say this is that a rhema is God's particular word for a particular situation.

So how does this apply to our daily battle? In counseling, or witnessing, or preaching instead of going to the classic verses on a particular subject every time, ask the Lord what word would be most profitable for this situation. For instance I like using the Romans Road in my witnessing, but this isn't always the best plan. So I try to ask God for one powerful word tailored to that situation. The Roman sword was a straight sword and was most effective as a thrusting sword not a swinging sword. So instead of always swinging wildly with your favorite passages, determine God's Rhema for the situation, and use that one verse or passage over, and over till the enemy lies defeated before you.

You see God knows what word a particular person, in a particular situation most needs. It is not our word that will be effective but The Spirit's chosen word. So if your under personal attack, and a verse comes to mind use that verse over, and over till the enemy flees. The old time preachers understood how to use God's Rhema effectively. Charles Finney for instance when given a Rhema before, or during a meeting would thrust that one word into peoples consciences over, and over till often people were laying on the floor groaning in conviction.

So let us begin to study the word, memorize the word, and meditate on the word. For God surely won't bring to mind what we haven't already put into our mind. Also let us start asking, and seeking God for his particular "sword" for today, and each warfare situation we face.

What is Recovery?

2009-07-16T12:04:00.001-05:00

What is Recovery? The word “recover” means to obtain again something that has been lost, or to return something to a normal condition. In order for something to be recovered, it must have already been in existence and in a particular condition. When, after it has been lost or damaged, it is returned to its former condition, it is said to be recovered. The noun “recovery” means the restoration or return to a normal condition after a damage or loss has been incurred. Redemption, and sanctification are God’s process of restoring humanity to their original state of completeness, and perfect communion with Him.

What is Addiction?

2009-07-16T12:03:00.001-05:00

What is addiction? Addiction is enslavement, to a substance, activity, or state of mind intended to fill a void that can only be filled by God. Addiction is precipitated by untrue views of God, our past, ourselves, and the world around us. Real recovery only occurs as we develop an intimate relationship with God, and he reveals to us what is true about these four areas.

15 Steps to Increased Intimacy with God

2009-07-15T12:21:00.002-05:00

Listen to Him
Take extra time to talk to Him
Obey him whether you agree or not
Trust Him
Spend time with just the two of you
Tell Him I love you
Do special things to show him you love him
Write Him a poem
Sing just to Him
Walk with Him
Tell Him how you feel regardless of how you think he’ll react
Don’t be bitter against Him
Talk to Him like you do anyone else
Tell Him how grateful you are for things He does for you
Call Him Daddy

Spiritual Warfare 6: The Helmet of Salvation

2009-07-15T06:35:00.002-05:00

In today's post I would like to cover the Helmet of Salvation. Ephesians 6:17 says, ...take the helmet of salvation. The helmet was the part of the armor that protected the head, because while a soldier could sustain many injuries and still live, a head wound was usually a fatal blow. In the Spiritual realm I believe that the Helmet of Salvation is illustrative of the protection of the mind.
Satan consistently attacks the mind on two fronts first of all through attacking our assurance of Salvation, and through impure thoughts.

Assurance- If Satan can get you to doubt your salvation you may have many pieces of the armor, but you won't get far in battle without being overtaken by fears, and doubts. Fear, and doubt are powerful enemies that are hard to overcome. So the best thing to do is settle the issue of your assurance before you venture out for one more day of battle. Let's cover some ways to have assurance of salvation.

Realize God is the Prime Mover in Salvation- What this means simply put is that you didn't have a thing to do with getting salvation so how can you lose it. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:4, "he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world" You are not an afterthought God has been planning on saving you, and securing you before the world even existed. Furthermore before you were saved you weren't even looking for God Romans 3:11 says, "there is none that seeketh after God." God is the one who seeks us out when we are running after destruction with all our hearts. John 6:44 Jesus said, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." God draws sinful man through seeking after them, loving them, sending them messengers, and man never reciprocates till God initiates.

So you see God planned our salvation, sought us out to save us, drew us through love, and the Bible, and messengers. So how can you lose something you had nothing to do with? The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." You see salvation is a gift of unmerited favor (grace) from God you didn't earn, you can't lose it.

God doesn't change His mind- Romans 11:29 says, "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." That means basically God is not an Indian giver, it was His desire to give you salvation, and He's not going to change his mind.

The Bible is written for us to be sure- The Bible says in 1 John 5:13 "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." The Bible was written so that you might know that you have eternal life. Not wonder, not doubt, not fear, not think, but absolutely know 100% sure that you are His.

Jesus promised to keep us secure- John 10:28-29 says, "...I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." You are absolutely secure in the hands of Jesus for all eternity if you have accepted His free gift of salvation.

The Holy Spirit lets us know were secure- Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." Ephesus was a city of much commerce especially for lumber transactions. So whenever a load of lumber was purchased it was sealed with a signet (a unique identifier of the owner) so that everyone could see who it belonged to.

The Holy Spirit dwelling within us is a sign to ourselves and everybody else that we are God's children. Romans 8:16 tell us, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. The Holy Spirit is constantly speaking to our spirit, and assuring us we belong to God. Furthermore the Bible calls the Holy Spirit His earnest payment for our salvation. An earnest, or down payment is used to show the seriousness (earnestness) of a buyer to complete a transaction. God has put a massive down payment on us, and He fully intends to finalize the transaction. So when Satan attacks our salvation we can look to the word of God, the character of God, and the Spirit of God for assurance.

Renewing of the mind- Another function of the Helmet of Salvation is the renewing of your mind. God is not merely content to save us from the penalty of sin, He wants to save us from the power of sin. This process is called sanctification, and one of the most powerful aspects of this growing to be more like the Lord is changing our thinking. I don't know about you after years of meth addiction, and living in the World I had some pretty "stinking thinking"! The problem with that is that "as a man thinketh so is he." So if I continue to repeat the same destructive thought patterns I will continue to reap destructive actions. Fortunately the Lord has provided three methods for thinking right.

Renewing- Romans 12:1-2 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
The first step to right thinking is really two steps present yourself to God, as a living sacrifice, and two stop letting the thinking of this age cloud your mind. In presenting ourselves as a sacrifice, and literally dying to self we are then yield to the Holy Spirit who can clean, and change our minds.

The second verse could literally be translated, "stop letting yourself be molded to this age" you see Satan wants you to think like him, and he uses the media, books, etc. to shape your thinking. Stop it! You have a choice, and the only place you should be getting your thought from is the Word of God let it renew you mind.

Rejecting- Just because you get saved doesn't mean all of your destructive thought patterns, and satanic lies you have believed disappear. Sanctification is a process, and God does the work, but we do have responsibilities. These responsibilities involve our will because everything you believe you have chosen (the will) to believe. In that same vein God has said that we are to cast down every thought pattern that does not conform to the Word of God. Paul says, to only think on things that are lovely, just, pure, virtuous, praise worthy, and of good report. In other words if its ugly, unjust, impure, evil, criticism, or bad news reject it outright it will only perpetuate your destructive thought patterns. As we willfully reject bad thoughts, and accept good thoughts God changes are thinking patterns

Receiving- One of the best ways to think correctly is to just receive, or yield to what is already true of you. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says, "...we have the mind of Christ" not we are getting the mind of Christ, not "Lord, please give us the mind of Christ" we have it right this very moment we just need to yield to what is already true. Galatians 2:20 tells us that Jesus Christ wants to live His life through you, and that includes His mind. The wisest, and smartest man to ever live wasn't Solomon it was Jesus Christ, and His mind is available to you if you will just yield to what the Bible says by faith. I know that Will Fowler's best thinking led me to become a 112 pound meth addict, living in a truck, running from the police, and a restraining order from my family. God's thinking on the other hand has led me to Bible college, career, ministry, a beautiful family, etc.

So let's put on the helmet of salvation today, and let the Lord give us assurance of our salvation, and new non destructive thought patterns.

How To Experience Revival: Unity That Brings Revival

2009-07-14T21:59:00.001-05:00

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in
unity! 2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard,
even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3 As the dew of
Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the
LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

In the 20th century the ecumenical movement started from a felt need of the lack of the
Church’s influence in the world. There is today a cry for unity in religion. We see prayer services where those of a Catholic or Protestant faith can lift up prayers to God along with those of an Islamic faith or Buddhist faith. The general thought is that if we can break down doctrinal barriers than this world would be a much better place.

What the world needs is not a lot of indiscriminate unification but for the Church to
return to her apostolic roots. The verse above states that it is pleasant when brethren
dwell together in unity. Then the verse gives very picturesque types of the Holy Spirit. If the Church was ever a major influence in the world it was because she had God on her side. In the beginning of the Church we can clearly see what unified it and made it a force to be reckoned with.

In Acts 2, we find the Church in a state of revival and unity. However, what was the
unifying factor for them? It seems from the book of Acts that there unity as brethren was attributable to five things. In Acts 2:1 we see that they are united by prayer that brought them in one accord to one place. This is a great reason the Church has no power because they quit praying. The Bible plainly says when two or more are gathered that God is in the middle of us. I fear we have seen over and over what man is capable of accomplishing where the church is not unified, absorbed in prayer. The second unifying factor for the early church is a common salvation experience. Joining hands with other faiths will not accomplish anything in this world! God will only send revival to those that have received the word gladly and asked for Jesus Christ’s forgiveness.

Next, we see that the Church continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine. We cannot
have unity with those that don’t share a common belief in the fundamentals of the faith.

The unity of this Church was brought about by a simple belief and obedience in the
teaching Jesus gave to the Apostles. Unity was also promoted in the Church by
fellowship, fellowship comes from the Greek word koinonia, and gives the picture of a
partnership. These believer brought together by the common experience of salvation and
a common doctrinal foundation now found that they had a common mission--to serve
others and share the Gospel with the world. The Church has all but forgotten our common
mission to take the Gospel to the world, and so the message rarely reaches outside the
walls of the Church.

Breaking bread together is another key feature of the early Church’s unity. How often
does the Church of today break bread together? We are so busy, so involved in our own
business and family activities that we rarely get together to share a meal with fellow
believers. We only have surface relationships with others believers but Christ gave us the Church so we can edify one another how can we do that till we get to know people where they live. The last thing that brought unity was that they had all things common. They were genuinely concerned with the physical needs of other believers and were willing to do without or sell their own possessions so everyone could have material needs met.

What we call unity today is a poor substitute for the true brotherhood of the first century church. We will never again have apostolic power till we have reclaimed apostolic living and unity. Their existence was so simple they were obeying the teachings of Jesus with no reservation. If we had their unity, we would have their power. We would have revival.

12 Steps for a More Effective Prayer Life

2009-07-13T22:41:00.003-05:00

To the Father (Matthew 6:9)
In the name (authority) of the Son (John 14:3)
With the help of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26)
According to the Will of God (1 John 5:14)
Should be constant, persistent, untiring, and sleepless (Ephesians 6:18)
With willingness to obey his commands (1 John 3:22)
Using scripture in your prayer (John 15:7)
Start with Praise and Adoration (Psalms 103, Rev. 5:12-14)
Proceed to confession (1 John 1:8-9)
Continue with Thanksgiving (Phillipians 4:6-7)
Using Supplication for our needs (Matt. 6:11-13)
Entering Intercession for other needs (Luke 18:1; Col. 4:2; 1 Tim. 2:1-4)

10 Steps to Becoming an Effective Witness for Christ

2009-07-13T07:09:00.004-05:00

Wrote this for a project I was working on, and thought it might be helpful to my readers.

