Christian Life Is A Battleground

 

 

 

 

At Every Turn

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ~ Ephesians 6:17

During the Korean War, a unit known as Baker Company was separated from the regiment, and enemy forces were advancing on them. For several hours, no word came from Baker Company. Finally, radio contact was made, and when asked for a report of their situation, Baker Company replied, “The enemy is to the east of us. The enemy is to the west of us. The enemy is to the south of us. The enemy is to the north of us.” Then, after a brief pause, a voice continued, “And this time, we’re not going to let them escape.”

It seems that way in the life of the believer. The Enemy is at every turn. Yet some Christians don’t realize that the Christian life is not a playground but a battleground. They are oblivious to the fact that a war is raging. And in this war, they are either winning or losing.

In a battle, it’s always better to be an aggressor instead of a defender because the defender is simply waiting for the enemy’s next attack, hoping he will survive. If we, as believers, are always defending, then the Devil is in the superior position. But if we are attacking, then we are in the superior position. When the apostle Paul wrote about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, he mentioned one offensive weapon: “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (verse 17, NLT).

Make no mistake about it: there is authority and power in the Word of God. God’s Word sticks. God’s Word breaks through. God’s Word impacts. When the Enemy has you surrounded, keep him on the defensive with the Word of God.

His Plan Will Stand

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“There are many plans in a man’s heart, nevertheless the LORD’s counsel — that will stand.”  (Proverbs 19:21, NKJV)

 TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

God is strategic. He has laid out an exact plan for our lives right down to the smallest details. He knows the people you need to meet in order to fulfill your destiny. He knows who is going to give you a good break and who is going to put in a good word for you. He knows when someone is going to need to be there to help you out of a difficult time. God has it all figured out. He is not vague or approximate. He is orchestrating your life right down to the very second, causing you to be at the right place at the right time so you can meet the right people that He has ordained before the foundation of the world.

You probably can look over your life and see how, time after time, God directed your steps to the exact moment. If you had been ten seconds earlier or ten seconds later, things would have played out differently. That’s God orchestrating His plan. That’s God ordering your steps. All you have to do is stay faithful to Him and follow His leading because in the end, His plan will stand!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for orchestrating my life. I trust that my times are in Your hands. I trust that You are working things out for my good as I keep my faith and hope in You in Jesus’ name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Your Life Is Shaped By Your Thoughts

Written by Rick Warren on Purpose Driven 

“Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2a (NLT)

You cannot become all God created you to be until you understand the five factors that influence your identity. The first two are chemistry (how you are made) and connections (your relationships). You are a product of the way God created you and of the relationships in your life.

Your identity is also influenced by your circumstances and your consciousness.

Circumstances are the things that happen to you and around you — none of which you control. You are a product of the trauma, troubles, suffering, shame, shock, pressures, and pain that have shaped your life. Perhaps even abuse has affected your identity. If you’ve ever had a series of failures or a catastrophe, it has left an indelible mark on who you are.

Consciousness is how you talk to yourself. You know what? If you talked to your friends the way you talk to yourself, you probably wouldn’t be friends anymore, because our thoughts are filled with the lies we’ve heard from other people that we’ve let simmer and fester. When we repeat other people’s thoughts in our head, they go deeper and deeper in our consciousness, and they begin to shape our identity.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts” (LB). Your thoughts don’t have to be true to hurt you; you just have to believe them. If you tell yourself your marriage won’t last, then it won’t. If you’re afraid you can’t do something, then you won’t. Your thoughts run your life!

Your circumstances may be out of your control, but God is in control of everything. Your thoughts shape who you are, but you can change the way you think. Your circumstances and consciousness have shaped who you are, but the way you respond to your circumstances and the thoughts you choose to believe will shape the rest of your life.

Talk It Over

• What is your natural response to a difficult situation or circumstance? Do you run away or face it? Do you worry or trust God?
• How do you need to change the way you think?

• Who or what around you influences your thoughts in a negative way?

I am fearfully and wonderfully made….

The Enemy’s Strategy

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” -Psalm 139:14

This morning I was having a rough start getting out of bed. My paralysis was giving me fits. I shook my head and growled, “This body is a pain… I hate it!”

Why was that so awful? Because the Enemy has a deep hatred of my flesh and blood and all I was doing was agreeing with him. He gets a charge when I bad-mouth my body. And he would like to get you to do the same.

Why? Because your body, even underneath wrinkles or fat, and despite the ravages of illness or old age, is made in the image of God. Your heart, mind, hands, and feet are stamped with the imprint of the Creator. Little wonder that the Devil wants you to be ashamed of your body!

