The hidden epidemic- PRIDE 2

The other day we talked about the epidemic of pride and its characteristics. Today we will discuss how to deal with pride when you are exalted. These are the things that I try to do.

I have to first remind myself that I am utterly dependent on God for my origin and for my present and future existence. I call this to mind and ponder its truth.

I remember that I am by nature a depraved sinner and that, in all my sinning, I have treated God with contempt, preferring other things to his glory. I take stock that I have never done a good deed for which I don’t need to repent. Each one is flawed because perfection is commanded. Therefore I realize that God owes me nothing but pain in this life and the next.

I ponder that this condition of mine is so desperate that it could only be remedied at the cost of the horrid death of the Son of God, to bear my punishment and provide my righteousness. And I revel in the forgiveness and righteousness that is mine in Christ.

I meditate on those Scriptures that say, “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,” (1 Peter 5:5-6; see James 4:6-10). And, “He who is least among you all is the one who is great” (Luke 9:48; Mark 9:35; Matthew 20:26).

I pray that the eyes of my heart would see these biblical truths for what they really are.

I ask God to make me not just see them but also feel them with a sense of the meekness and lowliness and brokenness that corresponds to their true weight.

I have to renounce desires for praise and notoriety and esteem when I see them rising. I say, “No! In the name of Jesus get out of my head!” And I turn my mind afresh with prayer toward the beauty and truth and worth of Christ.

I receive all criticism—from friend or foe—with the assumption that there is almost certainly some truth in it that I can benefit from. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19).

We have to strive to cultivate a joy in Christ and his wisdom and power and justice and love that is more satisfying than the pleasures of human praise, with the goal that, by the Spirit, we will be granted the miracle of self-forgetfulness in the admiration of Christ, and in love toward people.

Remain blessed

The hidden epidemic- PRIDE

Pride is defined as- conceited, arrogant, haughtiness, or to have an excessively high opinion of oneself. Pride is a sin that deceives. It's effects are found everywhere, even in the church, in the pulpit as well as the pews, from the top to the bottom of society. Pride is the reason that many will not respond to Christ. Pride is a sin that deceives people. It is the chief cause of strife. Pride is a sense of superiority over others. As long as you are proud you cannot know God, you will not acknowledge the Lordship of Christ in your life. Pride alienates you from others. You judge others and deem them lower than yourself.

The sin of pride is a preoccupation with self. It is thus very fitting that the middle letter in the word is "i." Pride is all about "me, myself, and I." So even as the word "pride" is centered upon an "i," the sin itself is also centered upon "I." We read of Lucifer's fall, "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit." Satan's hostility against God began with "I". And so it is with us. If you are preoccupied with yourself, you are suffering from the sin of pride.

One way to determine whether or not you are preoccupied with yourself is to evaluate your motives. Take the pursuit knowledge for example. If you study hard because that's what the Lord wants you to do and you're being obedient to Him, that's good. That's obedience to God. Or if you study hard because you want to become a teacher so that you can edify others and help them to grow, that's good too. That's love for others. But if you study hard solely to amass knowledge for yourself, just so you can say that you know more than everyone else, that's bad! Your focus is upon yourself and your own glory. That's preoccupation with self. That's pride. And if this is the case for you, not only are you already suffering from pride, you're setting yourself up to be totally consumed by it! The Apostle Paul wasn't joking when he said, "Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."And anyone who is ever been there will tell you, knowledge for the wrong reasons (i.e. personal glory) will lead to a proud heart and hostility against God.

So how do we fight against the sin of pride? First we need to recognize that we have a problem. And this might be the hardest part, because as we have seen pride skews our perception of reality. It lies to us. It says to us, "You don't have a problem with pride; you're not being proud, you're just being honest with yourself! You are better than everyone else and you deserve all the glory. You've established yourself by your wisdom and your might. You, you, you…" And it feels good. It's hard to see the truth when your own heart is lying to you - wooing you with approval. It's hard to stop and think for a minute, "No, I'm not worth more than anyone else, God loves us all the same and His opinion is the only one that really matters. And as for my glory, to God be all praise and glory! I didn't establish myself by my wisdom and might, I've just used the gifts which God gave me to do that for which He gave them to me in the first place! I am an unprofitable servant; I've only done that which was my duty to do." Luke 17:10

It's hard to humble yourself like that when you're stuck in pride. And it's hard to see the truth when you're lying to yourself. So you're going to need help. The Lord says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." Jeremiah 17:9-10. Your heart might be able to trick you, but it can't trick God!