Know that you are a Christian yourself. (1 John 5:12)
Understand the empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit in your life personally. (Ephesians 5:12)
Pray for Boldness and opportunities to witness (Acts 4:23-31)
Memorize salvation verses (John 3:16, Romans 3:10, 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-13)
Carry Gospel literature, or a Bible.
Find a Mentor (2 Timothy 2:2)
Show them they are sinners (Exodus 20, James 2:10, Romans 3:23)
Show them the penalty for their sin is death in hell. (Romans 5:12, Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:15)
Show them Christ’s Death paid the penalty (Romans 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 6:23)
Show them they must accept Christ’s payment by faith, and turn from their sin (Romans 10:9-13, Acts 2:38, Acts 16:31)

Spiritual Warfare 5: The Shield of Faith

2009-07-11T06:47:00.002-05:00

Continuing through Ephesians 6 Paul says in Verse 16, Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. The next piece of the armor I would like to discuss is the Shield of Faith, but before I get to that we need to understand what it's made to protect against, fiery darts.

Fiery Darts-
What are fiery darts anyway? You may have envisioned a Roman Soldier wrapping an arrow with a cloth, setting the cloth on fire and then shooting the arrow at the enemy. The arrow somehow stays lit sailing through the air at over 30 miles per hour, and then with pinpoint accuracy it happens to hit something flammable, explodes destroying half the enemy army.

However that idea is from Hollywood, Roman soldiers definitely used flaming missiles to destroy their enemies, but they were much more subtle appearing, and more deadly. The "fiery darts" we read about in this passage were made from a hollow reed. One end was plugged then the reed was filled with a flammable liquid, a mixture of alcohol and naphtha for instance. A loosely fitting stopper holding an ignited wick was slipped into the other end of the tube and lit. It was then shot like an arrow, not at a flammable target but at the soldier himself. Since the dart had it's own fuel source and the wick was protected by the tube, the missile kept burning until it hit its target. When it hit a soldier, the wick popped out, the liquid spilled over the soldier' s armor and ignited, cooking him in his own armor.

So now we know what a fiery dart is in the physical realm but what spiritual reality was Paul illustrating here. While he doesn't say exactly what fiery darts are he does tell us they can be defeated by faith. This shows us that these darts are weapons that produce the opposite of faith, unbelief. But what produces unbelief, to best understand this we must understand what faith is, and how it is produced. Faith simply put is rock solid confidence in God. Confidence He exists, He is capable of providing, and protecting us, and that He is bringing about the ultimate good.

Faith is produced by studying, meditating on, and comprehending the Word of God. Romans 10:17 declares this when it says, "...faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The word of God is truth Jesus said, "Thy Word is Truth." So fiery darts are attacks on God's truth, commonly called lies. These lies come in many subtle forms, they may come as a thought, a doubt, an unholy idea, an event, a casual comment by a friend. Satan comes to you and offers you a lie contrary to the Word of God that produces unbelief in God's existence, character, ability, etc.

Let's illustrate how fiery darts might look in action: a coworker gets a raise, and mentions it to you casually in passing. Satan will then come to you with a lie saying, God doesn't provide for me, or God doesn't want to bless you after all you have done wrong. At this point if you accept this lie about God what started as a small comment will consume your meditations like a fire till you are literally cooked in your armor in anger, and bitterness.

Another example of a fiery dart might be an attractive, or flattering coworker he/she might come across your path at a rough spot in your marriage. Inevitably Satan will come to you with a lie such as, "they would make me happier", or "this might be exciting." Inevitably if we accept Satan's lies we will have to accept the consequences of his steal, kill, destroy agenda.

Shield of Faith- What is our defense? Well, this scripture tells us that it is the shield of faith. The Roman shield was as large as a door, and was made of the hardest woods available. The surface of the shield was charred with a torch and then covered with leather. A soldier could hide his entire body behind this shield. The fiery dart could hit the shield, and the liquid spread out, but the charred wood of the shield wouldn't catch fire so the soldier was safe beneath his shield.

The analogy here is that every time Satan attacks you with lies you can counter with Faith. There are over 7,000 promises in the word of God that attest to God's goodness, faithfulness, and provision. We must learn these verses, and have them at the ready to hold up as a shield when Satan attacks us. In the desert when Jesus was being tempted by Satan He answered every lie with a Bible verse. If you are struggling with lies about God right now concerning a particular topic, you need to search the Bible for God's truth on the issue. That way whenever the fiery darts are sailing your way you can hold up the shield of faith.

Paul explains this entire process in 2 Cor. 10:5, Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. The Bible says that every thought, every image in our head, every reasoning has to conform to the truth of God. You see you'll never quench all fiery darts till you start checking every thought. Every thought that comes into your head needs to pass this question, does this line up with the word of God? If they do not they must be rejected as lies from the enemy. So today let us start lifting God's faith-producing truth against every fiery lie of the devil.

Do it Anyway by Mother Teresa

2009-07-10T06:20:00.000-05:00

The following prose was hanging in Mother Teresa's room, and is widely attributed to her. It has always been an encouragement to me.

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
-Mother Teresa

Spiritual Warfare 4: Gospel Sandals of Peace

2009-07-09T06:13:00.001-05:00

Today we will cover the part of our armor that gives us mobility to advance into satan's territory, and snatch prisoners from him. Ephesians 6:15 says, ...your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.

Gospel Sandals (feet shod)- In the time that this epistle was written Roman soldiers wore special sandals for military use that were made of iron and tied to their feet. This allowed them to march farther and faster as well as giving them facility of motion in battle—they could dig in and hold their ground when in hand-to-hand combat.

In the same way that these soldiers needed special shoes we need the security that comes from the gospel of peace. The Word of God is the gospel, or Good News, that brings peace. In other words, believers are ready for battle because "...being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1) They can stand firm, with peace, even in hand-to-hand combat, because they know that their destiny is secure. If you are not sure your saved then you will have no confidence to move forward in battle because satan can always use your doubt to prevent you from advancing.

Even after we are sure we are saved the enemy will constantly try to bring war in our lives because without peace we can never advance in the Christian life. What are some of the tools that Satan uses to rob us of peace thus preventing us from advancing?

Death
Sickness
Finances
Doctrinal Division
Family Fighting
The Economy
Terrorism

You see if your mind, and heart are absent of peace you will have no ground to stand on, and your fear will cause you to lose footing. But thanks be to God He has the solution, the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. So stop worrying it is sinful God is in control, He is on the throne, and He is bringing us to an expected end.

The peace of God also affects our decision making process for instance Paul said in Colossians 3:15, "...let the peace of God rule in your hearts" this word rule is a greek word from which we get our english word umpire. In a baseball game an umpire ensures that all actions fall within the established guidelines for the game. Peace is like that for us if we are about to break one of the guidlines of God's word we begin to lose our peace. So let peace be your umpire for even the toughest of calls.

Preparation

The sandals were a sign of readiness to march and fight the battle. You see the shoes were the part of the army that took the most time to prepare. So for us as servants of God we need to be prepared to deliver the Gospel. 1 Peter 3:15 says, "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you..." In other words be prepared to share the Gospel with people you come into contact with. Every believer is called to share the gospel, and that requires preparation. Lets look at some steps we need to take to be prepared to share the gospel.

Write out your testimony- One of the simplest and most powerful methods of sharing the Gospel is giving your testimony. A testimony is simply this is what I was, and this is what I am now because of accepting Jesus' free gift of salvation. They can argue with theology, or deny the validity of Christ's claims, but it's real hard to argue with a living, breathing example of God's power, and mercy. So write out your testimony, and start sharing it with everyone you strike up a conversation with. People may throw a gospel tract to the ground but everyone loves a good story.
Study the gospel- Delve into the book of John, and Paul's epistles especially Romans. Get to know what exactly happened in you when you got saved so you can explain it to others.
Find a mentor- Find someone who regularly leads people to Christ, and ask them to take you soulwinning with them. You don't have to say anything just watch how they do it, and pray while there doing it.
Carry Gospel Literature- Always be prepared with a new testament, and/or tracts to give out to people.
Pray for the lost- Nothing will increase your burden for sharing the gospel like praying for lost people. Pray for those you know to get saved, and pray for God to put you in the path of those who need them.
Be filled with the Spirit- Like anything else in the Christian life you can't do it without God's help. Ask God to empower you to witness.

Gospel of Peace
Finally in closing the gospel is a gospel of peace. Satan would like nothing better than to cause your statements to sound like war instead of peace to a lost person. Do not I repeat do not attack someones religion i.e. Mohhamed was a pedophile, or catholic priests are pedophiles. How is that supposed to win somebody the focus isn't Joseph Smith, or Buddha its Jesus Christ, Jesus said if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto myself. You see we are not in a battle of wills in soulwinning no effective sales pitch will convince them.

Focus on the word of God, and depend on the Holy Spirit of God. Ask him constantly to give you answer of peace to this person. Psalm 19:7 tell us, "the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul." The word of God will not return void so keep their focus on His word, and not your arguments. John 16:8 says that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement. So if we involve the Word, and the Spirit in our witnessing we will not fail see results. Let us like Paul in 2 Corinthians 5 be ambassadors of peace, and beg sinners at war with God to reconcile (make peace) with Him.

So today let's focus on taking the Gospel of peace to people we meet throughout the day.

Leanna

2009-07-07T20:22:00.000-05:00

Here is a poem I wrote some time ago for my daughter Leanna.

“Leanna”

A blonde haired cherub from up above
A tender rosebud I’ve grown to love

A gift so precious and unanticipated
A gift so needed as I’ve contemplated

Your heart is so sweet, so pure, so kind
Your countenance is brilliant and so is your mind

Your laughter is sweet like wild honey
Your hair is soft like a new born pony

Someday you’ll be a great woman of God
Someday others will follow the path you trod

That day will be great, O love of mine
But for now will you be my valentine

The Hopeless Romantic

2009-07-07T20:18:00.000-05:00

Today as I was sorting my documents I ran across a couple poems I wrote about my wife Kathy, and my daughter Leanna. Here is the one I wrote for my wife.

"The Hopeless Romantic"
A hopeless romantic from birth till today
Searching for parts in “love drama’s” to play

Some “parts” seemed at best a comedy
Others plots even worse more like tragedy

To write a love story I could not though I tried
No happily ever after the lovers divide

When all hope of a story in my heart had died
God wrote a story where two worlds collide

These worlds were as different as night and day
But quickly we realized this was no mere “play”

The plotline was far from ideal in this play
The characters hadn’t really planned it this way

Opening night brought some mixed reviews
Some raved some offered opposing views

It soon became apparent God was doing something new
This show wasn’t closing despite any bad review

What was it about this story that made it so great?
Was it action, adventure, love, war or hate?

