Religion is vain, empty, profitless...IF I do not bridle my tongue. James 1:26, "If anyone thinks himself to be religious and does not bridle his tongue but deludes his own heart, this person's religious service is worthless (futile, barren)."
How can I bridle my tongue? What is the bridle for my tongue? The Holy Spirit! James 3 says that no man can tame the tongue. However, the Holy Spirit can! Jesus Christ proved this truth when He said,"I only say what I hear the Father say." The Holy Spirit, upon Christ, enabled Him to do that. The Holy Spirit does the same for us. Just like Christ, I have to choose WHO I will listen to and WHO I will obey...either my flesh, my enemy or my Savior. I will know WHOM I have listened to and WHOM I have believed by what comes out of my mouth. What comes out of my mouth is my report. My report influences ALL of my life - my words, my actions, my emotions, my whole world.
Keith Moore says it best - "You frame your world with your words."
I can use my mouth to "report" (tell myself and others) how I feel, what I think and even speak what the enemy has tricked me into believing - this is an evil report. This report causes me to un-believe, doubt, fear, worry, etc. OR I can use my mouth to "report"(tell myself and others) what Christ has already done on my behalf. I get to "encourage myself in the Lord" just like David did by remembering and speaking what He has done to free me from the enemy's devices. My mouth is a powerful weapon against the enemy's tactics. The moment I begin to focus my attention and use my mouth to speak the goodness of God: praising Him, giving Him thanks, praying in the Spirit, rejoicing, singing, blessing and loving - I begin winning, triumphing, overcoming, getting courage and strength!
These 5 smooth stones (1. Praising God, 2. Thanking God, 3. Praying in the Spirit, 4. Having a Merry Heart, 5. Loving) are weapons of my warfare to slay the giants in my land. My mouth is the sling that gives each of these stones the force, direction, power and velocity to destroy my enemy's plans. God says that you can control your whole body by your tongue OR you can defile your body with your tongue. Before I let a word fly out of my mouth, I give control of my tongue to the Holy Spirit who will say the right thing. Psalms 141:3 says, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips." That guard is the Holy Spirit. Father has given Him to us as our Helper and this is one of the vital ways He helps us.
My job in all this is two-fold. First, I get to choose, moment by moment, what I am going to allow myself to think on in my mind and what I will entertain in my heart. This is the greatest factor in determining what will come out of my mouth. Out of the abundance of the heart (what I have been thinking about), my mouth will speak. I choose to think on the things that are true, honest, lovely and of a good report. As I choose to think on these things, they shove out the unprofitable thoughts or "thought bombs" the enemy is trying to get me to take so that he can do his destructive work. Proverbs 13:3, "He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction." The second part of my job involves a choice as well. I get to choose to yield to my flesh, my enemy or my Savior. I let (choose, permit, allow) the Holy Spirit guard my mouth by yielding my tongue to Him. "To Whomever you yield your members(tongue), his slaves you become." Whether I yield my tongue to unrighteousness (i.e. the enemy - flesh) or righteousness (Christ - Holy Spirit) determines what fruit I'm going to be eating. Fruit of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) or the fruit of my own way.
Thank God He has given me free will to choose AND the power of the Holy Spirit to choose well!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Consider...
As I was washing my hair one morning, I heard myself think - "I'm doing pretty good considering the circumstances." While on the surface, that may seem to be an encouraging thought, the underlying drift of the thought was to consider the circumstance...consider what so and so said...consider how I felt about it. The Holy Spirit immediately said to counteract it with, "Do not consider those things. Instead, consider what I say. My Word is truth, my Word changes circumstances and my Words triumph over the enemy's lies".
Consider means "to pay attention to", "to give credence to", "think about" and "give reverence to". When I consider the circumstance (which is temporary) instead of considering His Word (which is eternal and will change the circumstance), I give up the mercies that the Lord has set for me. God's mercies are new every morning. There is a fresh supply of everything you need for that day, week, month and season.
His mercy contains everything humans have need of. I have a choice every day and every moment of my life of what I'm going to consider - I can consider His word, His truth and His grace for the situation OR I can consider how I feel, what I see, what so and so said and the lies of the enemy that he artfully camouflages to look like one of my thoughts. The enemy's lies are "lying vanities" which means "empty, profitless, useless, devoid of worth / truth and futile deceptions".
The Word says,"Those who observe (consider, look at, revere, give attention to) lying vanities forsake their own mercies." When choosing what I will consider, I recognize I need His mercies! So considering lying vanities, condemnation, guilt - all the yucky stuff the enemy brings all day long - will cause me to forsake (refuse, renounce, quit, abandon) my own mercies from Him.