So the very first thing to do is to get on your knees and pray. Say with David, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" Psalm 139:23-24. Ask God for mercy. Cry out with David, "Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin" Psalm 51:1-2. By asking for God's help you're actually humbling yourself before Him and God will honor that. The Scripture says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." This isn't just a warning to the proud; it's a promise to the humble. If you humble yourself before God in prayer, God will pour His grace upon you. And while sin might be able to overcome you, it's no match for God's awesome power. So pray. Pray, pray, pray. That's the first step. By praying you're, not only are you petitioning God to intercede on your behalf, which He'll do by His grace if you're sincere, you're actually combating the sin of pride yourself by humbling yourself before God, humility being the opposite of pride. It's like fighting fire with water.

The next thing to do after God starts to show you areas where you're proud is to fight it mentally. When you experience a sudden pang of pride and you recognize it for what it is, mentally expose it. Admit to yourself that you're being proud and ask the Lord to forgive you. Say, "I'm just being proud; Lord, please forgive me."

The third and final thing to do is to tell your brothers and sisters in Christ that you're struggling with pride and ask them to pray for you. "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much James 5:16

So in summary, the sin of pride manifests itself in selfish motives, an exaggerated ego, a low opinion of others, and disrespect for God. It can lead to other sins against God. For example: robbing God of the glory He is due, and it can and does distort your perception of reality. We fight pride by humbling ourselves before God in prayer, asking Him to reveal the pride hidden in our hearts, acknowledging and repenting of pride when we see it in ourselves, and by being transparent with our Christian family for the sake of accountability and prayer.

In closing here are a few passages of Scripture dealing specifically with pride:

"The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts." Psalms 10:4

"Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; but the proud He knows from afar." Psalm 138:6

"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate." Proverbs 8:13

"When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom." Proverbs 11:2

"By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom." Proverbs 13:10

"Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

"Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; though they join forces, none will go unpunished." Proverbs 16:5

"A man's pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor." Proverbs 29:23

**TO BE CONTINUED**

Wisdom vs Foolishness

Wisdom is defined as: Knowledge, discernment, insight, and good judgement. Wisdom should be a conspicuous characteristic of every true Christian. The Bible specifically tells us how important it is to have wisdom over anything else. Wisdom is what will keep you from falling into the traps of the devil in this day and time.

Foolishness is defined as: destitute of wit or understanding, absurd, lacking in sense, judgement, or discretion. Sadly, there are Christians who fit into this category which is very embarrassing to the kingdom of God. Foolish people know how to say all the right things, but they fail to yeild any significant results. Today we are going to look at both wisdom and witlessness and decide which category we fit into.

**What the Bible says about wisdom and it's importance**

Proverbs 1:20-21 [NASB] Wisdom shouts in the street, She lifts her voice in the square; At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 3:13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

Proverbs 4:5,7 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

Proverbs 5:1 My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

Proverbs 8:11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

**What the Bible says about foolishness**

Proverbs 12:23 A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

Proverbs 14:24 The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.

Proverbs 15:2 The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness

Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

Proverbs 19:3 [Amplified Bible] The foolishness of man subverts his way [ruins his affairs]; then his heart is resentful and frets against the Lord.

1 Corinthians 3:19 [Amplified Bible] For this world's wisdom is foolishness (absurdity and stupidity) with God, for it is written, He lays hold of the wise in their [own] craftiness;

As you can see there are very distinct differences between wisdom and foolishness. Wisdom is silent when everyone else is talking and boasting in themselves. Wisdom is conservative when everyone else is over spending. Wisdom takes pleasure in being hidden in words but conspicuous in action. When God reveals his wisdom to us, it is not to advance ourselves, but to advance his purposes.