This morning I had, once again, to plug my ears against the lies of the Tempter and remember that I am “fearfully and wonderfully made.” I rehearsed the old, familiar truth that God has a plan for this flesh and blood of mine. That’s why the Devil considers my body a threat—he understands that when I yield to God my body, albeit paralyzed, my feet and hands are powerful weapons against his forces of darkness.

The devil is only a fallen angel. He is a deceiver. He is doomed for destruction. And until then, he has one goal in mind: your spiritual defeat, emotional malignment, and physical frustration. If he tries to get you to agree with him today… don’t.

I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, O Lord.

Devotional shared by Joni and Friends International Disability Center

NEW NORMAL

 

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

 

New normals are a test of our trust in the Lord. They call us to get on our knees in prayer and cry out to our Heavenly Father. They are transitions we go through in life when we move into new seasons: health challenges, a job transfer, a new church or an empty nest. New normals are more difficult because it is the first time we have experienced these realities. Patience, flexibility and trust facilitate adjustment to a new situation. Adapting to change and focus on God is necessary.

For example, a close friend may move overseas or to another part of the country. Since you are geographically divided, you now keep up by email, calls and visits. Or, if you’ve lived as a single adult for years, but are now married, you focus on the person of your dreams. Hence, friends from your past life don’t receive the same attention as your best friend, your spouse. A new normal in relationships is hard. If you try to be everyone’s friend, you risk becoming no one’s real friend.

Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets. Luke 6:26

Make the best of your new normal by seeing God in the middle of your circumstances. Whether adversity or euphoria, either is an opportunity to draw closer to Christ. Accept new normals as your friend not your enemy.  It is a nudge toward the Lord, not a wedge between you and the Lord. Our Savior Jesus Christ specializes in doing new things. He makes a way of hope in our wilderness of worry and streams of faith in our wasteland of fear. See your new normal as God’s new thing.

What is your new normal? A boss who is more demanding? A child who is pushing the boundaries of their freedom? Life after divorce? Life after a loved one’s death? Financial limitations? Relational stress? Abundant resources? More opportunities than you ever imagined? Steward well what you have, so the Lord can trust you with more of His blessings. Accept your new normal as an opportunity to adopt new ways to know God. Learn how to lean into the Lord. Your new normal is the next step in following Jesus. Perceive it, believe it, receive it, embrace it.

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true. Revelation 21:5

Prayer: Heavenly Father, by grace and through faith, I accept my new normal as Your normal.

Related Readings: Isaiah 48:6, 65:17; Jeremiah 31:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 21:4

You’re more than a donut hole….

I can’t help but agree with this which is why I had to share. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Married people in successful relationships and folk with the gift of singleness (those who don’t need relationships like apostle Paul) tend to be Judgmental or non-empathetic towards people like me. (Single man needing a wife or a woman needing a husband) yes I said needing! I hear it all, “you’re like a doughnut and need to fill your center with Jesus“, (PLEASE) then I ask what if you’re a donut hole? (Like a Dunkin munchkin) and they say, “you need to get bigger with Jesus on the outside. You need to fast more, you need to go to church more, you need to pray more, you need to read your Bible more, you need to eat more roughage,” I hear it all. 

They’re almost arrogant in their statement when they say “LONG AS YOU GOT KANG JESUS YOU DON’T NEED NOBODY ELSE.” Okay let’s just say you’re right, my question is why didn’t God say that same thing to Adam in the garden? Adam, why you tripping I’m right here, you don’t need nobody else I’m all you need, feel your center with Me! Now I hear the Bible scholars say well he needed Adam and Eve together to be fruitful multiply and replenish the earth. I don’t agree because God could’ve made 7 billion people at the same time within six seconds and placed them strategically all over the earth.

The truth is God did it this way for a reason. He took Eve from Adam’s side for a reason, and placed inside of Adam a love for Eve like no other and vice versa. (We’ll get into that on another post.) God is love and with in Himself lies the most intense and greatest of all intimacies and He just wanted to share it as a gift to the human race. That’s why falling in love/choosing to be in love, a deep soul intimate connection and sexual intimacy feel so good because it’s God’s gift we’ve just perverted and distorted it.

Although there’s a joyous side of love there’s also pain, heartache, tears and confusion, but I still try. Now I understand the “you need to be whole” conversation but I still believe that two people touching and agreeing can bring God into their circumstance and let him be the ultimate healer. So for all you perfect people out there that don’t need what I need, pray for me. And for all you single people out there like me that want to be in love, keep believing in true love because it does exist, and when you find it love and appreciate it like it’s your last day on earth. Let’s trust God together.

Love
f.

Post courtesy of The Real Fred Hammond’s Facebook page.