Notice these are my mercies - His mercy meant for me for that day or season or hour. His mercies for me are part of my goods, my inheritance, my provision. By considering His Word - the truth - instead of what I see, feel think or surmise; I get to hold fast my mercies. I get to utilize the mercies given to me - I get to enjoy them.
The cycle of defeat starts when I consider - pay attention to - believe what the enemy says. It begins with just a few thoughts, but soon I am burdened down with worries, fears, condemnation, discontent even plain old grouchy. The defeat ends the MOMENT I consider God. I start praising Him, thanking Him, reiterating what He has said and very quickly I am bolstered instead of burdened and the enemy is fleeing! Remember your five smooth stones that will slay ANY and EVERY giant that comes against you. Stone #1 - Praise, stone #2 - Thanksgiving, stone #3 - Praying in the Spirit, #4 - A merry heart and stone #5 is loving. Your mouth is the sling that gives these stones velocity, force and aim.
I am a "considerate" person meaning I consider what God says, not what the enemy says. I give reverence to His Word, not my enemy's words. That's what "fear the Lord" means - to have respect for, give reverence to, His Word. I consider God's Word more than what I feel or see.
1 Samuel 12:24 says, "Only fear (reverence, honor His Word) the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."
Consider means "to pay attention to", "to give credence to", "think about" and "give reverence to". When I consider the circumstance (which is temporary) instead of considering His Word (which is eternal and will change the circumstance), I give up the mercies that the Lord has set for me. God's mercies are new every morning. There is a fresh supply of everything you need for that day, week, month and season.
His mercy contains everything humans have need of. I have a choice every day and every moment of my life of what I'm going to consider - I can consider His word, His truth and His grace for the situation OR I can consider how I feel, what I see, what so and so said and the lies of the enemy that he artfully camouflages to look like one of my thoughts. The enemy's lies are "lying vanities" which means "empty, profitless, useless, devoid of worth / truth and futile deceptions".
The Word says,"Those who observe (consider, look at, revere, give attention to) lying vanities forsake their own mercies." When choosing what I will consider, I recognize I need His mercies! So considering lying vanities, condemnation, guilt - all the yucky stuff the enemy brings all day long - will cause me to forsake (refuse, renounce, quit, abandon) my own mercies from Him.
Notice these are my mercies - His mercy meant for me for that day or season or hour. His mercies for me are part of my goods, my inheritance, my provision. By considering His Word - the truth - instead of what I see, feel think or surmise; I get to hold fast my mercies. I get to utilize the mercies given to me - I get to enjoy them.
The cycle of defeat starts when I consider - pay attention to - believe what the enemy says. It begins with just a few thoughts, but soon I am burdened down with worries, fears, condemnation, discontent even plain old grouchy. The defeat ends the MOMENT I consider God. I start praising Him, thanking Him, reiterating what He has said and very quickly I am bolstered instead of burdened and the enemy is fleeing! Remember your five smooth stones that will slay ANY and EVERY giant that comes against you. Stone #1 - Praise, stone #2 - Thanksgiving, stone #3 - Praying in the Spirit, #4 - A merry heart and stone #5 is loving. Your mouth is the sling that gives these stones velocity, force and aim.
I am a "considerate" person meaning I consider what God says, not what the enemy says. I give reverence to His Word, not my enemy's words. That's what "fear the Lord" means - to have respect for, give reverence to, His Word. I consider God's Word more than what I feel or see.
1 Samuel 12:24 says, "Only fear (reverence, honor His Word) the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Slaying the giants in your land - Smooth Stone #5
To recap, God has given you five smooth stones to slay the giants that come against you - giants of sickness, lack, depression, anxiety, worry or any other work sent from that unseen, but felt kingdom of darkness. These five smooth stones are praising God, giving thanks, praying in the Spirit, rejoicing and loving.
Don't forget the sling that gives these stones power, velocity and aim is your mouth. What you say out of your mouth changes the atmosphere around you and either enables your God or your enemy to work. YOU are the one that has been given power and authority over the power of the enemy. The Word of God spoken from your mouth is what destroys your Enemy. You have to open your mouth and speak words of praise, thanksgiving, joy and love.
The fifth smooth stone is LOVING. Notice I didn't say love - it is loving. Loving is action. It is also an attitude. It can be shown by words, deeds, prayers and most of all, the expression on your face. The two commandments Christ gave us is to love God and to love the other humans. These two actions will determine whether your life is good or miserable regardless of the exterior circumstances. Corrie ten Boom loved in a concentration camp. She triumphed over evil with the good God had given her. You too can triumph over whatever the world or your enemy throws at you.
