Read 1Peter 1:13-16
I love how the verses above go hand in hand with today's topic: dying to the flesh. Follow along with me on this:
"Prepare your mind for action" I can not begin to tell you how often battles have raged in me (before I was saved and afterwards) against addictions and strongholds- and the toughest ones are always in my mind. When it comes down to it, this is often where the war is waged and battles, both small and great, are won or lost. When I was addicted to cocaine, I often found that if I actually rode the physical withdrawals out long enough, I would begin to dwell on the high in my mind. I also soon learned that with drugs such as cocaine, that the MENTAL withdrawals can last up to a year and a half! The battlefield is always in the mind, and just like we would work our bodies out in a gym to get bigger and stronger, we must work out or train our minds to be strong in the time that we need it the most. Satan will attack at strategically placed times: often when we're tired, alone, or in uncomfortable situations. He will whisper soft thoughts of doubt, deceit, or deception into our minds, sometimes only a little bit at once- but letting it build up over time until we crack. Our counter punch to this is memorization of Scripture, discernment, and prayer. Once again, mental maturity comes over time and through CONSTANT one on one time with God. You simply can not step into the ring with an eternal opponent with no training and not expect to get clocked over and over! Take the time to find out where your weak spots are, how you react to them, and search God's Word for answers. Talk with others who have been through similar situations and hold each other accountable.
"As obedient children..." Three words that God has been giving me over and over lately have been: thankfulness, obedience, and praise. We must change our thinking to thanking God for everything in our lives: trials and blessings; our jobs and children; our finances (no matter how much or how little), and so on. We are to praise Him at all times, in the good and the bad. One Scripture that really hit me this morning was Luke 6:46: "Why do you call Me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?" (NASB) I've read that Scripture a thousand times over, but today it stuck out. I was really battling my flesh early this morning, I had over an hour of down time before an early morning meeting, and I found my mind wandering. I immediately pulled out some old notes I had from a conference and found that verse. Hey, better late than never, right? The way I took it was sort of like if I viewed myself as a hypocrite or not. What I mean is, I claim to be this righteous and holy man of God, and I know I am, but if I (we) live in secret sin, we're lying to ourselves, to God, and to the world. (1John 1:6) Obedience. We must seek it in the same way that we would expect it from our children, yet with greater fervor. The best part of this is that Jesus has gone ahead of us in every situation we will face, He's been there. Not only has He experienced the full temptation of being human, but he cleared the way for us to stay in constant contact with our Father through it all, and not have to worry about God abandoning us when we need Him the most. Jesus knows what we're up against, and He has provided a way through it all whenever needed. (1Cor 10:13)
I could go on for much, much longer in all of this, but I won't. Just know that as long as we're still breathing air here on earth, we will be in a constant battle with our flesh, you can count on it. However, God's Word is infinitely more powerful than anything the enemy can throw at us, but there will be times when you will have to stand strong on His promises and fight back. Get into the Word daily; pray regularly; change your friendships and surroundings if needed (I even went as far as throwing away all of my secular Cd's and cancelled cable TV); and if you don't have a mentor and/or accountability partner, now is the time to start looking for one. We're not going to beat the flesh on our own, but if Jesus is already alive in you, then the chains have been broken. The key is drawing so close to Him every single day that the lusts of the world will supernaturally begin to fade out of your life. Trust me, I've been in the trenches in multiple areas as well, and it is only now- almost five years after my salvation, that I am finally getting an understanding of just how desperate I am for Jesus. Former lusts have faded almost completely out of my life (but I'm also aware that the enemy is always looking for another opportunity to destroy me), but I also realize that apart from Jesus, I (we) can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Calling All Christians! -Pt 2
Read 1Peter 1:13-16
In the passage above, a quotation from Leviticus 11:44-45, the OT tells us to "consecrate" ourselves and "be holy". Well, what does that exactly mean? The word consecrate means to make holy. Holy means to set apart. So, in other words, God is commanding us to set ourselves apart- for His purposes and because He is. Well, once we receive Jesus as our Lord, that is exactly what we do. We are washed clean from our past, born again as a new creation. However, as we discussed in part one of this topic, our flesh does not always want to die that fast! WE must make the choice to turn from our sinful nature and begin a new life in Jesus. Yes, we have been freed from all unrighteousness, but strongholds can and will remain. God has given us the tools, but it's up to us whether or not we want to walk in the destiny He has laid out before us.
