Allow His Love To Embrace You

Recently a very special woman of God and dear friend sent me a sweet little card. It was just a note to remind me of how much I am loved by her and by our God. It is not uncommon of her to send me little words of encouragement from time to time. She has faithfully sent them to me for some 15 years now. It never ceases to amaze me that when she sends them they are always right on time with a word that I need to hear for a situation that I am facing at that time.

I know it is our Heavenly Father that put it on her heart to send me this little love note because it came on a day that I would totally miss the mark. I mean I messed up big time. That's right I'm am one of those imperfect Christians. I am fully aware that as long as I'm here in this world living in this flesh of mine that I will fall short. I know that I can become a slave to whatever I choose to obey, sin or God. So when I fall short I try to quickly confess my shortcomings to God, repent, and then I try to receive His forgiveness. However often times first I go through an awful battle with a spirit of condemnation, guilt, and shame that attacks my mind. That's where I was at when I felt led to reread her note. Part of my dear friend's note read:

I Want To Do What Is Right, But I Can’t

“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7:18-21

Recently a sister wrote into to WeUsed2bu.com who was born again about a year ago. Her concern was that she did not feel like a new creation because she was still having a lot struggles with sin. She said that like Paul in Romans chapter seven, she wants to do right but can’t seem to. She keeps doing what she does not want to do. I am sure that we can all relate to what this sister is going through because all though we are saved we still battle the sin nature that lives in us. So I wanted to take some time and share what the Lord has laid on my heart about this. More importantly I want to share what His Word says about our struggle with sin and how to overcome it.

Let me begin by first addressing the first part of this sisters comment, “not feeling like a new creation”. She is referring to 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” I believe to get a better understanding of this verse we need to go back up a couple verses to 14 & 15.

“Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.”

When we believe in Jesus we are born again in our spirit man, but our mind doesn’t automatically become new. We still have to go through a process of dying to our old life. We have to CHOOSE to no longer live for our own selfish desires and sinful nature. We have to CHOOSE instead to live for Christ Jesus who died for us.

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you CHOOSE to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can CHOOSE to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey his teachings we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” (Romans 6:16-18)

We have a choice to submit to our sinful desires or to submit and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is in our obedience to the Word that we find freedom from our slavery to sin. It is our love for Him that moves us to give up our old life and selfish ways to follow Him and live a new life in Christ. I am reminded of when our Lord said to His disciples,

“If any of you wants to be My follower, you MUST turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)

Pressed In On Every Side

“We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;

We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;” 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 – Amplified

The Lord reminded me of these verses this morning. I read it out of the NLT and then the Amplified. It really hit home for me. You see I am currently going through a season of intense discipline and training through many trials and temptations. (Hebrews 12)The demonic attacks are so evident. I have felt pressed in on every side by spiritual oppression in some of my closest relationships. Even my children are under attack. At times I feel crushed and overwhelmed. The problems and trials I face often times feel like too much to bear. I would be lying if I said that thoughts of giving up don’t run through my mind. But I know who I am in Christ Jesus and I WILL NOT not be driven to utter despair! I know that our Lord has NOT deserted me or my family and left us to stand alone.

I am sharing this with you because I want you to know that if you are suffering through many troubles, trials, and temptations YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Listen to what the Holy Spirit has said through Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:13.

“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.” – The Message

Here’s parts of this verse out of the Amplified.

“NO temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance..

But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [CAN BE TRUSTED] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [ALWAYS] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.”

Did you see it? Our troubles are not new to human experience. Many others before us and many now are going through the same or very similar problems that we are facing today. Others before us have overcome by remembering how faithful God is to His promise to never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)

In 1 Corinthians 10:13 we see that He has promised to never allow the temptations or trials that we face to be more than we can endure. He will ALWAYS provide a way of escape to overcome any temptation the enemy will put before us. He will also ALWAYS provide a way for us to go through whatever trial it is that we may have to face.

No matter what it is that we are facing we need to remember that He is our Strength and WE CAN do ALL things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us! Here is Philippians 4:13 in the Amplified. Read it. Receive it! Believe it! Confess it!

“I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].”