Each of us have some insights, knowledge and wisdom, but the scope is usually fairly narrow and limited to our sphere of influence and knowledge. Our world. We are good at what we do and have gained wisdom and foresight regarding our special interests and experience. But if we were suddenly placed in a new, unfamiliar position or found ourselves in a foreign city unable to speak the language, we would become aware of our limitations. Our knowledge and experience would not help us. We would need someone to help us.

One of the scriptures above says, "Wisdom is the principal thing" which means it is very important. Many people wonder why God doesn't move immediately on our behalf in certain situations, but it's simply because he is trying to build wisdom and character in us. God doesn't want to promote someone who is foolish to oversee the things of His Kingdom. That is completely against the very principals that he has stated in his Word. So don't despise small beginnings or delayed blessings because God knows what he's doing. He knows that the longer we go through the wilderness, the more we will appreciate our new found blessings. If we allow it, experience can build wisdom.

How do we get more wisdom? One way is to read God’s Word and to learn from Him.

Psalms 119:96-100 "Nothing is perfect except your words. Oh, I how I think about them all day long. They make me wiser than my enemies, because they are my constant guide. They make me even wiser than the aged”

Fear God. Know God by reading His word and obey the insights and directions He gives you.

Next time you think you are wise in your eyes, remember, you may be knowledgeable and have some insights in your small world, but compared to total wisdom, you (and I) know little. And even if we added all of our combined wisdom, compared to God’s, it is nothing.

Remain blessed

4 Steps to knowing God!

The following are 4 Spiritual laws, or principles, that explain salvation and how to know God in a personal relationship. God created us to love us and to be in loving relationship with him. It is so simple that a child can understand it, yet few of us adults have really comprehended it. I pray that this will bring clarity to your spiritual journey and start you on the great experience of having God as your best friend.

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1. God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life.

God's Love

"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV).

God's Plan

[Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly" [that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).

Why is it that most people are not experiencing the abundant life? Because...

2. Man is SINFUL and SEPARATED from God. He cannot experience God's love.

Man Is Sinful

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Man Is Separated

"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23)

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion - but he inevitably fails.

The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

3. Jesus Christ is God's ONLY provision for man's sin.

He Died in Our Place "God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). He Rose From the Dead

"Christ died for our sins...He was buried...He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures...He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

He Is the Only Way to God "Jesus said to him, 'Iam the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me' " (John 14:6).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf which separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these three laws..

4. We must individually RECEIVE Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

We Must Receive Christ

"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God , even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12)

We Receive Christ Through Faith

"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth

"Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.' " (John 3:3).

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation

[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20).

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

1. The Self-directed life Self is on the throne. Interests are directed by self, resulting in discord and frustration. Christ is outside the person's life.

2. The Christ-directed life Christ is on the throne. Self is yielding to Christ. Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan.

Which circle best describes your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart.

Remain blessed

A Word of Encouragement in a Season of Doubt

Being a Christian doesn't mean you won't have doubts. In fact, some of the greatest heroes of the Christian faith had doubts and crises of faith, one of which we find recorded in Luke chapter 7.

In this chapter, we find John the Baptist in an intense season of doubt and fear. He was in prison after being arrested by King Herod, and in his struggle of faith he asked of Jesus, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"

That's right… the same John who had been there on the Jordan River when the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove… the same John who heard the voice of God say, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"… the same John who had publicly testified that Jesus was the Son of God, saying, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"… doubted that Jesus was whom He said He was.

John… the great sage, prophet, and spiritual leader… struggled with doubt!

Yet through his struggle we learn two lessons that can encourage us when we find ourselves in a season of doubt.

The first lesson is to go to the right place with our doubts and fears—which is straight to the Lord.