No it was something far greater a peculiar trait
Something missing in many stories of late

It’s not romance alone that makes an epic tale
Action, romance, adventure can all go stale

There is only element that makes an “ever after” tale
If you’re missing this element you surely will fail

The difference that made this love story so grand
Was the one who held the pen in His hand

An Author so infinite, holy, and grand
Wrote the greatest love story in all of the land

John Wesley's Holy Club 22 Questions

2009-07-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

John Wesley’s Methodists started as a regular meeting of students at Oxford University called The Holy Club. These are 22 questions the members of this group asked themselves every day in their private devotions over 200 years ago. These questions have always convicted me, so I thought I would share them.

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
Can I be trusted?
Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
Did the Bible live in me today?
Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
Am I enjoying prayer?
When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
Do I pray about the money I spend?
Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
Do I disobey God in anything?
Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
Am I defeated in any part of my life?
Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
How do I spend my spare time?
Am I proud?
Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
Do I grumble or complain constantly?
Is Christ real to me?

Spiritual Warfare 3: The Breastplate of Righteousness

2009-07-06T06:46:00.001-05:00

Continuing on in our series on Spiritual warfare in this post we'll cover more vital pieces of the Christian armor that are needed to fight against Satan.

Breastplate of Righteousness- The Roman breastplate covered the vital organs of the body especially the heart. I have learned over the years that you just can't trust your heart. God did not send His Son to die to empower your heart, but rather to exchange it. Ezekiel 36:26 explains this when it says, "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us that we have Christ righteousness, and Galatians 2:20 tells us that Christ is living through us. We must yield to Christ righteousness because our heart is so deceptive (Jer. 17:9), and easily deceived.

You see in Bible times the heart was considered the seat of your emotions, and will. So if satan can get your heart he's got your emotions which can affect your decision making process (the will). Proverbs 4:23 says, "guard your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life." If I could paraphrase I would say, "what you let in the heart is what comes out". Because the Bible says what person thinks in their heart, is what they are. So satan will come to the unguarded heart with thoughts that makes us angry our emotions will say "this makes me so angry", the will will say, "me too lets do something about it". Before you know it you will find that you have done things that you will regret the rest of your life because of an unguarded heart.

You see most people these days are more in love with their feelings than they are in love with God. What does it mean to be in love with our feelings? One definition of love means to be attached to. When you are attached to something, you can't let go. Far too often we have attached ourselves to how we feel and we cannot separate our feelings from the choices that determine the outcome of our lives. Since our feelings will mislead us, betray us, and not consider the end result, we must fall out of love with them.

How do we do that? We must fall in love with something greater. We must fall in love with God. Whether you feel the love of God or not, the word righteousness means right standing or relationship with God. So it not about how you feel it just about yielding to Christs righteousness then know that God accepts us as he accepts Christ.

Martin Luther concerning the untrustworthiness of our feelings once wrote:
Feelings come, and feelings go,
And feelings are deceiving,
I'll put my trust in the Word of God,
None else is worth believing!

So today let's yield to Christ's right standing with God, and let Him live through us, and not let our emotions, or will rule over us.

Spiritual Warfare 2: The Girdle of Truth

2009-07-01T11:03:00.001-05:00

In our last post we started to cover the all important topic of Spiritual warfare. Today we will cover some more aspects of spiritual warfare then start looking at the armor available to us. Ephesians 6:10-18 says, ¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Stand- Verse 11 tell us that the purpose of the armor of God is that we might be able to stand against the enemy. You see we don’t have to win the victories they have already been won we just have to stand. Like everything in the Christian life God does the work we just have to show up for the battle. The real question is when is someone go to say that's it I'm going to stand for my: family, Church, or country! Satan has had them long enough, no more! You see God does the work but throughout the ages much evil has happened, because Christians refuse to fight the devil.

Wiles- The word translated wiles is the greek word methodeias "methods", i.e., schemes, tactics, stratagems, secret agendas. The plural of this word “suggests attacks that are constantly repeated or of incalculable variety”.

What are they? Temptation, accusation, intimidation, division and other such assaults against individual believers and the church corporately. But even though Satan and his minions have many methods they only have one underlying agenda: steal, kill, and destroy. John 10:10 gives us Satan's job title, or agenda when Jesus says that the devil comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. So you see Satan is just as content to steal, kill, and destroy a person in church as a heathen idolater in a jungle somewhere. There are many methods but only one desired result.

Flesh and Blood- One of Satan's primary tactics is to get man thinking his battle is horizontal (with other men) but the bible says its vertical (in the heavenlies with demons). So instead of fighting with your family or boss all of the time step back and say my battle is not with them it is with these demons trying to steal, kill, and destroy my family.

Principalities (Political)- The greek word Arches these political demons are in charge of Satan's steal, kill, destroy agenda in the political realm. Every major war, or wicked political decison has been masterminded by these demons.

Powers (Personal)- The greek word Exousias these personal demons are in charge of Satan's steal, kill destroy agenda for families, and individuals. They may have attacking your family for thousands of years, and so they have CIA like intelligence on: your emotional makeup, genetic predispositions, and generational sins.

Rulers (Philisophical)- The greek word Kosmokratopas these philisophical demons are in charge of the prevailing philosphies of the age. They use universities, hollywood, and the internet to peddle Satan's steal, kill, destroy message packaged as truth, philosophy, and self help.

Spiritual Wickedness (Spiritual)- Comes from the greek which literally means spiritual evil in the heavenlies, these spiritual demons are concerned with bringing Satan's steal, kill, destroy agenda through religion. Every cult, every ism, schism, or false doctrine is peddled by these demons to send people to hell, and to hunder spirtual growth.

Now then the part you have all been waiting for let us now cover what is each piece of the armor needed to stand against the enemy.

Girdle of Truth- The foundational piece of the armor Paul mentions was a leather belt worn by Roman soldiers to tuck their garment into, and to hold their weapons. As a place to tuck in their flowing clothing the girdle allowed soldiers to run in battle without being hindered. In the same way as we study the word of God (the truth) we see sins, and weights that easily beset us, and hinder our running.

As a place to hold weapons the girdle illustrates that truth is vital to both of our offensive weapons: speaking the word, and prayer. You see you can't speak whats not in there so memorizing God's word (truth) will allow you to have something to say in battle. Also one way we can pray according to the will of God is to pray the word of God. Truth is foundational to our warfare because Satan's primary tool is deception. As we soak ourselves in the Bible we can avoid being decieved.

Next time we will cover the other pieces of the armor, but in the meantime be aware that there is an enemy out there but God has told us what he looks like, and how to fight him.

Spiritual Warfare 1: The Armor of God

2009-07-01T06:51:00.002-05:00

In this series of posts I would like to cover a most important topic, that of Spiritual warfare. In a previous post we discussed what the enemy's military hierarchy looks like, but in this post we will cover how use our offensive and defensive weapons against the enemy.

The first question you may ask is their even a need for spiritual warfare? There are three categories that Christians can relegate demonic activity to. First is that their really just on their doctrinal and that they don't really believe in the reality of the devil. They have been influenced by the western world-view which says every effect has a physical cause; if you can't see it, touch it, taste it, smell it, or hear it, it probably doesn't exist; all phenomena can or eventually will be explained or accounted for scientifically; reality is material and mechanical; if there is a spiritual realm, it has no relation to or impact upon the physical realm.

Second place they may relegate these realities to is on the mission field. They will say I believe there is demonic activity over in Papua New Guinea, or somewhere, but not in America. These Christians are susceptible to Satan's agenda whether they think he works over here or not.

The last group say well didn't Jesus defeat Satan at the cross so we don't have to worry about him anymore. That is true he did destroy the Satan's authority 1 John 3:8 says Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. That word destroy is the word luo which means, legally declaring something dissolved or unbound. Matthew 16:19 says we are given the keys whatever we luo on earth is luoed in the heavenlies (where demonic activity originates from). So yes Satan's works, and authourity have been defeated, but Satan is a squatter, and will take whatever territory he can in our lives unless told to leave. So we are like Jesus’s Deputy’s reinforcing Jesus victory’s in different times, locations, and lives.

Now let us look in the book of Ephesians at what kind of armor is available to us. But before we can fully understand this armor we have to understand what procedes it. In Ephesians 1-3 Paul tells us to sit that is to say to realize our position. You see your salvation was planned before the foundation of the world, and you are now seated with Christ in the heavenlies far above all principlaities, and powers (demonic activity). You see if you are not resting in this position you have no foundation for spiritual warfare.

The next thing Paul says in Chapters 4-5 is to walk that is when you are in Christ start walking out a life that is worthy of your calling. If we are not sitting right, and walking right we are leaving an open door for Satan to get in. So if we are sitting right, and walking right, we can stand right against the enemy without waffling.

So with that in mind let us look at Ephesians 6:10-18 which says, ¹⁰Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. ¹¹Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. ¹³Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.¹⁴Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; ¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:¹⁸Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Be Strong- In this verse Paul is telling us that we have the strength available to us to be fight the enemy. Note however that he is not just saying "Be strong in yourself." Many times that is what we say to people, "try harder, button your upper lip, you must learn just to be strong." That is not the power he is talking about at all the "strength" to which Paul refers is none other than the "strength" he described in Eph. 1:19. Which raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him above all authority! You are in your most vulnerable state when you think that you are strong enough to handle the temptation or situation without the help of the Lord. The foundation for your warfare is dependence on God's power

So today as you face the enemy realize your position (seated in the Heavenlies), walk worthy of your calling, and stand in the power of God to fight the enemy.

Finding Grace in God's Eyes Part 2

2009-06-29T06:21:00.000-05:00

In the last post we discovered how the world at large failed to find Grace in God's eyes leading to the destruction of the earth by a worldwide flood. In this post I would like to show what it was about Noah that caused him to find grace in God's eyes. The Bible shows us three unique attributes of Noah that set him apart, Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

Noah was a Tsaddiq-
The word just in verse 9 is the Hebrew word tsaddîq (Strong's #6662), meaning "just," "righteous," "lawful" (in accord with a standard), "correct." In the Hebrew thought being a tsaddiq was like a title, it was like saying not that today such and so was righteous, but that their life long character was righteous. If we were to give an expanded translation of "just man" we might say a man who's lifelong character was that he found God's will and did it.

Noah was definitely such a man who lived in accordance with God's revealed will, unlike all others of his time. It did not matter to Him if what God said was popular he was going to obey at all cost.

Noah Completed God's Will for His Generation
In verse 9 the Bible says, These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. The word perfect does not mean that Noah never sinned, rather this word has a completely different meaning. In the Hebrew text, this is tamîm (Strong's #8549), and its basic meaning is "complete" or "entire." It does not mean "perfect" as we would think of it today, as "without fault, flaw, or defect." Other English words that translate tamîm are "perfect" "whole," "full," "finished," "well-rounded," "balanced," "sound," "healthful," "sincere," "innocent," or "wholehearted." So this word shows us that Noah had completed something, or was fulfilling something. What Noah was completing had to do with his generations, the KJV translates two different Hebrew words as "generations" in this verse. The first occurrence—"These are the generations"—is rendered from toledoth (Strong's #8435; note that it is plural), meaning "descent," "history," or "genealogy." The second occurrence of "generations"—in the phrase "perfect in his generations"—is from the Hebrew word dôr (Strong's #1755), which means "properly, a revolution of time, i.e., an age or generation."