The Lord has spoken to me so many words of encouragement, affirmation, and comfort over the past several weeks. His Holy Spirit has ministered to my heart and given me peace at times where I probably would have fallen apart. He has hugged me through the arms of other believers full of his love and compassion. His presence has filled my room as I slept I knew that He was there with me. His love has sustained me through this all.


He will do the same for you as he is doing for me! Do not give up hope! He is by your side. You will see His promises to you fulfilled. Just keep believing! Keep trusting! Keep seeking Him in prayer, fasting, and in His Word. Keep your eyes on Him and you will not be destroyed. Fight the good fight of faith!

I will continue to share with you the scriptures that He has brought me to in this season of my life. God bless you all and remember what our Lord has said to His disciples,

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33 – Amplified

Set Free? Only As Completely As The Word Is Applied

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. 35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. 37 Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there’s no room in your hearts for my message. 38 I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.” John 8:34-38

Yesterday day I started this new bible study with the women in the work release center where I do studies and it referred to these verses above. I just want to share with you this one paragraph from the study.

We’ve heard and gained hope from this verse: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Why, then, do many of us-even though we know the truth-not walk in the freedom that is available to us? Later in the passage, Jesus tells us why: “I know that ye are Abraham’s seed [those entrusted with God’s Word]; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you” (John 8:38, italics added). When we know the truth (His Word), but it has no place in us, we are not set free by it. We must apply the truth to our lives, taking it into ourselves. We’ll be set free only as completely as the truth is applied in our lives. (Exert from Uprooting Anger- by Kay W. Camenisch)

These verses and this paragraph above ministered to my heart deeply because of certain struggles that I am seeing other believers go through, as well as myself. These verses remind me that no matter what we are facing, no matter what our struggle or vices are as children of God we have been set free. We are no longer slaves to sin or our old sin nature. However, many of us have not allowed the Word of God to truly have a place in our heart regarding whatever that struggle or hindrance is. Therefore we can not experience the freedom from that bondage because we have not applied the Word of God to our situation. So we continue to be dominated or enslaved by it.

What I find awesome about serving Christ and overcoming the battle against my fleshly sin nature and the battle in my mind is that I do not have to do it on my own and neither do you. God is working in us, giving us the desire AND the power to do what pleases Him. He equips us with everything we need to do His will and produces in us everything good that is pleasing to Him through the power of Christ Jesus. Our heavenly Father is faithful! He will not ever allow the temptations and struggles in our life to be more than we can stand. When we are tempted, He WILL show us a way out so that we can endure through the power of the Holy Spirit and the application of the truth of God’s Word in our life. The choice is ours daily, to abide in Christ or to go it alone. (Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:21, 1 Corinthians 10:13)

As I sat preparing and studying for lasts night’s study with my sister in the Lord and dear friend she said, “As we go over this I am reminded again that Christianity is a choice.” She’s right! Our daily Christian walk is a choice to walk on the narrow road that leads to life and freedom or on the broad road that leads to bondage, destruction, and death. Will we serve our selfish and sinful desires or will we chose to be doers of the Word, applying the truth of God’s Word to every area of our lives? Every area? Yes...especially the ones that we want to keep control of. We have to choose to allow God’s Word to have dominion in our hearts and life.

We are foolish if we ignore the Holy Spirit when He ministers to us about specific concerns that He has about our lives. He will gently, patiently, and lovingly prompt us to change or leave something behind that will hinder our walk and chip away at our testimony. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to set us free. The Word of God was given to us as a gift from God to help teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepares and equip His people to do every good work. However, it’s not enough for us to know the Word or hear the Word, we MUST DO whatever the Word says if we are going to live our life more abundantly here and now. (2 Timothy 3:16)

James 1: 22-25 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

My prayer for us…

Lord, as we draw closer to you through reading your Word and prayer help us to not just read or listen but to apply the truth of Your Word to our lives. We want to live free from anything that will prevent our light from shining bright for You. Let us always remember that we can do nothing of fruitful eternal value apart from the Word of God. We need you now more than ever in this world full of sin and evil. Thank you for your power and grace which is sufficient to help us in our time of need. We will run to you daily not just in our times of crisis. In Jesus name…Amen

Do Not Let Sin Control You

“Do not let sin control your puny bodies any longer; do not give in to its sinful desires. Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God-every part of you-for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for his good purposes.” Romans 6:12-13

A couple of postings back I wrote on how our Lord gives us 'Do Overs'‘ when we mess up and sin. I feel the need to follow up that posting by clarifying that all though we know that our Lord Jesus is merciful, quick to forgive us, and gives us ‘Do Overs’ when we sin, that does not mean that we are to take advantage of that. His kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. We are Christians saved to be living testimonies for the world to see Christ. We are the walking Gospel. Our lives will either be an encouragement and inspiration to others, drawing them to Christ or our lives will be a hindrance to others faith and could possibly be the reason why they stumble and fall away.