What I love about John is that he didn't let pride keep him from going to the Lord about his doubts and fears. He could have thought, "Hey, I told everybody He's the One! What will my disciples think if I let them know I'm doubting? I'm going to look really stupid if it looks like I doubt the very things I've preached and proclaimed myself."

Yet John went straight to the Lord… and so must we!

If you're grappling with doubt, tell the Lord. He knows anyway. The worst thing you can do when you're having a crisis of faith is to allow yourself to become isolated, because Satan knows that isolation is where you are most vulnerable. When you doubt, you must draw close to God and to friends of faith who can encourage you!

The second lesson we can learn from John's crisis of faith is that in the eyes of the Lord, it's the whole journey that defines us—not just a single event.

You know, when John's disciples left and Jesus began talking to the multitude, He could have said, "John is such a disappointment! I can't believe it. He was there at the Jordan River at My baptism… God has dealt with him like no other man of this generation… he has more knowledge than a hundred men put together. He's My cousin, for goodness sake! I can't believe he's asking Me if I am the One!"

But Jesus didn't say that. Instead, He said, "Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist."

Even though John doubted, Jesus didn't condemn him!

And when you stumble, Jesus won't condemn you because of that one misstep. Even though some people may define who you are by one stupid mistake you've made, God doesn't. He's looking at the whole journey… and your journey isn't done.

So, my friend, no matter what doubt you may be facing today, be encouraged. Jesus is always there for you… ready for you to come to Him. And don't worry if you've messed up. He won't condemn you, but instead, He looks at the whole of your life!

Remain blessed

I am what God says I am!!

I am a child of God John 1: 12

I am a joint-heir with Christ Romans 8: 17
I am the righteousness of God in Christ. 2 Cor.5: 21
I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 6: 19
I am the apple of His eye. Zec.2: 8
I am an ambassador for Christ. 2 Cor.5: 20
I am free from condemnation Romans 8: 1
I am more than a conqueror Romans 8: 17
I am the salt of the earth. Mathew 5: 13
I am the light of the world Mathew 5: 14 & Eph. 5: 8
I am a member of the household of faith Gal.6 :10
I am a branch of the True Vine John 15: 5
I am the will of God James 1: 8
I am in the palm of God's hand Isa. 49: 16
I am covered by the shadow of His Hand Isa. 51: 6
I am loved by God as much as He loves Jesus John 17:23
I am in God’s Hand and none can pluck me out John10:28

I am delivered from sin Romans 6: 7
I am free from weaknesses and diseases. Matt.8: 17
I am complete in Him. Col.2: 10
I am translated into the kingdom of God’s Son. Col.1:13

I am delivered from the power of darkness Col. 1: 13
I am accepted in Him Eph. 1: 6
I am dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. Rom.6:11
I am seated in heavenly places in Christ. Eph. 2: 6
I am redeemed from the curse of the law. Gal. 3: 13
I am in Christ. 1 Cor. 1: 30
I am hidden with Christ in God. Col. 3: 3

This revelation of God concerning me is found in His Holy Word. Sense knowledge (the knowledge gained through seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting) and my varying circumstances may not reveal the same and in reality contradict this revelation, but when I stand on the naked Word of God alone, God confirms His Word.

I am the daughter of the Almighty God through Jesus Christ, His Son. Chosen before the foundation of the world to be His witness in this world and to do His will for His glory. My Heavenly Father promised to lead, guide and provide all the days of my life.

I am the Lord’s ambassador in this world. God by His Spirit indwells me and now I am His Temple. My relationship with the Lord is real and it is a privilege to know Him, love Him and serve Him!! Praise His wonderful Name!

Remain blessed

Walking free of fear

This picture really demonstrates how fear can make you feel. Today we're going to talk about how to get loosed from fear. Psalms 118:6 says: The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. I will is the strongest statement in the English language. Because you realize that the Lord is on your side, you will not fear. To fear is against my will! Fear does not have the power or the right to seize authority over a human being who has made the decision to live above fear. Why? Because God is on his side!