So what was it that Noah was completing in his generation, the will of God. You see as a Tsaddiq he was genuinely interested in finding God's will, and doing it , but he also didn't just start it he completed everything God had for him to do in his lifetime. Can you imagine on your tombstone the phrase he, or she completed everything God wanted them to accomplish in their lifetime. Wow I want that to be said of me, He completed everything God ever intended for him to do in a lifetime.

Noah Walked With God-
The church has written volumes on the concept of walking with God, but it is amazing how little we do it. In this age it seems that walking with God has become synonymous with doing our devotions in a morning, or prayer. These things are part of walking with God, but a walk with encompasses our whole life style it is something we do 24/7/365 for our whole life. It wasn't just that he was spending time with God in the morning his entire consuming passion was to follow God wholeheartedly.

You see you may had devotions this morning, but do you meditate and talk with God throughout the day? When God tells you do do things, or stop doing things do you obey? Because surely you don't think you are still walking with God when you have said no to Him. He has a prescribed path, and we head down another path, and still think we are walking with God I think not.

For Noah this wasn't just a little devotional in the morning He passionately sought the will of God for his life, and brought it to completion as he walked with God throughout his whole life. That is how to find God's grace in our lives today.

Finding Grace in God's Eyes Part 1

2009-06-25T06:29:00.000-05:00

In today's post I would like to cover how to find grace in God's eyes through looking at the life of Noah. Noah lived in a time of universal darkness, an yet he obtained grace in God's eyes. Before we start what exactly is grace? Well first of all grace is not mercy, mercy speaks of not getting the punishment that I deserve. Grace however speaks unmerited favor, or getting blessed when I don't deserve it. You see we never deserve God's blessings, but that doesn't mean we should walk in a position where we deserve His punishment. I call the difference walking in Grace or walking in Mercy. For instance there have been times when I was walking in known sin and God has chosen to not punish me, but bless me that's mercy. Other times I've had a clear conscience, and awesome walk with God and He blessed me I still didn't deserve it, but I was not deserving punishment either. You see both ways can be blessed but God's mercy only extends so far before His holiness kicks in, and you get what you deserve.

In the following passage we'll discuss one man who walked in Grace, and the whole world which walked in mercy. God describes the situation this way,

² That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. ³And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. ⁴There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. ⁵And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.⁷ And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. ⁸But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. ⁹ These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

So to best understand how to obtain let us first look how Noah's generation failed to obtain grace.

Making Soulish Choices- The Bible says in verse 2 that the sons of God (God's people) saw the daughters of men and found them attractive. Every decision in our lives should be led by the Spirit of God, and not in our soul (mind, will, and emotions). These men decided that rather seek God's will for their mate that they would choose based on their souls. These women are what I want (the will), I think their pretty (the mind), and resulting product of our relationship is I feel (emotions) good. Because these men put their soulish desires above God's desires they failed to obtain grace, and were instead walking in Mercy.

Associate with Satan’s People- The prophet Amos astutely observed, "how can two walk together except they be agreed. The Bible describes our relationship with God in the terms of a marriage. In fact were often charged to Know God, the word know is yada in hebrew, and ginosko in greek they both speak of a warm, intimate, familiar knowledge ie Adam knew his wife, and she conceived. So given this marriage relationship how do you think you can stumble into the prayer closet, or Church with the stench of another lovers cologne, and expect to recieve God's continued blessings. These men of Noah's time were more concerned with the pleasures of sin for a season than getting to know their God, and because of this they did not find favour.

Resist the Spirit's Voice- In verse three God declares that His Spirit will not always strive with man, but his days would be 120 years. God was saying these people are resisting, and I'm fighting them (striving) like little children. Then God says my mercy will extend 120 years, whoa that's a lot of mercy, but eventually it came to an end. So those of you who are complacent who have been living in sin for months or years do not confuse God's mercy for his grace. You may say, look I have a great house, good family, nice car: God's is obviously blessing me. God's mercy will not bless you forever your maturity is far more important to Him than you prosperity. Stop fighting the Spirit, and start walking in Grace.

Meditate on bad things-
Imaginations speaks of the brains tendency to store everything we perceive visually into our memory as images. As we think these images are played in the minds eye and combined to produce thoughts. Evil images produce evil thoughts good images good thought. These combined images which produce thoughts are then meditated on to produce action.

Example a man who murders his parents. He recalls visual images of his parents abusing him or something similar these visuals are framed in the mind through logic and reasoning however twisted to conceive a thought. This thought is then meditated upon till it produces action ie killing his parents.

So what is God saying in Genesis 6:5 that caused him to destroy the earth, and wipe out mankind? That man was visualizing, and recalling evil stored images that were framed in the mind through logical processes to conceive evil thoughts which led to evil action.

The word continually is the key it shows to what extent these evil thoughts were meditated on in the Hebrew continually is Kol Yom or literally whole day. These evil thoughts were their meditations all day every day leading to continual wicked action that led God to destroy the world. So you may say well it's only thoughts, but according to the Bibles, "as a man thinketh so is he" wicked thoughts lead to action. God's mercy will not extend forever start thinking right thoughts today. In the next post we will discuss how Noah walked in grace, and not mercy, and was blessed by God.

Satan's Demonic Hiearchial Millitiary Power Structure Part 3

2009-06-22T07:01:00.001-05:00

In this series of posts we have been covering the military power structure of Satan's kingdom, Paul said "we are not ignorant of his devices." So we are not endeavoring for an unhealthy fascination with demonic activity rather we just want to be "wise as serpents" as we are warring against "The Serpent". In Ephesians 6 Paul says, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Spiritual wickedness in high places - This phrase could literally be translated Religious wickedness in the heavenlies. These are what i like to call pious or religious demons these are those demons tasked with preventing salvation, or hindering religious growth through the means of false spirituality. Let's cover a few of the methods Satan uses to kill, steal, and destroy through religion.

The first group that Satan wants to hinder is the unsaved, and he does this by peddling false religion. A quote from CS Lewis' Screwtape Letters is instructive,"The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts." Thus these religous demons use a variety of methods to send the lost to hell lets discuss a few.

Cults- These religous demons are masters at getting men to blindly follow a variety of cults often tailored to their own culture, or ideals.

False Religions- These demons are masters of imitating light and ensuring man just barely misses the mark. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says, 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Pluralism- Using buzzwords like tolerance and unity these demons convince men that all roads lead to heaven.

Religious Fanaticism- By inciting religious fanatics to acts of hatred, or violence these demons are able to convince people that God is not in existence, or that he is evil. Examples include the crusades, Jihad, the Inquisition, Bombing abortion clinics etc.

The second group these religous demons are after is Christians if an individual accepts Christ they then attempt to keep them from experiencing the abundant life available to them. Another quote from Screwtape is illustrative, I note with grave displeasure that your patient has become a Christian. Do not indulge the hope that you will escape the usual penalties; indeed, in your better moments, I trust you would hardly even wish to do so. In the meantime we must make the best of the situation. There is no need to despair; hundreds of these adult converts have been reclaimed after a I brief sojourn in the Enemy's camp and are now with us. All the habits of the patient, both mental and bodily, are still in our favour.
“Surely you know that if a man can’t be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighbourhood looking for the church that ’suits’ him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches… The search for a ’suitable’ church makes the man a critic where the Enemy wants him to be a pupil.”
“But here, as in everything else, the way must be prepared for your moral assault by darkening his intellect. Men are not angered by mere misfortune but by misfortune conceived as injury.”

These religous demons have an agenda to keep you from your birthright as a Christian, and to prevent you from being a light to unbelievers. Let us talk about some of the many ways in which Satan deceives Christians.

False Doctrine- These religous demons peddle in extremes such as hyper-calvinism, hyper-dispensationalism, double inspiration etc. These extremes get us focused on anything other than our realtionship with Christ, and sharing His message.

Division- These religous demons would rather see Christians fight to the death over doctrinal nuances than see our world won to Christ. They use things such as the Bible version issue to turn brother against brother in bitter spiritual civil war.

Tares- In the parable of the wheat and tares we get a clear illustration of these religious demons work through unbelievers in the Church. The field that is planted is the world, the wheat is Christians, the tares are unbelievers. The Bible says that Satan plants the tares, or literally he places unbelievers in the Church. The tare was a weed that looked like wheat, but would produce sickeness, and death if eaten. Be aware that there are false Christians in your Church that look like believers, but Satan can use them to bring about Spiritual death in your Christian life.

Hiding our Gospel- We are God's chosen method for winning the world to Christ so one of Satan's primary objectives is to hide our gospel. 2 Corinthians 4:1-4 says, 1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Satan will use a variety of methods to hide your Gospel including:

Indifference- "Their homeless, or another race, or social standing"
Poor Testimony- "If that's what a Christian is like I don't want to be one"
Fear- I'm too afraid to speak for Christ I wouldn't know what to say"

In conclusion let us be aware that Satan's minions are engaged in a 24/7/365 aerial assault for the souls of men they will use any means necessary, political, personal, philosophical, or spiritual do not underestimate them, and do not fear them for they are under our feet in Christ.

Satan's Demonic Hiearchial Millitiary Power Structure Part 2

2009-06-17T06:27:00.002-05:00

In my last post I covered the first two parts of Satan's military hierarchy. The first being those demons in charge of bringing Satan's agenda in the political arena, and the second being personal demons in charge of families, and individuals. Today I would like to cover the third level of Satan's hierarchy Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Rulers of the darkness of this world- This phrase in the original is actually one word kosmokratopas which literally means world rulers of the darkness of this age. In the Bible the word Kosmos translated word is often used to refer the the world system. Which is to say the prevailing thought, customs, or philosophy amongst unbelievers this is in distinction to God's kingdom which operates on different philosophies. So I like to term these demonic rulers as philosophical we could call them rulers of the prevailing dark philosophy of the age. These demons are in charge of spinning how man kind thinks for surely if you can change a mans philosophy or the way he thinks it will change the way he acts.

I believe there are several ways in which these rulers peddle their philosophy of death to the world. A primary way is certainly the educational system in our world, whether the prevailing thoughts they are espousing are seemingly close to God's thoughts, or diametrically opposed Satan is equally happy. For close only counts in horseshoes, and hand grenades but not in true spirituality. If Satan can sell a counterfeit philosophy to a non-believer he can prevent him from entering a relationship with God, and likewise he can prevent a believer from deepening intimacy with Christ.

The prevailing philosophy of the age for last 500 or so years can be divided into two categories modern thought, and post-modern thought. Both are seemingly very different but have the same core lie, "since man is basically good and constantly improving if we can just "x" then we will usher in a utopian era." While both approaches have the same foundation they both took a different road to get there. Modernity started at the end of the dark ages with events like the Renaissance, the Reformation, and later the Enlightenment when men became convinced that if they could just discover absolute truth, and apply it universally that we would experience a new utopian era of human perfection. Lets look at some of these failed attempts at absolute truth:

Humanism- a philosophy that overemphasizes the dignity and worth of man, basically man is basically good, and getting better all the time ie. the Industrial Revolution, Enlightenment etc. Through reason, and logic man will constantly improve until he ushers in utopia. Satan has used this philosophy to send millions to hell for if man is basically good he surely doesn't need a God to interfere.