We must stay away from sin. We are not to make plans to sin doing things that we know are unpleasing to our Lord. We are called to live holy and pure lives. This is not an impossible request from our Lord. He would never ask us do something that He has not empowered us to do. It is by His power, the power of the Holy Spirit that we can resist the temptation to sin. It is by reading and hearing the Word of God that our minds are renewed and our desires are changed. When we are constantly in the Word we will desire to please our Lord instead of gratifying our own sinful desires. The secret is staying close to the Lord, being in the Word of God consistently because our Lord promises that if we keep looking steadily into His Word that we will not only remember it but we will do what it says, and God will greatly bless us in everything that we do. (1 Corinthians 10:13, James 1:25)

But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is done against the will of God. So if we stay close to him, obedient to him, we won’t be sinning either; but as for those who keep on sinning, they should realize this: They sin because they have never really known him or become his. Oh, dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: if you are constantly doing what is good, it is because you are good, even as he is. But if you keep on sinning, it shows that you belong to Satan, who since he first began to sin has kept steadily at it. But the Son of God came to destroy these works of the devil. The person who has been born into God’s family does not make a practice of sinning. Because now God’s life is in him; so he can’t keep on sinning, for this new life has been born into him and controls him, he has been born again. (1 John 3:4, 6-9, 1 John 5:18)

There should never be an area of our lives that is reserved and devoted to sinful practices. We are to give ourselves completely to God. Instead of being defensive and self excusing, we must acknowledge our sins and renounce them. We should continually look at all areas of our lives asking our Lord to reveal to us anything in us that is unpleasing to Him. By not exempting any part of our life from continuous self-scrutiny I believe the Holy Spirit will show us any hidden sin that hinders us and may even be a stumbling block to others around us.

Just as you used to be slaves to all kinds of sin, so now you must let yourselves be slaves to all that is right and holy. You choose your master. You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal). The one to whom you offer yourself-he will take you and be your master and you will be his slave. (Romans 6)

Holy Spirit search us through and through. Show us any unconfessed sin that we need to renounce. We long to be slaves of righteousness. We do not want to be slaves to sin. Thank you for the power to resist temptation and sin. May our lives bring you glory and draw others to your Son, in Jesus name. Amen..

Read the posting "Do Over!" now

Slavery To The Deadly Lower Nature

“I know that I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned.” (Romans 7:25)

“I love to do God’s will so far as my new nature is concerned; but there is something else deep within me, in my lower nature, that is at war with my mind and wins the fight and makes me slave to the sin that is still within me. In my mind I want to be God’s willing servant but instead I find myself still enslaved to sin.” (Romans 7:22-25)

“Now if I am doing what I don’t want to, it is plain where the trouble is; sin still has me in its evil grasp.” (Romans 7:20)

“My new life tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I’m in! Who will free me from my slavery to the deadly lower nature? Thank God! It has been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free.” (Romans 7:25)

I am quite sure that I am not the only one that can relate to Paul’s words regarding the struggle within. I have to battle daily with the old Lisa that was enslaved to sin who loved to gratify the lust of the flesh. She still lives in me and wants to lead me away from everything that is good, away from God. That sinful nature makes me want to react to certain situtions or people the wrong way. I am not that old person any more who was full of anger, nasty, bitter, spiteful, selfish, and vengeful. That person was being lead around by a hook in her mouth, enslaved to sin. I don’t ever want to be her again.

Although we are new creations in Christ Jesus we still live in these sinful bodies with our old nature that is still inside of us who loves to sin. It battles with the new nature that lives inside of us that desires to please God. Paul says it is a terrible predicament and I agree. However he goes on to say the best part, that we have been freed from our slavery to the lower nature by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set us free. It has been done! We don’t have to be slaves any more to the old us and its desires. We have the power through the Holy Spirit to put our lower nature in its place.