Isaiah 43:1,2 says: Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passes through the waters, I will be with thee. God is saying over and over to his people, "Fear not". These two words appear over sixty times in the Bible. If God says, "Fear not", that means you don't have to fear. When God tells you to do something, he will always supply the power and ability for you to do it. Because you are redeemed means that you don't have to fear.

There is a promise of God's word that will overcome every opportunity you have to fail. There is not one thing Satan can bring at you that God's word cannot overcome. By knowing the spiritual law of opposites, you can keep Satan out of your life.

You are the deciding witness! The only chance Satan has with you is to get you to operate in fear and talk fear. You don't have to choose fear, but you can. You don't have to choose faith, but you can!

Remember what God says in Isaiah 54:14 He has established us in righteousness. We shall be far from oppression for we shall not fear! Terror shall not come near us! What a promise! God was stating that his people could look forward to life without fear. You have God's word on it. You can be far from oppression, because you shall not fear! Satanic oppression and fear are closely connected together. Acts 10:38 says: How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil.

In the first chapter of 2 Peter, we are told that we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness by the divine power of God and through the exceeding great and precious promises. Then it says, ...that by these (exceeding great and precious promises) ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Everything that pertains to life and godliness is covered by one or more of the precious promises of God in his word.

Remember the law of opposites now. Any fear Satan can bring to our minds is a fear of failure and God's promises, since there is a promise that covers everything in life. Fear of sickness is actually a fear that 1 Peter 2:24 is not true. Fear of financial failure is actually a fear that Philippians 4:19 is not true. Remember Satan cannot create; he can only pervert. He has never originated anything! Therefore, you can be sure that whatever Satan says or promotes was originally covered by God's promises and paid for by Jesus. Even if you don't know where in the word the promise is, you can know there is one. That is enough to drive fear out long enough to go to the word and the Holy Spirit, locate the promise that covers your situation, and then stand on them in faith.

God has given us his word. Through that word we can partake in all that his divine nature provides. We can escape the corruption in the world. We can live above sickness, sin, demons, poverty, and fear. We can shake off the effects of the curse and walk in the newness of life. We can have all the blessings of Abraham operating in and through us.

You have the right to use the name of Jesus and the full armour of God. You also have the right not to use it. I highly recommend that you make the decision now to live the life God intends for you to live, the life that Jesus died to provide for you.

You can step through the door from fear into absolute faith and put a stop to Satan's destructive maneuvers in your life. Stand up boldly and say, "I've been made the righteousness of Almighty God. I've been washed in the blood of the Lamb. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. Sin shall have no dominion over me, for he that is within me is greater than he that is in the world. Jesus bore my sicknesses and carried my diseases. By his stripes, I am healed. Therefore, I boldly say that the Lord is my helper and I will not fear. What can man do unto me?"

This is something that must be practiced daily but it can be done. None of us have reached perfection but we should be striving daily to get better and better. Fear must be handled step by step, day by day. Let us make up our minds today to continue to fight the good fight of faith.

Remain blessed

Fear- Satan's main weapon

Romans 8:15 says: For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

When you were born again, your human spirit was completely recreated. You received all of the qualities, all of your spiritual forces, all of the things of God that Adam had in him when God created him in the Garden of Eden, plus all the things in Jesus when God raised him from the dead.

I want you to notice these words: You have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. Fear is not a natural force to the born-again believer. It was natural to you before you were reborn, but your spirit man was recreated and eternal life erupted in your heart when you made Jesus the Lord of your life. The reborn human spirit cannot produce fear. It can receive it and act on it and be choked by it, but it cannot produce it.

God is revealing by his word that Satan has lost his authority and power. The name of Jesus will always defeat him. The counterfeit will never win. Faith will always overcome fear. Love will always overcome hate. Prosperity will always overcome poverty.

Fear is a spiritual force, just as faith is a spiritual force. When you apply faith and operate in it by keeping the word of God in your heart, that faith of God will flow through your body to keep it well and whole. When you apply fear and operate in it, the force of fear will work against you to make you sick. Fear works in the spirit world the same as faith.