Materialism- the view that the material world is all that there is; there is no existence beyond the present life.

Naturalism- the view that all things have a purely natural cause, especially the origin of the universe and nature.

Agnosticism- the belief that God may exist but there is no way of knowing him logically, or with the senses.

Colonialism- Is basically the thought that since we have the absolute truth we have some sort of "manifest destiny" to conquer, colonize, and convert all peoples to our version of absolute truth. Satan used this prevailing thought to kill millions of indigenous peoples, who had never heard the true gospel.

Evolutionism- says that through constant struggle, the fittest survive. The best are selected out to reproduce, and through this process beneficial traits accumulate to propel us to higher stages on the evolutionary ladder. Though not often stated, the goal of the evolutionary process is envisioned as a humanistic utopia, in which war, disease and poverty are vanquished.

Racism- This says that basically if we could breed a pure human race, and subjugate or destroy inferior races we can usher in utopia. This is just the natural outgrowth of evolution, a system that has always bred racism. This is the foundation for failed systems such as the slave trade, and Nazism which was endeavoring to build a masterrace.

Communism- Had as its basic premise if we can harness collective synergy of masses of people through removing private ownership, and individual achievment. We can usher in an era of no poverty, war, or other problems that man had faced to that point. Satan used this system to destroy millions of lives, and to hinder the gospel.

This brings us to postmodernism which began to show its face after the second world war. The youth culture looking at these systems of absolute truth, and realizing their utter failure to bring anything but war, famine, and death decided to start formulating a new system. This new system was based on unity, tolerance, and acceptance. College campuses arrested with violence against "the man" (authorities who represented absolute truth). The basic tenet of post-modernism is, since there is no absolute truth we just all need to get along, and get together, and we will usher in a new era of utopia.

The fall of the Berlin wall was the coffin nail in man's search for one absolute truth as mankind realized these systems were not viable. Lets look at some of the major philosophies of post-modernism:

Tolerance- don’t judge anyone’s moral behavior, no matter what it is, because there are no absolute standards of behavior. Christians are viewed as intolerant because we believe that God has given us certain laws, which if not followed will lead to moral chaos and decay of society.

Diversity- the fact that there’s biological diversity in God’s creation is extended to mean that every type of belief and morality is equally valid; we need to have every type of aberrant behavior or special interest group equally represented to avoid any hint of discrimination.

Multiculturalism- all cultures and religions are equally valid; no one of these is better than any other; therefore there is no such thing as absolute truth, but all beliefs are subjective.

Relativism- This is the notion that there are no absolute standards of behavior, because what’s wrong for you may be perfectly normal for someone else. Moral relativism says that it’s okay to do anything you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.

Pragmatism- since there is no absolute objective truth if a particular philosophy works then its good.

Situational Ethics- since there are no absolutes, or black and white the situations one is placed in determines the right course of action.

In conclusion neither of Satan's systems has brought us any closer to a utopian society. There is only one truth and His name is Jesus Christ, and one day in the millenium He will in fact usher in a utopian society, and bring peace on earth. In the mean time let us reject the "prevailing spirit of the age" being peddled through professors, scientist, the news media, and the internet.

Satan's Demonic Hiearchial Millitiary Power Structure Part 1

2009-06-10T06:18:00.001-05:00

Today I would like to talk about Satan's power structure out of Ephesians chapter 6. Sun Tzu said in the art of war that the key to winning is to know thy enemy in Ephesians 6 Paul reveals to us in detail Satan's military hierarchy. The Bible says, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The enemy wants us to be constantly focused on the flesh and blood plain, our family, our spiritual leaders, politicians, anyone but him. and his demons. Paul tells us however that the real war is with terrorists, or evolutionists the war my friends is with the devil, and his minions.

The Bible indicates that there is a power structure, or hierarchy of all angels. Of God's elect angels we see Archangels who seem to be the head of the angels, Seraphim who are angels in charge of worshiping God (Isa. 6:1-7), Cherubim who seem to be guardian angels (Ezekiel 28:14-16), and normal angels who are messengers and servants.

In the preceding verse Paul breaks down Satan's military hierarchy into four ranks: Principalities, Powers, Rulers of the Darkness of this World, and Spiritual Wickedness in High places. I would like to break these down individually so we can get a better idea of what we are up against.

Principalities- The word principality comes from the greek word arche where we get are words like archduke, or archbishop. A principallity can be a word for a princes territory these demons are similiar to Archangels in God's hiearchy. Because these demons are linked with the geopolitical term princes territory these demons are beleive are political in nature. Everything divisive between nations whether building nuclear weapons, or funding terrorist is spurred on by principalities.

A clear example of a Principality is demonstrated in the book of Daniel in chapter 10 where Daniel is praying for the Lord to bring His people back in to the promised land, a highly political prayer by the way. After 21 days of praying an angel shows up, and says, "I had your answer on the first day but the Prince of Persia resisted me." Interesting obviously the actual prince of Persia was not resisting this angel, but rather a demonic principality in charge of bringing about Satan's political agenda in a region. Isn't it interesting that the Prince of Persia, or modern day Iran is still causing political division, controversy, and destruction through President Ahmadinejad.

So what does this tell us about our approach to Satan in matters of political import. Well it would seem according to the Bible that instead of organizing a political rally, or writing a senator, criticizing a world leader, or starting a group on facebook we need to realize are battle is not against flesh and blood. Stop protesting and start praying for our political leaders there are demons tasked with nothing else but to bring Satan's agenda into the political arena. What is his agenda the sames as it is for everything steal, kill, and destroy. The battlefield isn't going to be one in a voting booth, or by conservative talk radio it will only be one on our knees.

Powers- The next kind of demon is Powers which comes from the greek word exousia which means authority these are what I call personal demons. Throughout scripture we see God assigning angels to specific people, even indicating that children have assigned guardian angels (Matthew 18:10). Could it be that each of us has at least one assigned demon to hinder ours, or our families spiritual growth. Worse still what if they have been assigned to your family for thousands of years. That makes them a formidable foe, imagine they have been observing the things that can trip your family up for centuries so they have a headstart on your genetic predispositions, cultural nuances, etc. So if the Fowler family has been succumbing to Beer, or anger or whatever for a 1,000 years then these powers certainly know what to throw at you.

So lets stop fighting with our families, and lets stop attributing all of our failures to natural causes, and realize that there is an enemy out there not just concerened with whole nations, but concern with the destruction of you, and your family. In CS Lewis' in his book Screwtape letters says of our belief in demons, "There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight." So let us realize that there is an enemy but he is not on the flesh and blood plane but on in the heavenlies. Next time we'll cover the other two levels of the hierarchy.

Free E-Book "Done": Carefully Explains the Gospel

2009-06-08T13:16:00.000-05:00

This book was written by Pastor Cary Schmidt, of Lancaster Baptist Church fame. Would make a great witnessing tool.

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How to Pray Part 4

2009-06-05T06:17:00.000-05:00

Today is the last part of the how to pray series of blogs today we will be covering intercession. Ephesians 6:18-19 says, Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

Intercession is an area of prayer that is essential to prayer but often neglected by modern Christians. What is intercession you may ask? Webster’s dictionary defines it as,

A. Intercede - (Latin intercedo: inter - between; ado - to go; literally, to
pass between) to act between parties with a view to reconcile those who
differ or contend; to plead in favor of another; to interpose, to mediate
or make intercession.
B. Mediate - being between two extremes; to interpose between parties at
variance with a view to reconciliation; to mediate a peace.
C. Mediation - “entreaty for another - intercession.”

From this we gather that we as Christians have the awesome privilege of acting as an intermediary between two parties, literally a go between. For lost people you can be the go between begging for their salvation. Paul mentions "All Saints" for saved people you can be a go between asking grace for them even when they are not in a place where they would ask themselves. He also mentions "for me" that is to say our spiritual authority they are constantly under attack, and we can be part of the battle on their behalf. Now lets look at how one of the primary words for intercession is used in the Bible.

The Hebrew word for intercession is paga, which is only translated a few times as intercession in the Old Testament. Yet, when you compare the many different pictures, words, and interpretations of the word paga, you glean many wonderful understandings of what it means to intercede. Paga can mean to meet, to fall upon, attack, strike down, cut down, to strike the mark, laid upon.

To meet - In the context of a meeting intercession can take two paths a meeting with God for the purpose of reconciliation, or a meeting with the enemy as on the battle field. The first path we are meeting with the Lord in an intimate place, we are inquiring of the Lord on behalf of another. Make know mistake about it realities of a persons situation can radically altered in the heavenlies as we meet with God on their behalf. It is in these meetings that God shows us supernatural strategies for reaching the person we are interceding with. Stop chasing that person around, and fretting, and begging them to do right, and start interceding for them.

The second aspect of meeting is that we often meet the powers of darkness in our intercession, because satan is trying to destroy the same people you are interceding for. Dutch Sheets said in his book Intercessory Prayer, “ I am saying, however, that the word for “MEET” is our Hebrew word translated “Intercession”, [PAGA]. Other Hebrew words could have been used, but his one was chosen partly because it often has a very violent connotation. In fact, Paga is frequently a battlefield term.

Keep in mind that preceding Ephesians 6:18 we have a whole chapter dedicated to suiting up a soldier for all out battle with the forces of darkness. Then in verse 18 we ask, "where is this battle we have prepared for", to which Paul replies, "its on your knees!" You see all spiritual battles our won on our knees.

To fall upon, attack, strike down, cut down - The word paga is used in 1 Sam. 22:11-19 and 2 Sam. 1:11-16 of strike down. Intercession is the readiness of a soldier to fall upon or attack the
enemy at the command of his lord, striking and cutting him down! We must not only meet the enemy we must strike down the enemy. We can do this by pleading the Blood of Jesus Christ, praising God for the victory, and commanding the enemy to depart in the Name of Jesus.

To strike the mark - Job 36:32.
Intercession releases the flashing forth of His glory/lightening, directing it to the desired situation and allowing it to strike the mark. By God’s working of grace, our divine “Helper” is standing by, ready to aid us in our intercession, moving us from the natural to the supernatural, from finite ability to infinite ability, taking hold of situations with us so as to accomplish the will of God. Romans 8:26 tells us by ourselves we have an inability to produce results in prayer, or strike the mark, but the Holy Spirit takes hold of situations together with us against the enemy allowing us with His help to have maximum impact on satan's kingdom.

Laid upon - In Isaiah 53:6 our sins are Paga'd (laid upon) Jesus Christ. Intercession
reached its fullest and most profound expression when our sins were “laid upon” Jesus. Jesus was able to fully identify with us, having the totality of our condition placed upon Himself; then as the scapegoat, He carried it far away.

This is the highest form of intercession we can enter into when we have the heart of God for others. Their sin grieves us to the point of groaning, and we intercede with heaviness, and tears that they may repent.

So let us take up the ministry of being a go between in prayer to God on behalf of other believers, and our spiritual authorities. Without intercessors many more soldiers will be wounded in battle than need to be.