“So, dear brothers and sister, we have no obligations whatever to our old sinful nature to do what it begs us to do. For if you keep on following it you are lost and will perish, but if through the power of the Holy Spirit you crush it and its evil deeds, you shall live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Romans 8:12-14)

I want to walk in love all the time, control my tongue, be kind, patient, and not gratify my lusts. My desire is to please and obey God. There are times when I fall short that I get so discouraged, full of shame, and guilt. If I begin to meditate on my failures, mess ups, and sins I want to give up. I forget that the battle has been won. However we can not give up when we fall down.

“But if we confess our sins to Him, He can be depended on to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. And it is perfectly proper for God to do this for us because Christ died to wash away our sins.” 1 John 1:9

As I am writing this the song “We Fall Down” starts playing and I am hearing the chorus in the background saying “A saint is just a sinner that falls down and then gets up.” That is so true! As children of the Most High God when we fall we must we get up. We can not allow condemnation, shame, and feelings of unworthiness to rule over us. They will keep us from entering God’s prescience to seek His forgiveness, mercy, and grace when we need it most. No..we have to be quick to confess our sin and repent so that we may be forgiven. God will not reject a broken spirit that is full of remorse and penitence. A broken and contrite heart God will not ignore. When we accept God’s forgiveness He can heal us. Then we can grow becoming stronger in our faith. (Psalm 51:17)

Let us remember that there is now no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the vicious circle of sin and death. We can obey God if we follow the Holy Spirit and no longer obey the old nature within us. We are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus and it is in Him that we are made strong. (Romans 8:1-2 & 4)

Don't Take The Bait

My husband and I had been in prayer and fasting regarding specific decisions that we needed to make for our family. After seeking our Lord’s face we were sure that He would make it clear to us what direction we needed to take. He has always been faithful to guide and lead us down the right path so we trusted Him to give us direction and to show us His will.

It has been several months now and an option has presented it’s self. But is it God or are we being baited and lured by a temporary solution that only ends in bondage? After reviewing the possibilities of the offer presented to us we realized that it was a trap. At first glance it seemed that the proposal would provide freedom and relief. It was appealing and tempting, too good to be true. My father in law said to us, “I always say if it looks too good to be true then it probably is.”

After digging deeper into the substance we were able to find the hidden hooks that would have hindered and kept us restricted from the freedom that we need. Had we of taken the bait and accepted the offer our circumstances would have changed for the better temporarily, however there were consequences and repercussions for accepting this false promise of peace. We thanked God for giving us wisdom, common sense, wise counsel, His Word, and His Holy Spirit to help us properly evaluate the situation. It became clear to us which way to go.

This isn’t the first time that the enemy as tried to divert us from taking the right path. The enemy will come to us all of with His alluring temptations full of false promises of hope and relief. He makes his offers so tempting and sound so good so as even to deceive, if possible, God’s chosen ones. His goal is to get us off tract and distracted from following God’s will for our life. We must be prepared to properly discern every claim, temptation, and offer the enemy presents.

In the past I more easily fell for the enemy’s lies and deceptions because I desired my own way more than God’s way. I did not read the Word of God daily and therefore I was not meditating on it either. My mind was worldly and full of selfish desires. I was easy prey. I was easy to deceive. Not any more! The enemy has to come correct and tactful now.

Don’t foolishly disregard what I am telling you. The enemy desires to blind us with deception, bind us, and keep us from achieving all that God has for us. I am not giving the enemy too much credit. I am just keeping it real with you and reminding you that this is a spiritual battle. Our enemy, satan is real. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9)



Don’t fall for the enemies tricks. Stay on the right path, the narrow road. Know the Word of God and what it means. This is the sword that you will use to defeat the lies of the enemy. His Word assures us that we are on the right path. It is the light that guides and leads us. We are more then conquerors in Christ Jesus and we have the mind Christ to help us discern truth from deception. Don’t take the bait. (Psalm 119:105, 1 Corinthians 2:16)

From the Archives: Temptation-Our Daily Battle

Temptation is something that we will battle everyday of our lives. The enemy is constantly using bait such as physical desires, possessions, power, and pride to lure us into disobedience. He knows that our spirit is willing but our body is weak. The enemy knows that sin leads to death so he will be determined to deceive us and get us to disobey God. But if we resist the devil he will flee from us. (James 4:7) But how do we do that?