In fact, love is God's power that triumphs. Jesus Christ demonstrated that love and power when He willingly laid down His life for us even while we were yet sinners, hostile and enemies in our minds to God. He is the living illustration of Father's great love for you. No greater love has any man that he would lay down his life for his friend. You are greatly loved and therefore can love greatly. The love you dispense is not your own natural affection. You cannot conjure up love - you must yield to it. God is love and is willing to flow His love through you if you are willing. That is all it takes - be willing to yield to Christ who is love and who has love for that difficult person in your life.
All of us know by experience how exhausting it is to be nice and loving to these difficult ones. Each of us has made resolutions to try to be more loving, but failed miserably even with the best intentions. That is because we have tried to give them our love - love we have generated on our own. There is a limit to our love and it is easily depleted. God's love, however, is limitless and does not depend on the other person's behavior or lovableness (or ours for that matter).
Our feelings are NOT our guide. As in all things with God - it is His Word, not our feelings, that matter and His Word that is the TRUTH! Our feelings will change and come in line with His Word as we give Him permission to love that person through us. This is a faith choice, not a feeling choice. However, your feelings will align with that faith choice as you give God permission. All God asks is for you to be willing for Him to love through you. When faced with this dilemma simply say, "Lord, I am willing to obey your command to love. I give you permission to love this person through me. I hand over all my hurt feelings and my expectations of them and I yield to your Spirit of love."
Here's an example from my life to illustrate this profitable truth. My mother-in-law (MIL) had come to visit and I was doing everything in my power to gain her approval. The more I tried, the less I felt approved. In frustration, I went to a Bible study where they asked for prayer requests. I presented my MIL scenario and a lady across the room asked if I'd tried unconditional love. Love with no approval strings attached. She told me to ask God how to love my MIL His way - so I did. God gave me the idea for her upcoming birthday. I bought matching plates, cups, decorations and a special cake. We had a lovely party! Afterward, she said,"In all my life, no one has ever done a party for me. I've always baked the cakes and set up decorations. This is the first time someone has done it for me." There were tears in her eyes as well as mine when I realized God knew how to love this woman in ways that would register love to her personally.
God is waiting on your willingness and permission. He is willing and able to love and triumph through you. As always, it is your choice. Choosing love is choosing life and it will go well with you. For more detailed instruction, get Nancy Missler's book, "The Way of Agape" from www.kingshighway.org. God is able even when you are not.
Don't forget the sling that gives these stones power, velocity and aim is your mouth. What you say out of your mouth changes the atmosphere around you and either enables your God or your enemy to work. YOU are the one that has been given power and authority over the power of the enemy. The Word of God spoken from your mouth is what destroys your Enemy. You have to open your mouth and speak words of praise, thanksgiving, joy and love.
The fifth smooth stone is LOVING. Notice I didn't say love - it is loving. Loving is action. It is also an attitude. It can be shown by words, deeds, prayers and most of all, the expression on your face. The two commandments Christ gave us is to love God and to love the other humans. These two actions will determine whether your life is good or miserable regardless of the exterior circumstances. Corrie ten Boom loved in a concentration camp. She triumphed over evil with the good God had given her. You too can triumph over whatever the world or your enemy throws at you.
In fact, love is God's power that triumphs. Jesus Christ demonstrated that love and power when He willingly laid down His life for us even while we were yet sinners, hostile and enemies in our minds to God. He is the living illustration of Father's great love for you. No greater love has any man that he would lay down his life for his friend. You are greatly loved and therefore can love greatly. The love you dispense is not your own natural affection. You cannot conjure up love - you must yield to it. God is love and is willing to flow His love through you if you are willing. That is all it takes - be willing to yield to Christ who is love and who has love for that difficult person in your life.
All of us know by experience how exhausting it is to be nice and loving to these difficult ones. Each of us has made resolutions to try to be more loving, but failed miserably even with the best intentions. That is because we have tried to give them our love - love we have generated on our own. There is a limit to our love and it is easily depleted. God's love, however, is limitless and does not depend on the other person's behavior or lovableness (or ours for that matter).
Our feelings are NOT our guide. As in all things with God - it is His Word, not our feelings, that matter and His Word that is the TRUTH! Our feelings will change and come in line with His Word as we give Him permission to love that person through us. This is a faith choice, not a feeling choice. However, your feelings will align with that faith choice as you give God permission. All God asks is for you to be willing for Him to love through you. When faced with this dilemma simply say, "Lord, I am willing to obey your command to love. I give you permission to love this person through me. I hand over all my hurt feelings and my expectations of them and I yield to your Spirit of love."