Fear activates Satan the way faith activates God. Fear is totally destructive. It will cripple the mind, stop the heart, and even change the color of your hair.

Fear is a satanic force that works against you at every opportunity. Faith is a creative force that God uses to build and uplift. Faith helps; fear hurts. Whenever faith is in operation, you will always benefit from it. Whenever fear is in operation, you will be subject to bondage and torment.

You are in concert with Satan in this earth as long as you have five physical senses and a workable mind. He is a thief, a liar, and a killer. He will do his best to destroy you and your testimony as a believer. His goal is to successfully remove you from the field of action. His main weapon in reaching that goal is fear. He wants you to take the opportunity to fear so that you will fail. Satan challenges the promises of God with fear. He tries to make it look as if those promises won't work and that Jesus' sacrifice at Calvary wasn't good enough. He challenges the faith-filled promises of God's word with fear-filled lies of his own.

When Satan comes to us with lies, we must come back at him with the word of God. When he says, "You're never going to be anything because you're scared". You have to open your mouth and say, " For God has not given me the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind". God blesses each of us with a mouth and we have to use that mouth to shut down the devil's lies.

Fear is something that one must be willing to diligently fight against. Especially if you have had a past of yielding to fear as I have. 2 Corinthians 10:4 [Amplified version] says: "For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds". So we have to fight against the spirit of fear with faith which is not a fleshly or carnal weapon.

Remain blessed

God's rules of motivation

These are some of the things that I have learned personally about staying motivated. We as Christians tend to be highly motivated at the beginning of our goals but for some reason that motivation tends to fade away over time. There are many reasons why we lose that motivation such as financial problems, sickness, addiction, etc. But we must find a way to press through those things and continue on the path that God has set for us. Philippians 3:13-14 [Amplified version] says: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There has been many times in my life that I have set high goals but I ended up abandoning those goals because I didn't approach them in a Godly way. God doesn't mind us setting high goals but he doesn't want those goals to exclude him. Proverbs 3:6 [Amplified version] says: In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. I'm am baffled by how we can sometimes get so caught up in climbing up in society, that we forget who's going to guide us and help us maintain those goals. Without God we can do nothing and without God we are nothing.

1. Set a major goal, but follow a path- The path has smaller goals that go in many directions. When you learn to succeed at smaller goals, you will be motivated to challenge grand goals. Everything that we do should be step by step, day by day. Change doesn't happen overnight, it happens over a period of time which is why we must keep our focus on God.

2. Finish what you start- A half finished project is of no use to anyone. Quitting is a habit. Develop the habit of finishing what you start. Colossians 1:22b-23 says: ....to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard

3. Socialize with others of similar interests and goals- Mutual support is motivating. We will develop the attitudes of our best friends. If they are losers, we will be a loser. If they are winners, we will be a winner. To really live a life that's pleasing to God, we must hang around people who love the Lord. There's a difference between witnessing to unbelievers and hanging out with unbelievers.

4. Learn how to self-educate- Dependency on others for knowledge supports the habit of procrastination. It also creates disappointment which also breeds resentment and bitterness.
2 Timothy 2:15 says: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. God has given us Pastor's in the spiritual realm and supervisors in the natural realm, we help make their job's easier by our willingness to self-educate. There are certain things that you shouldn't have to be told to do if you want to excel in life.

5. Harmonize natural talent with interests that motivates- Natural talent creates motivation, motivation creates persistence and persistence gets the job done.

6. Increase knowledge of subjects that inspires- The more we know about a subject, the more we want to learn about it. Another thing that we can do is find people who have already achieved the goals that we are trying to reach. We learn about this in the story of Elisha and Elijah. Elisha followed Elijah around everywhere he went, even when Elijah tried to get rid of him. God gave Elisha a double portion of Elijah's anointing because of his refusal to give up.

7. Don't be afraid of failure- Failure and bouncing back are elements of motivation. Failure is a learning tool. No one has ever succeeded at anything worthwhile without a string of failures. The problem that Christians have is fear. They fear what others will think of them if things don't work out. How will you ever know what you can do if you never try?