How to Pray Part 3

2009-06-04T05:52:00.001-05:00

Continuing on with how to pray in today's post I would like to cover watching, and perserverance in prayer Ephesians 6:18 says,

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Watching thereunto- Watching is an old English word for our word awake, or wakefullness. Etymonline.com says, O.E. wæcce "a watching," from wæccan (see watch (v.)). Sense of "sentinel" is recorded from c.1300; that of "person or group officially patroling a town (esp. at night) to keep order, etc." is first recorded 1539. Sense of "period into which a night was divided in ancient times" translates L. vigilia.

Basically it means praying instead of going asleep. Jesus said to his disciples in His crucial last hours on this earth, "what could ye not watch (be awake, and pray) with me one hour, watch, and pray that ye enter not into temptation. Have you ever found yourself awakened in the middle of the night suddenly, or found yourself unable to go to sleep at night?

Let me assure that God wants you to sleep as a normal rule the Bible says, "He gives his beloved sleep", but make no mistake if God is keeping you up there is a reason. In the Bible there are two Greek words for time Chronos time that is a generic or uncertain time then their is Kairos time which is God perfect or opportune time for something. God wants to involve his perfect timing on this earth for major events, and his omniscient Spirit will take your sleep occasionaly to involve you in His plan. That's what Jesus was saying to His disciples, "boys were coming to a Kairos moment in history, and I want you to partner with me in bring it to pass through be awake, and praying.

Can you believe it? God almighty wants to partner with you in key moments in history to bring his will to pass by your prayers! So next time you can't sleep don't take a vallum, don't count sheep say, "OK Lord I'm here what, or who would you have me pray for." God in His sovereignty might know that your teenage daughter snuck out, and is about to lose her purity, or that a missionary is about to lose their life hald way around the world. Maybe he is about to do something great in the political arena, or wants to give you a breakthrough in health, or finances. Dear friend don't attribute your sleeplessness to natural causes God is saying to you, "Son or daughter I wan't to partner with you in prayer." Let us begin to ask God what he would have us pray for, and we will see awesome things come to pass.

With all perserverance- A simple definition of perserverance is don't give up till you get what your after. In prayer so many times we don't see answers because we stop short of the goal line, and say, "oh yah I tried that prayer thing it doesn't work." Well of course it doesn't work you're a quitter. The old timers called perserverance "praying through" us new timers don't call it anything because we give up if God doesn't answer immediately.

You say well if God is our Father, and wants to bless us why doesn't he answer immediatley every time. Well there are at least four answers to that question. The first is that we are in a battle, and as you "war on your knees" there is realities going on in the heavenlies that you can't see. For instance when Daniel was praying for God to release Israel back to their homeland he had to pray for 21 days to get the answer. After 21 days an angel appeared and said, "Daniel your prayer was answered on day one, but a demonic principality resisted me for these 21 days" We wouldn't have got our answer because we have quit in un belief before the 21 days was over. Make no mistake God will not work in theaters of unbelief.

The second reason God waits to answer is that sometimes this is the only way he ever hears from us is when we need something. You see God is our daddy, and if he has to delay an answer to hear from His kids make no mistake He will. The third reason is that God won't give us something that will hurt us, or were not ready for you. So you ask God for financial prosperity, and then God allows tragedy in your life. So you say to God, "I asked for money, and you gave me trial!" God is inevitably saying back to you, "The moneys coming, but you can't handle yet so I'm sending a trial to mature you so you can have your request without it destroying your faith."

The fourth reason God doesn't answer is that He's God! He is sovereign he knows the perfect Kairos time to bring something to pass. Will you keep praying, or is God some cosmic Santa Clause, and when you don't get your "toy" in your time you'll say I dont' believe in Santa Clause anymore.

In closing on perserverance an illustration from my Gramma is appropriate. When her son was in his twenties, and with out Christ he enlisted to the Vietnam War. She asked her pastor what can I do to see my son saved. He gave her an action plan which included pray for 1 hour a day till he's saved. So she did year 1 nothing, year 2 nothing, year 3 nothing, 10 long years every day 1 hour nothing. Then at the end of 10 years God told my uncle its the getting saved time, or its the dying time, your choice. My uncle pulled his car over, accepted Christ, and was greatly used of God for many years. So don't don't go take a sleeping pill, and don't give up on God in your prayer.

How to Pray Part 2

2009-06-03T05:49:00.000-05:00

Continuing on in Ephesians 6:18 which says,
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Supplication- Supplication is the specific part of prayer called petition this is the most engaged in part of prayer for most Christians this is asking God for your needs to be met. Prayer can incorporate worship, praise, and thanks giving but supplication is limited to petition or asking.

Supplication involves heart attitude the meaning of the word supplicate has the sense of bending the knees, or humbly, but passionately entreating an authority for a specific request. Our heart attitude, and passion is essential when we are praying James 5 tells us, the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.The definite article "the" tell us this a specific kind of prayer that moves the heart of God. Another way to say this the The heartfelt, and passionate prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available dynamic in its working. How much passion is in your praying? The Bible full of examples of particular needs met after passionate supplication to God.

In the Spirit- The next issue that Paul addresses for effective prayer is praying in the Spirit. Now this phrase may have a negative connotation for you because of certain denominations slant on this. Let me say this is not "praying in tongues" in fact it often does not involve language at all. Like anything in the Christian life you our either in the flesh, or in the Spirit, and the difference has eternal ramifications. So praying in the Spirit is just really saying God is in charge of my prayer life, it is a prayer that is God led, God inspired, God empowered, and thus God answered.

A great place to start for a deeper understanding of this truth is Romans 8:26 which says,
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Before I explain the meaning of this verse it may be helpful to show what it looks like in the greek. This verse could be thus stated, In the same way the Spirit empowers our inability to produce results: because we do not what to pray for as we should but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us using the heart ramblings we have trouble expressing.

Lets look at this phrase by phrase,
the Spirit empowers our inability to produce results-
You see the prayer made from our flesh just like anything else done in the flesh fails to produce results everytime. But thanks be to God who has provided us a partner to take our feeble efforts, and produce prayers that move the heart of God, and produce results every time.

because we do not what to pray for as we should-
The "we" of this verse includes the Apostle Paul he said simply I don't know what to pray for. If Paul didn't know what to pray for we can be confident that we have no idea what to pray for. Well why is this important you ask? 1 John 5:14 says, that if we pray things according to the will of God number one God will hear us, and number two he will give us the answer to our prayer.

So if you want you prayers answered you better determine what is the will of God, but hoew does one determine the will of God? There are two ways number one the word of God that is the will of God cover to cover, number two God himself can reveal through the Spirit the will of God. So by all means use scripture when you are praying, and by all means ask the Holy Spirit what should I pray for. The prayer that the Holy Spirit guides you to pray is the prayer God answers everytime. So sometimes put away the sacred Santa, er, I mean prayer list, and ask God what, or who should I pray for today, and shutup and actually listen to what he has to say. Two way communication almost sounds like a relationship to me.

the Spirit himself makes intercession for us using the heart ramblings we have trouble expressing-
Have you ever had the feeling that you desperately needed Gods help, but you can't quite put into words what you are feeling. This can be so frustrating especially when you feel like if you don't get this expressed right God will never answer. Never fear once again the Holy Spirit is here He can take the ramblings that we have trouble expressing, and turn them into beautiful symphonies of prayer that are music to God's ears. In fact you don't even have to say words to get your prayers answered, and often thats the best thing you can do shutup and just lift your heart to God, John Bunyan said, "In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart."

We have so many Christians rattling off demands to God like an auctioneer when they should be listening to His heart. Saying what should I pray for, when should I pray, how long should I pray, and how should I pray. Lets stop focusing on lists, and words, and methods in prayer, and starting letting God lead in the prayer closet.

How to Pray Part 1

2009-06-02T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today I want to address one of my favorite topics, prayer. Prayer is so awesome that if I ever backslide I probably will still pray regularly after 6 months of not reading my Bible. Prayer is absolutely essential for the Christian, because Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship. Prayer is how we talk to God, and no relationship will be very strong without talking to the person we are trying to have a relationship with. Martin Luther said, "to be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Many Christians sadly never really get to enjoy a relationship with God because they never talk to God.

Ephesians lays out one of the clearest outlines in the Bible for what prayer is. In the next
couple of posts I will explain how we can all have can have the amazing conversational life with God that he intends for us. Ephesians 6:18-19 says,

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,"

Praying Always-
The first secret to prayer is just actually doing it, it's amazing how little Christians pray. Consider this 1 hour in prayer is only 4% of your day, and yet how many Christians do you know who spend an hour a day in prayer. According to the Nielsen Media Research Organization the average American spends 4 hours and 13 minutes a day watching tv, but according to the Barna Group the average American Christian spends 4 minutes a day in prayer.

We have no problem watching a 3 hour movie, but to pray for even a few minutes is such a chore. The thing to remember is that prayer is just talking to God its a conversation just like any other we have, and so we can talk to God all day even if its just in our hearts. So today try to spend more time talking to your heavenly Daddy, and don't just talk, but pause and listen to what He is saying back.

With all Prayer
Prayer is a whole lot more then just asking for stuff, and so Paul tells us to use all kinds of prayer. Lets think about some of the different kinds of prayer.

Worship- Worship comes from the old english word worthship, and simply means ascribing worth to God. In worship we adore God, and praise His attributes, His Character, His Actions etc. For instance we might praise God for His holiness, or His creation, His work in someones life, His provision for us etc. Worship can be inspired by looking at his creation thus making praying outside a great idea. It can also be inspired by studying God's attributes in the Bible, or by meditating on His actions in your life, and others lives.

Confession- Confession is also an essential part of prayer. Christians with unconfessed sin in their lives don't have clear lines of communication with God. All good relationships require openess, and willingness to confess wrong our relationship with God is no different.

Thanksgiving- James tells us that every good, and perfect gift comes from God, because God is our daddy He loves giving us good things. Like any daddy He likes it when His children are thankful for His provision. So start thanking God for everything in your life, thank Him when things are going good in your opinion Hosea says pray for the rain when it already raining. Thank Him when things are going bad in your opinion, the Bible says in everything give thanks. You see God is perfectly good, and is working all things together for god for you (Romans 8:28). So whether it looks good or not you must trust that it is all good, it is all a perfect gift, and thank God for it.

Supplication- Supplication simply means petition or simply put asking God for things that you need or want. John R. Rice always said prayer is asking. Supplication is asking God for his provision more on this later.

Intercession- Intercession is like supplication, but instead of our own needs we are asking God to move on behalf of others. Intercession is one of the most unselfish forms of prayer, and certainly the most hated by Satan.

I will cover these various aspects of prayer in more depth in future posts, but for now make a commitment to talk to God more throughout the day, and let Him talk to you. Also employ these various kinds of prayer in your prayer arsenal.

The Virtous Woman: Proverbs 31

2009-05-31T23:25:00.000-05:00

This post is in honor of my beautiful, and godly wife who's life inspires poetry in my soul. On occasion on the 31st day of the month as I'm reading Proverbs 31 I turn it into a poem about my wife and give it to her this is one that I wrote for her some time ago.

“A hymn to my wife”
Based on the life of Kathy my Proverbs 31 woman

A good woman is hard to find,
and worth far more than a diamond mine.

Her husband trusts her without hesitation,
and never has reason for lamentation.

No spite can be found in her mind or her tongue
She treats him generously her whole life long.