Jesus set the example for us when we he was tempted in the wilderness by satan. (Matt. 4:1-11) Christ defeated the enemy by responding with the truth of God’s Word. Every time satan spoke to Jesus our Lord responded saying “It is written”. This is the same as saying the "Word of God says". We need to know what the Word of God says in order to withstand the attack of the enemy. He knows what the Word says also and he will try to manipulate it and twist it so that we are confused and unsure. It is in spending time with God in prayer and in studying the bible that we will be equipped and alert ready to defeat temptation.

Jesus is also there to help us when we are being tempted. He knows what we go through and how we are tempted because he was tempted too, although he never sinned. So we can go to God and receive mercy and grace to help us in our times of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16) The temptations in our lives are no different from what others experience. God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than we can stand. When we are tempted, he will show us a way out so that we can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

God has given us common sense so let us properly evaluate our situations and avoid temptation. Recognize what people or situations cause us temptation and stay away so that we do not stumble. We need to run from anything that gives us evil thoughts and stay close to anything that makes us want to do right. It is good to enjoy the companionships of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts. These are the types of friends that we can trust to help keep us accountable and encourage us not to sin. (2 Timothy 2:22)

Remember that the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us is more powerful than anything in this world and you can defeat temptation because you are no longer a slave to sin. Walk in the wisdom that comes from knowing the Word of God and you will truly begin to comprehend and experience that the Word is truly sharper than any doubled-edged sword. You CAN win this daily battle against temptation in Jesus name! Amen..

The Old Me

I know I said I wasn't going to write this week, but I just have to share this..

Saturday night was movie date night. We went on a triple date with my brother in law and his wife, and one of our best friends and his date. We arrived at the mall where the movie was playing more than an hour early. The plaza was full of teenagers. I thought to myself this is the perfect place to hand out WeUsed2bu cards. I quickly pulled out about twenty cards that I had in my bag and immediately headed toward the first group of girls that I spotted.

I walked up all happy and said, “Hey girls check out our site! Visit out MySpace.” The first girl I handed the card to read it and said, “O this Christian ****! **** this!” She crumbled the card. I seriously thought she was going to throw it at my face. There was a young boy near by taunting and also making rude comments. I became so bothered. I immediately felt my old nature rise up inside of me. The old me tried to resurrect herself. I wanted to retaliate so badly! I managed to maintain my composure while I passed out the rest of the cards.

I walked back to our group so shocked, not only by the way the girls reacted but by how I internally reacted. The love that I felt when I walked up to them was overcome now by emotions of anger, rejection, hurt, confusion, disappointment, and nervousness. What happened to me? Here I am giving them cards that say WeUsed2bu; however what used to be me wanted to present its self all over again. Although I did not retaliate I wanted to. I hated that feeling. I felt guilty and ashamed within myself. This was a reality check for me that the old me will try to come back any time if I allow it to. I have to be careful of it.

We must never let our guard down because our enemies are real, the devil and our old sin nature. The enemy will try to set traps along the way to trip us up. He provokes the war within us between our old sinful nature and our new nature Christ gave us. If given the opportunity he knows that our old sinful nature will rise up and attempt to enslave us all over again. When we give in to our old nature we can make a mess of everything that God is trying to do in our lives. I do not need any unnecessary set backs because of lack of self control and submission to the Spirit of Love.

Thank God for the Holy Spirit who reminds us that we are new creations in Christ Jesus, the old has gone, and the new has come. We are no longer slaves to sin or our old sin nature. Therefore we don’t have to surrender to those sinful desires. We are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within us. Through the power of Christ we can live and act in a way worthy of those called to such blessings. (Romans 6, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 3:10)

I thank God for giving me strength in my moment of weakness. It was truly by His power that I did not act out in foolishness. To God be the glory.

Lord, thank you for power to help us overcome our old sinful nature and desires. Without You we are weak and small. You make us strong and powerful. We are glad to be slaves of righteousness. May our lives always bring your glory. In Jesus name..Amen.