In part one I focused on our words- watching what we say and using a God-given gift for the right use. Today I'm going to combine that with the topic of judgement; not us being judged, but rather, being cautious that we do not judge others. You know the Scripture: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way that you judge, you will be judged...You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." -Matt 7:1-5 (NASB) Judging others can easily go hand in hand with gossip (words) and all of the destruction along with it. If we allow Satan to plant seeds of hate, anger, prejudice, and false teaching about others into our hearts, he can literally tear us apart form the inside out. I'm guilty of it, and I'm sure you are too. So, the question is, what are we going to do about it? As General Douglas MacArthur once said, "The greater the knowledge of the enemy, the greater the potential for victory." I have mentioned multiple times in my writings and speakings the importance of spending good, quality time with God is the best way to not only grow in your personal walk, but to fight off attacks and deception from the enemy. Given the fact that we are all sinful human beings and fall short of God's glory, yet He loves us unconditionally, none of us are fit to place judgement on others- for whatever reason. God loves you, just as you are. He did not nor does not see who you were or still may be. No, He sees you as His creation- perfect and holy.
"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." -Romans 8:29-30 (NKJV) God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to destroy the works of the devil, and take judgement off of ourselves and each other, and nail it to the cross once and for all. So does that mean we're free and clear from this sin? Well, yes and no. (See Romans 14:10) We are freed from the sin itself, but as with anything that involves free will, we can choose to fall back into it. However, as the verse I just mentioned states, we will all stand accountable for our choices one day before Jesus. We are living in a world that places judgement (whether it means to or not) on pretty much everything around us. Think about it. How does the world (not us individually) place judgement on our looks, weight, style, and personal lives? Well, I say not good. If there was healthy "recommendations" as opposed to judgement, there would be almost zero need for all of the diet fads and shows, magazine and advertisement smut, and media barrage that infiltrates and sabotages our family values. Have you seen "Courageous" yet? If not, I would highly recommend that you do- especially all of you men, whether you are dads or not. Dads, WE are called to be the spiritual leaders in our house- no one else. Before we can teach our children not to place judgement on anything or anyone, we need to take a deep moral inventory of ourselves and make sure we're lining up within God's parameters. Are we setting ourselves apart from the crowd? Will we stand alone for our (and our family's) beliefs and values if necessary? Remember, God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us, even while we were still sinners. So in "calling all Christians", I challenge you to take that step of faith, to seek out a family resolution like the one mentioned in the movie, and dedicate YOUR house to the serving of the Lord!
In the passage above, a quotation from Leviticus 11:44-45, the OT tells us to "consecrate" ourselves and "be holy". Well, what does that exactly mean? The word consecrate means to make holy. Holy means to set apart. So, in other words, God is commanding us to set ourselves apart- for His purposes and because He is. Well, once we receive Jesus as our Lord, that is exactly what we do. We are washed clean from our past, born again as a new creation. However, as we discussed in part one of this topic, our flesh does not always want to die that fast! WE must make the choice to turn from our sinful nature and begin a new life in Jesus. Yes, we have been freed from all unrighteousness, but strongholds can and will remain. God has given us the tools, but it's up to us whether or not we want to walk in the destiny He has laid out before us.