Here's an example from my life to illustrate this profitable truth. My mother-in-law (MIL) had come to visit and I was doing everything in my power to gain her approval. The more I tried, the less I felt approved. In frustration, I went to a Bible study where they asked for prayer requests. I presented my MIL scenario and a lady across the room asked if I'd tried unconditional love. Love with no approval strings attached. She told me to ask God how to love my MIL His way - so I did. God gave me the idea for her upcoming birthday. I bought matching plates, cups, decorations and a special cake. We had a lovely party! Afterward, she said,"In all my life, no one has ever done a party for me. I've always baked the cakes and set up decorations. This is the first time someone has done it for me." There were tears in her eyes as well as mine when I realized God knew how to love this woman in ways that would register love to her personally.
God is waiting on your willingness and permission. He is willing and able to love and triumph through you. As always, it is your choice. Choosing love is choosing life and it will go well with you. For more detailed instruction, get Nancy Missler's book, "The Way of Agape" from www.kingshighway.org. God is able even when you are not.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Slaying the giants in your land - Smooth Stone #4
Smooth stone #4 is a Merry Heart. Proverbs, the book of Wisdom, tells us that a merry heart DOES GOOD like a cure (some translations says like a medicine, but the Hebrew word means a cure - not just a medicine). A merry heart cures more ills and evils sent by our enemy than you would think. Having a merry heart seems so simple, but it is hugely powerful because we were designed for joy. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit. The JOY of the Lord is your strength. Jesus Christ is the most joy-filled Person in the Universe. It was the JOY set before Him (you and me being saved from the kingdom of darkness) that caused Him to endure the cross and triumph in it... Now that is strength! Strength to overcome!
In the seme way, joy gives you the strength to overcome what the world throws at you and what the enemy means for evil. No wonder our enemy always tries to get us to "feel" downcast, sad, depressed and dejected. He knows the value of joy in our lives and is always trying to steal it or diminish it in some way. The good news is that you don't have to allow it. You have been given the power and authority by Christ to say NO! to you enemy and NO! to your flesh. Saying no to your flesh and no to darkness is saying YES! to God...yes to Light, yes to Life.. and yes to Good!
Joy is Good! It is one of the "goods" Christ has given you. He said to "Hold fast to that which is good." Don't let your enemy "talk" you out of it or "think" you out of it. By shutting him up you are assuring the flow of strength that comes from joy. The scripture says to "Rejoice in the Lord and AGAIN I say, rejoice." Whenever God says something 2x's, we know it is important. Rejoicing is one of the most important things you will do in a day. To rejoice is to "RE-JOY" yourself i.e.-to bring in a fresh supply of joy from the Lord into you The fastest way to "RE-JOY" yourself is to sing. Sing praises, sing songs of thanks and sing for joy.Making melody in your heart to the Lord is like being connected to an "IV" of joy to overcome the maladies of sadness.
The scriptures say it is the garment of praise that DESTROYS the spirit of heaviness. The enemy tries to cause you to focus on what "is" or the worries of what" might be" or the hurt of what "has been". His purpose is to dis-courage you (take away your courage). The word "courage" in the scriptures is the same word translated "cheer". Remember, He said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" which also translates "Be of good courage, I have overcome the world.". Cheer, joy and courage are strengths given to you by God to overcome. Overcome evil with good.
You get to choose WHO you will listen to - your enemy with his depressing, sad, sorrowful, self-pity garbage or your Savior with His encouraging words of love, comfort, faith, peace and hope. Choosing is a moment-by-moment action. Moment by moment you are choosing who is Lord over you. Thought by thought you are choosing who will occupy your mind and captivate your attention. You know by experience that bringing every thought captive to Christ will do you good. Conversely, every thought from your enemy brings you down. Learn to identify and cast down those thoughts from the enemy before they take you to an emotional place you are not willing to go.
Bringing every thought captive to Christ is not as hard as the enemy makes it seem. It is simply saying,"NO" to a thought or a mental picture flashed in your mind. The thought or picture is not from you, it is a cleverly crafted lie meant to scare you, upset you and ,in some way, turn your attention toward fear. Remember, these thoughts, "emos" and flashy pics ARE NOT YOU! The enemy has just camouflaged them to look like your thoughts. Truly, they are from the kingdom of darkness and God has BETTER thoughts for you - "thoughts to do you good and not harm - thoughts to give you HOPE (not despair) and a future."