Reject Compromise

It is important to keep your conscience clear. We must be careful not to fall into the temptation to compromise the Word of God by trying to justify that certain things are a little wrong, are not that bad, or everyone is doing it. The more we compromise and convince ourselves that something is not that bad we harden our hearts by going against our own conscience. As result our faith will be watered down, weak, and reduced in quality. We will eventually start losing our faith.

“Cling tightly to your faith in Christ and always keep your conscience clear, doing what you know is right. For some people have disobeyed their consciences and have deliberately done what they knew was wrong. It isn’t surprising that soon they lost their faith in Christ after defying God like that.” 1 Timothy 1:18-19

When we compromise we are defying God and His Word. We must take each commandment and reject any thought of compromise. There can be no additions or subtractions from His Word. We are not to turn to the left or to the right, whatever He commands must be done. All His rules about all things are right, and every false way should be hated. Every word of God is pure, and any addition to them will make us a liar. (Deut 4:2, Deut. 5:32, Deut. 12:32, Joshua 1:7, Ps. 119:128, Prov. 30:5-6, )

The world is constantly compromising its standards. There are women justifying having abortions because they have made a decision to donate their fetus for research. This justification is reducing their moral and ethical standards because they have convinced themselves that they are doing something good. Nations are accepting and recognizing gay marriage-Canada, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and Spain. Even more allow same-sex partnerships or unions. There are even Us states that have compromised the definition of marriage and now recognize or allow gay marriage and same-sex partnerships or unions- California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

But we are not to be like the world. Although we are in this world we are not of the world. Therefore we must be different. We must not allow our contacts with the world to contaminate and defile us. Our standards are to be in line with the Word of God. Compromise with the world and its things proves the lack of any love for God. (1 John 2:15-17)

If we read and study God’s word daily we will learn to love the Lord, His Word, and His commands. We will begin to see that every command and instruction that He gives us for daily living is full of wisdom and power to help us live victoriously, and win souls for His kingdom. We will not want to compromise His Word because we understand that He knows what is best for us and we trust Him. When we compromise we are selfishly gratifying our own evil desires. Jesus prefers us hot (zealous) or cold (pagans), but not lukewarm (compromisers). (Rev. 3:15-16)

May the Lord help us to be doers of His Word and not just hearers. May we reject compromise and cling tightly our faith. In Jesus name…Amen

God's Discipline

Those of us who have children know and understand that when we give our children instruction and direction we expect them to be obedient. We try to be good leaders and guide them along the right path for their life and hope that they make the right decisions. We warn them of danger because we know the consequences that await them. There will be times when our children are disobedient or make the wrong choices. Sometimes we are merciful and lenient when disciplining them. Then there are other times where the offense requires a more serious punishment. Either way we know that as parents, if we love our children, then we will not spare the rod of discipline. We must be diligent to discipline and punish them while they are young for their own good. (Proverbs 13:24)

Almighty God is our Heavenly Father who lovingly leads and guides us down the right path for our lives. He has given us His Word which gives us direction and instruction on how to live successful Christian lives and bring glory to His name. His Word teaches us about His grace and mercy. We have seen for ourselves how truly awesome, loving, merciful, and forgiving our Heavenly Father is. We know that He is patient and slow to anger. However, we must not forget or be ignorant to the truth that God will discipline us if we are repeatedly disobedient to His Word.

“My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when He corrects you. For the Lord corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child whom he delights.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)

“Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.” (Deuteronomy 8:5)

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11)

God’s Word is not to be taken lightly. We are not only to meditate on how merciful and forgiving our Lord is, but we must think about how sovereign and holy He is. We must have a reverential fear for God and obey his commands. We are called to be holy in all that we do.

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written; ‘Be holy, because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:14-16)

Lord, we long to please you. Please forgive us if we have been ignoring your Word. Create in us a clean heart. We know that you discipline us because you love us and want to keep us on the narrow road. Thank you forgiving us. Thank you for your mercy and grace. In Jesus name..Amen.

Do You Love God?