In part one I focused on our words- watching what we say and using a God-given gift for the right use. Today I'm going to combine that with the topic of judgement; not us being judged, but rather, being cautious that we do not judge others. You know the Scripture: "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way that you judge, you will be judged...You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." -Matt 7:1-5 (NASB) Judging others can easily go hand in hand with gossip (words) and all of the destruction along with it. If we allow Satan to plant seeds of hate, anger, prejudice, and false teaching about others into our hearts, he can literally tear us apart form the inside out. I'm guilty of it, and I'm sure you are too. So, the question is, what are we going to do about it? As General Douglas MacArthur once said, "The greater the knowledge of the enemy, the greater the potential for victory." I have mentioned multiple times in my writings and speakings the importance of spending good, quality time with God is the best way to not only grow in your personal walk, but to fight off attacks and deception from the enemy. Given the fact that we are all sinful human beings and fall short of God's glory, yet He loves us unconditionally, none of us are fit to place judgement on others- for whatever reason. God loves you, just as you are. He did not nor does not see who you were or still may be. No, He sees you as His creation- perfect and holy.
"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified." -Romans 8:29-30 (NKJV) God sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ to destroy the works of the devil, and take judgement off of ourselves and each other, and nail it to the cross once and for all. So does that mean we're free and clear from this sin? Well, yes and no. (See Romans 14:10) We are freed from the sin itself, but as with anything that involves free will, we can choose to fall back into it. However, as the verse I just mentioned states, we will all stand accountable for our choices one day before Jesus. We are living in a world that places judgement (whether it means to or not) on pretty much everything around us. Think about it. How does the world (not us individually) place judgement on our looks, weight, style, and personal lives? Well, I say not good. If there was healthy "recommendations" as opposed to judgement, there would be almost zero need for all of the diet fads and shows, magazine and advertisement smut, and media barrage that infiltrates and sabotages our family values. Have you seen "Courageous" yet? If not, I would highly recommend that you do- especially all of you men, whether you are dads or not. Dads, WE are called to be the spiritual leaders in our house- no one else. Before we can teach our children not to place judgement on anything or anyone, we need to take a deep moral inventory of ourselves and make sure we're lining up within God's parameters. Are we setting ourselves apart from the crowd? Will we stand alone for our (and our family's) beliefs and values if necessary? Remember, God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for us, even while we were still sinners. So in "calling all Christians", I challenge you to take that step of faith, to seek out a family resolution like the one mentioned in the movie, and dedicate YOUR house to the serving of the Lord!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Calling All Christians!
"Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." -1Peter 1:13-16 (NASB)
Today I am going to basically begin a series on several topics that we "Christians" often fall in. Please keep in mind that this is to bring awareness to not only where the Body as a whole often fails, but perhaps something I write will set off a flag in your mind as well- possibly an area that needs to be addressed in your walk. Believe me when I say that this blog is being written by an extremely imperfect man, but one whose eyes are on the cross, and strives daily to reach my potential in Jesus Christ. Although I probably could write a book on topics such as these, I will focus on several topics, including our words, judging, dying to the flesh, and getting involved in ministry.
Words are an extremely amazing gift from God. With them we can bless our Lord with prayers and praise, we can tell our kids how much we love them, and use our communication skills to advance our careers. However, just like any other great gift, comes great responsibility. James reminds us in his letter that we stumble in many ways, and he who is able to bridle his tongue can control his whole body as well. (James 3:2) Wow! Did you get that? Just think of how hard it is to control our flesh, yet the Bible tells us if we can control one tiny little muscle, we can literally steer our entire ship. (v 4) Our words can be just as devastating, and often relationships can be broken, reputations can be ruined, and friendships severely damaged or lost over the wrong words. And by all means- watch the gossip!!! Do you want to hear a great definition of what gossip is? According to my pastor, gossip is "when you share something negative about someone to someone else who does not have the power to change it." Let that sink in a bit and then make any necessary corrections. (See also Proverbs 18:19)
Now, I'm not going to focus entirely on the negative portion of words, but I do pray you walk cautiously and be aware of the evil behind cutting words. Be aware of your enemy and keen to his tactics, because tools such as gossip and slander are some of his best angles in breaking the Body of Christ up. On to the positive. Dad, speaking words of love, affirmation, and joy will go farther in your child's life than you will ever know. I mentioned in a previous blog of a time my daughter asked me if I just wanted to go outside and "talk". We didn't discuss anything major, but sharing priceless times with her like this, plus all of the countless prayers, words of affirmation, and telling her how much I love her is laying a foundation in Jesus Christ that will stand against anything this world will ever tell her. There will be a time the world tells our kids that they are failures; but they will rise above if they know dad sees them differently. I'm sure there will be plenty of times a teenage boy whispers sweet nothings in my daughter's ear (unless I can find a way to keep her 5 years old), but I pray she won't be phased by his tactics because of the validation she got from God and from me. Finally, with all of the filth that is on TV, music, and in movies, make sure you teach your kids to help filter out the swearing and slander- that especially means that they NEVER hear it from us as well!