Your Front Door

Have you ever heard of the saying “sweep around your own front door before you try to sweep around mine” or perhaps you’ve heard of “if you dig one ditch you might as well dig two”.

So many people today spend their whole life trying to dig ditches for others to fall in all the while not realizing that they just may fall in themselves. We spend too much time trying to tear other people down or point out their flaws when we have so many of them ourselves. The bridges that we burn can be damaged beyond repair. Why do we do these things? Do we truly feel much better about ourselves? When you look in the mirror at the end of the day do you smile and say “boy, am I a great person?”

Whispering and gossiping behind peoples backs is what the Bible calls “sowing seeds of discord” and God speaks very plainly about how he feels about this sort of thing. They are frowned upon so much that He calls it an abomination to him!

Proverbs 6:16-20 (New Living Translation)

¹⁶ There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests:
¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,
¹⁸ a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,
¹⁹ a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

Know that it does your self no good to do such things. Whether you are on the job pointing out all of the short comings of your co-workers to present yourself spotless in the boss’s eyes or behind your spouse’s back you nag and complain to your friends, the truth still remains the same, you can never get ahead by stepping on your sisters and brothers. The same people that you step on to get on top are the same ones that you meet going back down.

Moral of the story is…you never know when you too may need a helping hand. You never know when you may need a little patience and mercy when you’re not meeting the mark. God may use that same person that you have been beating down to show you the same mercy that you should have shown. They may even have what you truly need so it’s very important that you treat others as you would have them to treat you. Strive for peace and keep your slate clean so that you can look in the mirror at the end of the day and smile and know without a doubt that you are truly …a great person. God loves you!

I Prayed….

I prayed for change, so I changed my mind.
I prayed for guidance and learned to trust myself.
I prayed for happiness and realized I am not my ego.
I prayed for peace and learned to accept others unconditionally.
I prayed for abundance and realized my doubt kept it out.
I prayed for wealth and realized it is my health.
I prayed for a miracle and realized I am the miracle.
I prayed for a soul mate and realized I am the One.
I prayed for love and realized it’s always knocking, but I have to allow it in.
~ Jackson Kiddard

Get it together!

You have a million things going on. Your mind is racing and there are hundreds of thoughts running through your mind at any given moment.  You want to make the best decision for yourself but you’re not sure where to start. You can’t fully focus on one subject without thoughts of another crowding your mind. You are distracted. You are overwhelmed. You are not at your best and everyone else notices it. It’s starting to show up around you. Your car, office, and home are dirty. You are eating as if you constantly have the munchies. There is dis-ease all around you, and you feel like you are at your wit’s ends…..Continue Reading  Get it together!.

 

SELF OR GOD?

Memorise: For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, (2 Timothy 3:2)

Read: Judges 16:26-30
And Samson said unto the lad that held him by the hand, Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them. Now the house was full of men and women; and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women, that beheld while Samson made sport. And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.
And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Message

One of the articles of Samson’s last prayer from today’s reading is, I want to avenge myself of my eyes. This statement tells us one major reason Samson became an ex-champion: he was self-centered. His thoughts were ever centred on himself. For instance, he earlier asked for a woman whose background contravened the rule of God for his lifestyle because she pleased him well. He also promised to deal with his in-laws because they gave his wife somebody else. Even while asking for restoration, it was to enable him avenge himself for the eyes that the enemies plucked out. As a believer, we must be very careful about what we do and especially about our motives.
If you take a look at the characteristic traits of the last days, you will notice that selfishness and self-centredness play a major role. This is know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  2 Timothy 3:1-4

A life that is given to pleasure is a self-centred life. Are you a self-lover or God-lover? The truth is, in this generation, self has been glorified to the level of God. Self gratification is the overriding motive behind most activities people are engaged in. the love of God has taken a back burner if at all it is present. If you love God, He will be uppermost in your thoughts, deeds and plans. Everything else will be secondary. Pleasing God will be your focus and you will not mind the cost. If you are God centred, you will want to know His will for your life in every area. In situations where you express your personal will, it will not supersede that of God. Where there is conflict between your will and God’s will, you will yield to God’s will for your life like it happened with Jesus in the garden at Gethsamen (Luke 22:39-46) one thing you must know about self is that self can drive you in a direction opposite where God is taken you. Self is driven by lust but God-consciousness is driven by love. If you are God-centred, you will easily achieve divine tasks. But if you are self-centred, you will expect people to pay you for working for God. If you want to know what you will benefit personally from a Kingdom assignment before you engage in it, this simply shows that you are governed by self. Retrace your steps today!

PRAYER POINT
Father, I yield completely to your Spirit from today. Lord, have your way in my life.

 

 Devotional By Pastor E.A Adeboye