She shops for the best yarns and cotton
Her families clothing needs are never forgotten

She brings surprises from places faraway
She’s up before dawn, preparing her day

She always has an eye for investment
She saves, she plans, she makes every payment

First thing in the morning, she dresses for employment,
Getting things done brings her great enjoyment

She’s skilled in all the arts of homemaking
She’s quick to assist anyone who’s wanting

Her family always is nicely attired
Her fashion sense leaves nothing to be desired

Because of her character her husband is respected
Her godly example leads him to be promoted

When she speaks she has something to say,
and she always says it in the kindest way.

She keeps an eye on her entire dwelling
and keeps them all fruitful and hard-working

Her children respect and bless her grace
her husband joins in with words of praise:

Many women have done wonderful things,
but you’ve outclassed them all in everything

Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
This woman should be admired and praised

This woman who lives in the Fear-of-GOD.
Deserves your gifts, your glory, and laud

Don't Be a Stupid Baby Part 2

2009-05-27T22:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the stupid baby analogy another time when Bobby cries is when he has a dirty diaper. This is a good illustration for our fellowship with Christ we to can get dirty with sin, and hinder our fellowship. But you ask how does a believer made righteous by Christ, and actually having Christ righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) ever sever fellowship with God? The answer is that Positionally you are always in Christ, always righteous, always seated in the heavenlies etc, but practically you are every moment yielding to one of two positions that of being IN Christ or in the flesh. IN Christ whats true of Jesus is true of you, in the flesh whats true of the man in Romans 3 is true of you, and you can't please God.

In Christ we have perfect fellowship with the Father just like Jesus has (John 10:30). However in the flesh we have no fellowship with God because we have entered into an adulterous relationship with another lover. Imagine that you called your spouse from another lovers house and said "I would like to have fellowship with you spouse." Now most likely the other spouse will look at the caller id, and start swearing, or hangup. But assuming that they are forgiving as God is forgiving, and long for a relationship with you as God longs for a relationship with you they are still not going to just say, "ok, lets fellowship."

There is still the small matter that you are abiding or in the position of the adulterous lover's house (the flesh). So the spouse will say, "we can have fellowship if you choose to break this adulterous relationship, and ask forgiveness." Then and only then can the spouses have fellowship, and abide in the same house (IN Christ). So that brings us back to Bobby not being a stupid baby he will not allow himself to remain in a position of filth, but inevitably will takes the steps of action to be clean. God to has given us the means to maintain unbroken fellowship with Him. 1 John 1:7-9 says, But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

These verses outline two steps for unbroken fellowship number one in verse seven is a willful decision to walk in the light, or in another words abide(live) in the same house with my true lover Christ the Light. Number two in verse nine should I find myself in the arms of another (the flesh) I will immediately confess my sin, and receive the restoration of fellowship from God. Don't be a stupid baby and ask for help if you get dirty.

Don't Be a Stupid Baby Part 1

2009-05-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

I know every parent thinks that their baby is the smartest baby on the planet. I'm no exception I really think Bobby is exceptionally smart. As I have meditated on it lately I have noticed a great deal that we can learn from a smart baby like bobby that we can apply to our Christian lives. How you ask? Well the Bible compares developing Christians to babies, and children, and God as our father. By looking at what makes a smart baby cry out to his parents we too can be smart babies. The following our some reasons that Bobby cries out to his daddy.

1. He’s Hungry
Bobby has a tremendous appetite for food, and when he hungry he has a habit of crying out for food. 1 Peter 2:2 tells us, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. The word of God is a key element for us to grow up in God be strong Christians. If you do not have a daily hunger for the word then be a smart baby and cry to God for him to make you hungry, and to show you things from the Bible that "feed" you.

Babies that are not hungry are said to have a failure to thrive, and yet I think many Christians have this failure, and that is why we are so fleshly. The word of God is:

A bath that cleans us up (Eph. 5:25-33 John 17:19)
A mirror that show us to ourselves (James 1:22-25)
A fire that melts our hardened heart (Jeremiah 23:29)
A surgical knife that divides our soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12)

Don't be a stupid baby fulfill your hunger with the Word of God.

2. He’s Hurt
Another things that makes Bobby cry for his parents is when he hurts himself. Just about 100 times a day Bobby goes somewhere he should not, or climbs on something he shouldn't , and hurts himself. He has no problem letting us know he's hurt.

Unfortunately the American Christians have been trained to be stupid babies and so we don't cry out when were hurt. From John Wayne telling us to be a tough cowboy to preachers telling us just to forget our past we have Christians everywhere with open festering emotional wounds denying that anything is wrong. God didn't just come to take you to heaven he came that you might have an abundant life there is nothing particularly abundant about Christians who are wounded, mean, and addicted to prescription drugs.

Jesus Christ is The Light and The Balm as the Light he reveals the pain as the Balm he heals but as long as we cover our wounds with the superficial bandaid of forgetting or ignoring he can't reveal, and he can't heal. We must cry out and ask his help to heal. Below is a multistep process for involving Jesus in your emotional healing process.

The first step is to ACKNOWLEDGE the need for healing. For us to receive the healing of emotional wounds, we must first acknowledge that we are hurting (Matthew 9:10-13, Revelation 3:17). Many of us have lied to ourselves as well as to others. We have said, "I'm really O.K." or "It really doesn't matter that much."

The second step is to LOCATE the cause of the pain. In the physical realm, we may have a pain in our legs, but the cause may be a pinched nerve in the spine. To operate on the legs would be the wrong procedure. A youth may have severe problems getting along with his peers at school, when the real source of the pain is from an abusive stepparent at home. A wife may feel enormous pain every time her husband disciplines one of the children. However, the pain she feels may originate from her own emotional wounds as a child.

We may unconsciously associate one hurt with another. Furthermore, time itself, does not heal hurts. Only God does! Therefore, with each new conflict, we pick up additional baggage. It is therefore important that we locate and separate each painful experience. This is the work of the Holy Spirit (Psalm 139:23-24).

The third step is to CLEANSE the wound. If you received a deep wound in your hand and you left the wound open, it would sooner or later get contaminated and infected. The same is true in the emotional area. Emotional hurts are an open wound for unforgiveness, anger, bitterness, depression, and anxiety to enter. The Bible implies that we may "give place to the devil" when we are angry longer than one day (Ephesians 4:26-31). Therefore, these critters may be more than just harmful emotions, they may also be evil spirits (Matthew 18:34).

For cleansing to occur, (1) we must forgive those who have offended us, (2) ask God for to forgive and cleanse us (I John 1:9) for our unforgiveness, (3) yield that area unto the Lord, (4) request that God restore our soul (Psalm 23:3) in the area yielded to the enemy, and (5) use the name of Jesus to drive out the enemy.

The fourth step is to Accept HEALING of the hurt. God gives us two distinct pictures of healing in Scripture. One picture is that of God calling off the enemy (Deuteronomy. 7:15). This picture relates to the cleansing of the wound. The other picture is one of mending the net (Exodus 15:26).

After the physician cleanses the victim's wound, he sews it up so that it will not become contaminated again. Forgiveness opens the door to freedom, but forgiveness is not healing. Without our receiving healing, the wound again becomes contaminated. However, when God mends the wound, He also heals the wound.

We may receive healing by (1) understanding that Jesus suffered all kinds of emotional hurts (Isaiah 53:3) and that he became a hurt substitute (Isaiah 53:4) for us , and (2) believing that Jesus was sent to heal the broken hearted (Luke 4:18), and (3) asking in faith for that healing. When God heals the wound, we may recall the experience without being flooded by the pain.

The fifth step is to STRENGTHEN the weak area. Again, in the physical, the area around the wound may remain weak even after the healing occurs. This is also true of emotional wounds. The enemy will try to get us to focus our thoughts (II Corinthians 10:4-5) on the event that brought the hurt. If this occurs, we may mentally pick at the area until we have opened a new wound.

Therefore, it is critical that we strengthen that area by applying the Word of God. (1) We need to see that God had a purpose in allowing us to be wounded (Genesis. 50:20). (2) We need to see that God can work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). (3) We need to come to rejoice in the Lord over the experience (Philippians. 4:4). (4) We need to develop and share our testimony with others (Revelation 12:11).

163 I Am's of Who We Are in Christ

2009-05-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

What happened to us when we became a believer is an amazing but often misunderstood subject. One of those things is that Christ saved us to exchange His life for ours (Gal. 2:20). The Bible shows us over and over who we are in Christ, and as we understand these things, and yield to them by faith we can experience great victory in our Christian life.

The following list is not exhaustive, but gives 163 statements of who I am in Christ. Take some time to meditate on these, thanking God for them, and yielding to them. Hopefully you will soon find yourself on shouting ground!