Jesus said, “If you [really] love Me, you will (obey) My commands.” (John 14:15) I believe that many people have been deceived by the enemy of our souls into thinking that because we sin we are incapable of truly obeying God. That is a lie! God is at work in us helping us to want to obey Him, and then helping us to do what He wants. Every child of God can obey him, defeating sin and evil pleasure by trusting Christ to help them. The only true way to fight and win is by believing that Jesus is truly the Son of God! He knows that we need His help and so He has equipped us with everything we need to fulfill this calling to obedience. (Philippians 2:12-13, 1 John 5:4-5)

He has equipped us by giving us:

 His Word which renews our minds and transforms us into new people by changing the way we think. It is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are in error and teaches us to do what is right. (Romans 12:2, 2 Timothy 3:16)
 His Holy Spirit to instruct, teach, reveal, comfort, counsel, and guide us. He will intercede and assist in prayer, convict of sin, give us power and boldness, empower us to have victory over the flesh, and remind us of everything that the Lord has told us.
(Nehemiah 9:20, Job 32:8, Luke 12:12, 1 Corinthians 2:10, 1 John 2:27, John 16:13, Acts 11:12; 16:6-7; 20:22-23, Romans, 8:13-14, Galatians 5:16-18, Romans 8:26-27, Ephesians 2:18, Jude 1:20, John 15:26, 16:17, Acts 9:31, John 16:8-11, Acts 1:8, Acts 4:31, Ephesians 3:16, Romans 8:4, Galatians 5:25, John 14:26)
 A way out of temptation. He promised to never allow temptation to be more than we can stand. When we are tempted, he will show us a way out so that we can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

As long as we are in this fallen earth we will always battle the temptation to sin and yes there will be times where we will sin. However, as servants of Christ we are not to make a practice of sinning or make plans to sin because now God’s life is in us. We are called to be an example to others. So we can’t keep sinning, for this new life has been born into us and controls us. We have been born again. (1 John 3:9, 5:18) The truth is that we can obey Our Lord because we are no longer slaves to sin. We don’t have to give into sin! There is not condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because we belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:1-2)

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to sin and death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.” (Romans 8:5-8) The more we do what God tells us to the more we will learn to really love God.

Holy Spirit, help us daily to be obedient to our Savior. Remind us that we are equipped with your power and your Word to overcome sin and the attacks of the enemy. We long to love the Lord with all of our hearts, mind, and soul. Help us Lord! In Jesus name..Amen!

The Enemy's Tool

Don’t be a tool in the hand of the enemy. One of my closest friends and I are always saying this to one another. You see we are aware that the enemy will use anyone who allows him to cause strife, animosity, offense, jealousy, and problems in our life. He can even use us to cause drama or hurt in someone else’s life if we do not allow ourselves to be lead by the Spirit in everything we say and do.

The minute you give in to the temptation to gossip about someone, curse someone out, manipulate, antagonize, hate someone, have selfish ambition, cause dissension, lash out, envy, participate in drunkenness, and the like you have become a tool in the hands of the enemy. You are gratifying the desires of the sinful nature. The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. (Gal. 5:16-17)
Don’t allow yourself to become a tool in the hands of the enemy to hurt someone else. Instead be lead by the Spirit and you will walk in love and produce joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal. 5:22-23)

Also, remember that this is a spiritual battle. Be self controled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Who will fall for his tricks? Who will be used by him to destroy someone else’s trust, faith, or hope?

When you see that someone has become the tool the enemy is using against you remember that this is not a battle against flesh and blood, but against persons without bodies-the evil rulers of the unseen world, those mighty satanic beings and great evil princes of darkness who rule this world; and against huge numbers of wicked spirits in the spirit world. (Eph 6:12) These spirits may influence certain individuals that have made themselves open to be used by them, even ‘Christians’. In your eyes you see the person standing in front you coming out of their mouth but remember that there is probably a spirit near by throwing thoughts toward the person about you. It is your choice how you react. Will you walk in the Spirit of Love and practice self control? Or will you gratify the flesh and lash out? Don’t give in to the attacks it will only cause more turmoil.

Lord help us to see the attacks of the enemy. Give us wisdom, courage, and self control to react in love using the Word of God as our weapon. Help us not to become tools in the hand of the enemy to hurt others. But let us be surrendered to the leading of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus..Amen!

Satan The Father of Lies

The enemy would have you believe that God is far away from you. He wants you to think that He does not hear your prayers. But that is a lie! God hears your prayer. He sees your tears and He hears your cry.