Remain blessed

What are you looking at?

Today we are going to discuss the "eyes" and how they relate to our spiritual walk with God. The Bible gives us many examples of what we should and should not look at because the eyes are the gateway to a person's heart. Watching violent movies and playing violent video games has been attributed to some of the worse crimes in American history. It is very important that we realize that you can not watch all kinds of junk and still expect to live a life that is pleasing to God. Sin begins with a thought and a thought is triggered by what we see. Matthew 6:22 [Amplified version] says: The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is sound, your entire body will be full of light.

Again there are many examples of what and what not to look at in the Bible. Let's look at one of my favorite biblical people, Peter. As you may know Peter was very bold. His boldness often caused him a lot of trouble but it also proved to be a great asset to him. Let's look at him when he walked on water. The version of this story that we will look at can be found in Matthew 14:28-30
28. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
29. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.
30. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Everyone else on that ship was freaking out and wanting to leave but Peter wanted to see for himself whether or not the man on the water was really Jesus. He stepped out of the boat in faith and was able to do something that none of the other disciples got a chance to do, walk on water. The problem was that Peter lost his focus by taking his eyes off of Jesus. Peter would have still been walking on water today had he maintained his focus. If we ever want to do the impossible, we have to learn to keep our eyes on Jesus. Many Christian marriages, businesses, churches, and other God-given blessings have been lost simply because we did not keep our eyes on him. Sometimes we get so busy going through the motions of being saved, that we forget about the devotion that we must have in order to really live for him. What are you looking at?

Psalms 119:37 [Amplified version] says: Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity (idols and idolatry); and restore me to vigorous life and health in Your ways. Everyday we should pray for God to help us keep our eyes on him. As I have already stated, sin begins with a thought but our thoughts are triggered by what we see. One can not look at evil things and expect to live a godly life. At one time I was addicted to pornography. I sat around watching that stuff and would eventually end up doing or wanting to do what I saw being done in those videos. Many people think that they are spiritually strong enough to look at any and everything but nothing could be further from the truth. Proverbs 14:12 [Amplified version] says: There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.

Now it would be unfair for me to sit here and tell you what the problem is without providing a solution. I believe that the body of Christ is too busy diagnosing people without helping them get healing...but that's a whole other subject. I have had major problems with what I allowed myself to look at. The moment you take something into yourself that is ungodly, it doesn't end when the TV or the computer goes off. You can be sitting in church singing "Hallelujah" but the next thing you know "BOOM"...a flash back. So we must be very careful because the eye is the light of the body. Your eyes will determine your course of action.

Psalms 131:1-2 [Amplified version]
1. LORD, MY heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty [arrogant]; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me.
2. Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting]. These scriptures clearly point out the attitude that we should have towards God. Whether you've had a problem with porn or any other evil things, we have to humble ourselves to God and ask him to help us watch what we're watching. Notice that it says my eyes are not arrogant, in other words I'm not to high to realize that I need God to direct my path. I need him to help strengthen my line of defense. It's not hard to start out turning the channel or choosing another website but over time if you're not careful you could become spiritually lazy. Laziness is the devil's opportunity to implant mischief and evil into your heart that will result in family's being torn apart, businesses being ruined, etc. I believe that a majority of Christian divorces and corporate riffs could be avoided if we simply keep our eyes on the things of God.

In conclusion, understand that no one else can control what you see. You have to know when its time to walk out of the room or what have you. My husband and I visited a Christian friend's house and they were watching something that my husband and I didn't need to see, so we simply got up and walked out of the room. Because of my previous addiction, I could not sit there and watch something that would cause me to go backwards instead of forward. Proverbs 4:25 [Amplified version] says: Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you. What are you looking at? I still struggle with my previous addiction to porn but everyday I have to make a conscious decision to stay away from anything that attempts to take me go back to that sin. It doesn't matter how long a person's been saved, if they are not watching godly things, you have to make a decision to leave. I hope that this post has helped someone.



Remain blessed