If your tongue is currently getting the best of you, take it to the One who is able to help you overcome. Come open and transparent, asking for wisdom and discernment. Let the praises flow first and foremost to our Lord and give Him the blessings that He is due. Submit yourself, your words, and tongue completely to Him and watch the transformation that follows.
Today I am going to basically begin a series on several topics that we "Christians" often fall in. Please keep in mind that this is to bring awareness to not only where the Body as a whole often fails, but perhaps something I write will set off a flag in your mind as well- possibly an area that needs to be addressed in your walk. Believe me when I say that this blog is being written by an extremely imperfect man, but one whose eyes are on the cross, and strives daily to reach my potential in Jesus Christ. Although I probably could write a book on topics such as these, I will focus on several topics, including our words, judging, dying to the flesh, and getting involved in ministry.
Words are an extremely amazing gift from God. With them we can bless our Lord with prayers and praise, we can tell our kids how much we love them, and use our communication skills to advance our careers. However, just like any other great gift, comes great responsibility. James reminds us in his letter that we stumble in many ways, and he who is able to bridle his tongue can control his whole body as well. (James 3:2) Wow! Did you get that? Just think of how hard it is to control our flesh, yet the Bible tells us if we can control one tiny little muscle, we can literally steer our entire ship. (v 4) Our words can be just as devastating, and often relationships can be broken, reputations can be ruined, and friendships severely damaged or lost over the wrong words. And by all means- watch the gossip!!! Do you want to hear a great definition of what gossip is? According to my pastor, gossip is "when you share something negative about someone to someone else who does not have the power to change it." Let that sink in a bit and then make any necessary corrections. (See also Proverbs 18:19)
Now, I'm not going to focus entirely on the negative portion of words, but I do pray you walk cautiously and be aware of the evil behind cutting words. Be aware of your enemy and keen to his tactics, because tools such as gossip and slander are some of his best angles in breaking the Body of Christ up. On to the positive. Dad, speaking words of love, affirmation, and joy will go farther in your child's life than you will ever know. I mentioned in a previous blog of a time my daughter asked me if I just wanted to go outside and "talk". We didn't discuss anything major, but sharing priceless times with her like this, plus all of the countless prayers, words of affirmation, and telling her how much I love her is laying a foundation in Jesus Christ that will stand against anything this world will ever tell her. There will be a time the world tells our kids that they are failures; but they will rise above if they know dad sees them differently. I'm sure there will be plenty of times a teenage boy whispers sweet nothings in my daughter's ear (unless I can find a way to keep her 5 years old), but I pray she won't be phased by his tactics because of the validation she got from God and from me. Finally, with all of the filth that is on TV, music, and in movies, make sure you teach your kids to help filter out the swearing and slander- that especially means that they NEVER hear it from us as well!
If your tongue is currently getting the best of you, take it to the One who is able to help you overcome. Come open and transparent, asking for wisdom and discernment. Let the praises flow first and foremost to our Lord and give Him the blessings that He is due. Submit yourself, your words, and tongue completely to Him and watch the transformation that follows.
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