1. I am poor in spirit and the kingdom of heaven belongs to me. Mt 5:3, Lu 6:20
2. I am being comforted in all of my mourning. Mt 5:4, Lu 6:21
3. I am meek and shall inherit the earth. Mt 5:5
4. I am hungering and thirsting after righteousness and shall be filled. Mt 5:6, Lu 6:21
5. I am merciful and shall obtain mercy. Mt 5:7
6. I am pure in heart and I shall see God. Mt 5:8
7. I am a peacemaker and I shall be called a son of God. Mt 5:9
8. I am persecuted for righteousness sake and the kingdom of heaven belongs to me. Mt 5:10, Lu 6:22
9. I am the salt of the earth. Mt 5:13
10. I am the light of the world. Mt 5:14-16, Lu 11:33
11. I am finding rest for my soul by taking Christ’s yoke and learning of Him. Mt 11:28-29
12. I am Jesus’ mother and brother. Mt 12:48-49, Lu 8:21
13. I am rejoicing because my name is written in heaven. Lu 10:20
14. I am seeing with blessed eyes what angels and prophets have longed to see. Lu 10:23
15. I am more blessed by hearing the word of God and keeping it. Lu 11:28
16. I am blessed by watching for my Master’s return. Lu 12:37-38
17. I am my brother’s keeper. Gen 4:9
18. I am able to see and hear the word of God. Mt 13:16
19. I am a good seed, a son of the kingdom. Mt 13:38
20. I am blessed from the Father with the revelation of Jesus Christ. Mt 16:17
21. I am hearing the beloved Son of God in whom the Father is well pleased. Mt 17:5
22. I am converted to become as a little child to enter into the kingdom. Mt 18:3
23. I am going to be like an angel of God in the resurrection. Mt 22:30, Mr 12:25, Lu 20:36
24. I am accompanied by Jesus Christ unto the end of the age in obedience to the Great Commission. Mt 28:20
25. I am knowing the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Mr 4:11
26. I am possessing a heart of good ground for the word of God that bears 100 fold. Mr 4:20, Lu 8:15
27. I am believing all things are possible to me. Mr 9:23, 10:27
28. I am able to drink Christ’s cup and be baptized with His baptism. Mr 10:38-39
29. I am rendering unto God the things that be God’s. Mr 12:17
30. I am healed of a broken heart. Lu 4:18
31. I am set free from captivity. Lu 4:18
32. I am seeing and no longer blind. Lu 4:18
33. I am set at liberty from being oppressed. Lu 4:18
34. I am feasting on living bread forever. John 6:51
35. I am walking in the light of life. John 8:12
36. I am not dying in my sins. John 8:24
37. I am saved by the Good Shepherd. John 10:9
38. I am finding good pasture led by the Good Shepherd. John 10:4-9
39. I am having life more abundantly. John 10:10
40. I am protected from wolves by the Good Shepherd. John 10:11
41. I am getting to know the Good Shepherd. John 10:14
42. I am living after I die. John 11:25
43. I am honored by the Father. John 12:26
44. I am awaiting my Bridegroom’s return to take me to the honeymoon palace He has prepared for me. John 14:3
45. I am coming to the Father through Jesus the way, truth, and life. John 14:6
46. I am able to do the works of Christ and greater. John 14:12
47. I am knowing that Jesus is in the Father and I am in Him and He is in me. John 14:20
48. I am a branch of Jesus bearing much fruit. John 15:5, Ps 1:3, Pr 11:30, Pr 18:20-21, Heb 13:15, Lu 8:15, John 4:36, John 15:16, Ga 5:22
49. I am blessed by following my Lord’s example in service. John 13:17
50. I am already clean because of Jesus’ word spoken to me. John 15:3
51. I am Jesus’ friend by doing whatever he commands me. John 15:14
52. I am crucified with Christ, Jesus lives in me and gives me His faith. Ro 6:6, 2 Co 4:10-11, Ga 2:20
53. I am the Father’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. Eph 2:10, Phil 2:13
54. I am indwelt by the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead. Romans 8:10
55. I am helped by the Lord who is my strength and shield. Ps 28:7
56. I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. Ps 52:8
57. I am God’s servant. Ps 116:16, Ps 119:125, Ps 143:12
58. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Ps 139:14
59. I am a companion of all who fear God and those who keep His precepts. Ps 119:63
60. I am His. Ps 119:94
61. I am a stranger in the earth. Ps 119:19
62. I am holy. 1 Pe 1:16, Ps 86:2
63. I am continually with God. Ps 73:23, Ps 139:18
64. I am pure from my sin. Pr 20:9
65. I am lovesick to be with Jesus. So 2:5, 5:8
66. I am my Beloved’s and He is mine, His desire is toward me, He feeds among the lilies. Song 2:16, So 6:3, So 7:10
67. I am the Lord’s. Isa 44:5
68. I am called by Your name, O Lord God of Hosts. Jer 15:16
69. I am strong. Joel 3:10
70. I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord. Mic 3:8
71. I am baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit. Mt 3:11
72. I am ready to die for the Lord Jesus. Ac 21:13
73. I am saved. Ac 2:21, Ac 4:12, Ac 16:31, Ro 5:9-10, Ro 10:9-13
74. I am one of Jesus’ disciples indeed. John 8:31
75. I am untroubled. John 14:1, 14:27
76. I am believing. John 14:1, 20:27
77. I am reconciled to God. Ro 5:10
78. I am peaceful. John 14:27, 16:33
79. I am not afraid. John 14:27
80. I am joyful. John 15:11, 1John 1:4, John 16:24
81. I am cheerful. John 16:33
82. I am prayed for by the Son of God. John 17:9, Heb 7:25
83. I am kept by the power of God, one with the Father and the Son. John 17:11, 17:21-23
84. I am one with---compassionate, tender hearted, courteous and like-minded toward fellow Christians. John 17:11, Ro 15:5, 1Pe 3:8, 1 Cor 1:10, 12:25, Phil 3:16
85. I am given the glory of Jesus Christ. John 17:22
86. I am loved by the Father perfectly as He loves the Son. John 17:23-26
87. I am anxious for nothing. Phil 4:6
88. I am not my own, I was bought with a price. John 17:10
89. I am not of the world. John 15:19, 17:14-16
90. I am sanctified by the truth. John 17:19, Acts 20:32
91. I am going to be with Christ to behold His glory. John 17:24
92. I am of the truth and hearing His voice. John 18:37
93. I am blessed by not having seen Jesus and yet believing. John 20:29
94. I am His witness through the power of the Holy Spirit. Lu 24:48-49, Ac 1:8
95. I am the offspring of God, in him I live and move and have my being. Ac 17:28-29
96. I am called to be a saint. Ro 1:6-7
97. I am a debtor to all men. Ro 1:14
98. I am ready to preach the gospel. Ro 1:15
99. I am not ashamed of the gospel. Ro 1:16
100. I am a wretched carnal man, sold under sin, apart from the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Ro 7:14, 7:24
101. I am inseparable from the love of God. Ro 8:38-39
102. I am a saint of God. Ro 1:7, 1Cor 1:2
103. I am justified by faith in the blood of Jesus. Ro 3:24, 5:1, 5:9, 8:30, 1 Cor 6:11, Gal 2:16, 3:24
104. I am saved from the wrath of God through Jesus. Gal 2:16
105. I am glorified. Ro 8:17, 8:30, 2 Th 1:10-12
106. I am dead to sin, but alive to God. Ro 6:11, 6:6
107. I am spiritually minded and have life and peace. Ro 8:6
108. I am a child of God and an heir and a joint heir with Christ. Ro 8:17, Eph 3:6, Jas 2:5
109. I am rich in faith. Jas 2:5
110. I am predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Ro 8:29
111. I am a son of the Living God. Ro 9:26
112. I am what I am by the grace of God. 1Co 15:10
113. I am weak to be strong. 2Co 12:10
114. I am nothing. 2Co 12:11
115. I am a chaste virgin to be presented to Christ. 2Co 11:2
116. I am exceedingly joyful in all my tribulations. 2Co 7:4
117. I am not nor will I ever be ashamed. Ro 10:11, 1Pe 2:6, 1Jo 2:28
118. I am grafted into Israel’s olive tree. Ro 11:19
119. I am not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of my mind. Ro 12:2, Eph 4:23
120. I am full of goodness and knowledge and able to admonish others. Ro 15:14
121. I am wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. Ro 16:19
122. I am not deceived. 1Co 6:9, 1Co 15:33, Lu 21:8, Ga 6:7, Jas 1:16
123. I am never tempted above what I am able to bear. 1Co 10:13
124. I am mature in understanding. 1Co 14:20
125. I am a babe when it comes to malice. 1 Co 14:20
126. I am made alive in Christ. 1Co 15:22
127. I am holy and without blame before Him in love. Eph 1:4, 1Pe 1:15-16, Eph 5:27
128. I am without blemish. Eph 5:27
129. I am to the praise of His glory. Eph 1:12
130. I am strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. Eph 3:16
131. I am steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. 1Co 15:58
132. I am brave and strong. 1Co 16:13
133. I am comforted in all my tribulation through God’s comfort in order that I might comfort others. 2Co 1:4
134. I am manifesting the dying and the living of the Lord Jesus. 2Co 4:10-11
135. I am able to comprehend the full extent of the love of Christ. Eph 3:18-19
136. I am filled with the Spirit. Eph 5:18
137. I am strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Eph 6:10
138. I am able to stand against the devil’s attacks wearing the armor of God. Eph 6:11-16
139. I am righteous. Phil 3:9
140. I am with the God of peace. Phil 4:9
141. I am content in whatever state I am. Phil 4:11,Heb 13:5, 1 Ti 6:8
142. I am qualified to be a partaker of the inheritance. Col 1:12
143. I am ruled by the peace of God. Col 3:15
144. I am thankful. Col 3:15
145. I am watchful and sober. 1Th 5:6
146. I am of the day. 1Th 5:8
147. I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him. 2 Ti 1:12
148. I am complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2Ti 3:17, Jas 1:4
149. I am patient as a farmer. Jas 5:7-8, 1Th 5:14
150. I am saved to the uttermost. Heb 7:25
151. I am healed. Jas 5:16
152. I am the first fruits of God’s creatures. Jas 1:18
153. I am swift to hear and slow to speak, slow to wrath. Jas 1:19
154. I am serious and watchful in prayers. 1Pe 4:7
155. I am hospitable without grumbling. 1Pe 4:9
156. I am submissive and humble. 1Pe 5:5
157. I am vigilant and sober. 1Pe 5:8
158. I am a partaker of the Divine nature having escaped the world’s corruption through God’s exceeding great and precious promises. 2Pe 1:4
159. I am a child of God destined to be like Christ. 1John 3:1-2
160. I am prospering in all things and in good health. 3John 1:2
161. I am fearlessly faithful unto death and will be given the crown of life. Re 2:10
162. I am rich, clothed, and seeing. Re 3:18
163. I am blessed and holy, a priest and king with Jesus. Re 20:6

In Spirit and in Truth

2009-05-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

Today I was reading in my greek New Testament when I was struck by repetition of the word Zetai (Seek). When talking to the woman at the well Jesus states that the father is seeking (zetai) worshippers who will worship in Spirit and in Truth. Then when the disciples came they wandered why he was talking to a samaritan woman, but none of the disciples dared ask him what seekest (zetai) thou. Jesus was seeking the same thing God has been seeking since the Garden intimate two way communication with his creation. Christ mission was to restore what was lost in the Garden which was the spirit. When mans spirit died in the garden he could no longer communicate clearly with God. So you only had mostly truth worshippers those who followed the law (truth). Thank God that Christ has restored our ability to not just worship him in truth, but also in spirit.

This is a great problem in the Church today there is one sect who want to be merely rules (truth) based in their approach to God, but meanwhile neglecting an intimate relationship (Spirit) with God. Then there are those who are actively seeking an intimate relationship, but neglecting obedience to God's truth the Bible. True balance in the Christian life will be found when we seek (zetai) to approach God in spirit (relationship) and truth (rules).

Fruit That Remains

2009-05-16T16:25:00.000-05:00

Today I saw a former RU Men's Home student at a local men's addiction's home he is running. He gave me a full tour of the facility which is basically 16 guys packed into a Church till they buy a men's home. I have often Prayed for Jesus, but this was the first time I knew that he was doing well. The point is that we really can't judge who's goona make it or who's saved. God is working in peoples lives, and it will surprise us when we realize all of the fruit that remains.

Why The Journey?

2007-07-12T21:12:00.001-05:00

"Life is a journey, not a destination." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you have stumbled across this blog you may be wondering what is the significance of the title The Journey? The simple answer is one of Satan's greatest ploys in our life is to get us so busy, and so focused on particular destinations that we fail to enjoy the things God wants to do now. For instance you may feel a call to ministry, and so you say well I need to go to Bible College, and maybe you do. However if your not careful you always be saying when I finish Bible college I'll. lead people to Christ, have a great prayer life...

Friends God wants you to stop and smell the roses, and enjoy the blessings of where he has you right now. I often hear unmarried men talk about marriage as if it is a prerequisite for being used by God, and I always challenge that they have more time, and flexibility to invest in ministry then they ever will when their married. So that is the point of this blog topics on family, prayer, spiritual growth, etc. that will help us live our best life for God on The Journey of life.

"The Journey"
Ours is a journey authored by God
None else has traveled the path we trod

To others it seems but a winding path
It doesn’t check out according to math

But they haven’t seen the invisible pen
Who’s stories exceed the thoughts of men

Our journey will end with victory won
The author proclaiming my children, well done

-Will Fowler

Sermons

2007-07-10T23:45:00.000-05:00