You have got to trust your Savior; the one who saved your soul from hell. Don’t get worried or scared when you don’t see your prayers answered. You have to trust Him no matter what lies the enemy will tell you. It’s ok to tell your Heavenly Father that you are scared, confused, and maybe even losing faith. He knows it anyways! It’s ok to say, “Lord I believe but help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)

Sometimes our Lord does not answer our prayers the way we want or in the time we desire. However, that does not change the fact that He IS still in control! Nothing happens in our lives that God did not know was going to happen. He will be your strength in your time of weakness. He will give you extra faith to believe when you feel you’re scared or overwhelmed.

Just don’t fall for the lies of the enemy. Satan is the father of lies. There is no truth in him. (John 8:44) Jesus IS with you always! He died for your salvation. He promised not to leave us. In fact He sent his Spirit, the Holy Spirit to comfort us. His Spirit will guide and lead us through all of our days. We are never alone in this world with no hope. We have Jesus! His Spirit is with us to remind us of God’s promises when we need them most. (John 14:26) You have to know the Word in order to defeat the father of lies. It is the weapon Jesus used when the devil tried to tempt him. (Luke 4:1-13)

When need to have promises like these in our heart:

Ø “Fear not, I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10)
Ø “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Ø “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8)
Ø “I will never leave you; never forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5-6)

So when the enemy comes to whisper in your ear you can say “The Word says..”.

Choose to believe God because He if Faithful and True. Choose to believe God because He died for you! Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the believers. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

Temptation - Our Daily Battle

Temptation is something that we will battle everyday of our lives. The enemy is constantly using bait such as physical desires, possessions, power, and pride to lure us into disobedience. He knows that our spirit is willing but our body is weak. The enemy knows that sin leads to death so he will be determined to deceive us and get us to disobey God. But if we resist the devil he will flee from us. (James 4:7) But how do we do that?

Jesus set the example for us when we he was tempted in the wilderness by satan. (Matt. 4:1-11) Christ defeated the enemy by responding with the truth of God’s Word. Every time satan spoke to Jesus our Lord responded saying “It is written”. This is the same as saying the "Word of God says". We need to know what the Word of God says in order to withstand the attack of the enemy. He knows what the Word says also and he will try to manipulate it and twist it so that we are confused and unsure. It is in spending time with God in prayer and in studying the bible that we will be equipped and alert ready to defeat temptation.

Jesus is also there to help us when we are being tempted. He knows what we go through and how we are tempted because he was tempted too, although he never sinned. So we can go to God and receive mercy and grace to help us in our times of need. (Hebrews 4:15-16) The temptations in our lives are no different from what others experience. God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than we can stand. When we are tempted, he will show us a way out so that we can endure. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

God has given us common sense so let us properly evaluate our situations and avoid temptation. Recognize what people or situations cause us temptation and stay away so that we do not stumble. We need to run from anything that gives us evil thoughts and stay close to anything that makes us want to do right. It is good to enjoy the companionships of those who love the Lord and have pure hearts. These are the types of friends that we can trust to help keep us accountable and encourage us not to sin. (2 Timothy 2:22)

Remember that the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us is more powerful than anything in this world and you can defeat temptation because you are no longer a slave to sin. Walk in the wisdom that comes from knowing the Word of God and you will truly begin to comprehend and experience that the Word is truly sharper than any doubled-edged sword. You CAN win this daily battle against temptation in Jesus name! Amen..

Your temptation isn't new or different

Did you know that the wrong desires in your life aren’t anything new or different? Many others have experienced or are experiencing the same temptations in their lives. In fact the bible documented many of the lessons that the children of Israel went through so that we could read them and learn from them. They are a warning to us to not do the same things.

We should not let our guards down thinking that we are incapable of committing the same mistakes that others have made. I personally remember a time in my life where I said to myself, looking in on someone else’s life, “I would never do that”. I then found myself just months later committing that same sin. I was so foolish.

Often times we try to blame it on the devil or our flesh but NO temptation is irresistible. We are all able to adapt and adjust so that we can overcome temptation. We do not have to be overtaken by wrong desires or sin as the bible calls it. We can trust God to help overcome temptation. In fact our faithful Heavenly Father promises to keep the desires from becoming stronger than our ability to resist and endure.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.
12If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

Let’s remember that we are not alone in our struggles and just as God has delivered and helped others just like us, He will be faithful to bring us through our personal battles too. Our strength comes from God and we overcome thru faith in Christ Jesus. God be with you all.

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