One speedy way to "zero-in" on these thoughts is rejoicing. Singing, praising and songs of giving thanks are easy to do. God has not asked you to climb Mt Everest or run a 4 min mile or some other hard thing to do. He's asked you to rejoice, sing praise and give thanks. This is His good will and it is within your ability. In fact, it does you good to engage in these simple, wonderfully effective activities.
Although this is simple and easy to do, the enemy may put up many road block to try to deter and detour you. Do not be dissuaded - go back on task. Rejoice - sing - give thanks and you will find the supply of joy and strength flowing to you and though you. GOD WANTS YOU GLAD - a merry heart does you good!
In the seme way, joy gives you the strength to overcome what the world throws at you and what the enemy means for evil. No wonder our enemy always tries to get us to "feel" downcast, sad, depressed and dejected. He knows the value of joy in our lives and is always trying to steal it or diminish it in some way. The good news is that you don't have to allow it. You have been given the power and authority by Christ to say NO! to you enemy and NO! to your flesh. Saying no to your flesh and no to darkness is saying YES! to God...yes to Light, yes to Life.. and yes to Good!
Joy is Good! It is one of the "goods" Christ has given you. He said to "Hold fast to that which is good." Don't let your enemy "talk" you out of it or "think" you out of it. By shutting him up you are assuring the flow of strength that comes from joy. The scripture says to "Rejoice in the Lord and AGAIN I say, rejoice." Whenever God says something 2x's, we know it is important. Rejoicing is one of the most important things you will do in a day. To rejoice is to "RE-JOY" yourself i.e.-to bring in a fresh supply of joy from the Lord into you The fastest way to "RE-JOY" yourself is to sing. Sing praises, sing songs of thanks and sing for joy.Making melody in your heart to the Lord is like being connected to an "IV" of joy to overcome the maladies of sadness.
The scriptures say it is the garment of praise that DESTROYS the spirit of heaviness. The enemy tries to cause you to focus on what "is" or the worries of what" might be" or the hurt of what "has been". His purpose is to dis-courage you (take away your courage). The word "courage" in the scriptures is the same word translated "cheer". Remember, He said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" which also translates "Be of good courage, I have overcome the world.". Cheer, joy and courage are strengths given to you by God to overcome. Overcome evil with good.
You get to choose WHO you will listen to - your enemy with his depressing, sad, sorrowful, self-pity garbage or your Savior with His encouraging words of love, comfort, faith, peace and hope. Choosing is a moment-by-moment action. Moment by moment you are choosing who is Lord over you. Thought by thought you are choosing who will occupy your mind and captivate your attention. You know by experience that bringing every thought captive to Christ will do you good. Conversely, every thought from your enemy brings you down. Learn to identify and cast down those thoughts from the enemy before they take you to an emotional place you are not willing to go.
Bringing every thought captive to Christ is not as hard as the enemy makes it seem. It is simply saying,"NO" to a thought or a mental picture flashed in your mind. The thought or picture is not from you, it is a cleverly crafted lie meant to scare you, upset you and ,in some way, turn your attention toward fear. Remember, these thoughts, "emos" and flashy pics ARE NOT YOU! The enemy has just camouflaged them to look like your thoughts. Truly, they are from the kingdom of darkness and God has BETTER thoughts for you - "thoughts to do you good and not harm - thoughts to give you HOPE (not despair) and a future."
One speedy way to "zero-in" on these thoughts is rejoicing. Singing, praising and songs of giving thanks are easy to do. God has not asked you to climb Mt Everest or run a 4 min mile or some other hard thing to do. He's asked you to rejoice, sing praise and give thanks. This is His good will and it is within your ability. In fact, it does you good to engage in these simple, wonderfully effective activities.
Although this is simple and easy to do, the enemy may put up many road block to try to deter and detour you. Do not be dissuaded - go back on task. Rejoice - sing - give thanks and you will find the supply of joy and strength flowing to you and though you. GOD WANTS YOU GLAD - a merry heart does you good!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Slaying the giants in your land - Smooth Stone #3
The third smooth stone that God has given us that quickly brings down the giant opposing us is praying in the Spirit. Jesus Christ himself said that it was better for us - more expedient - more profitable for us that He would go to the Father so the Holy Spirit could come individually to each one of us. The Holy Spirit is called the Promise of the Father, the Comforter, our Teacher, the one who leads and guides us into all truth and the one who brings to rememberance what Jesus Christ has said.
According to 1Cor. 14 (which describes the gift of the Holy Spirit and the power of praying in tongues), verse 2 says,"He who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God." Verse 4 says,"He who speaks in a tongue edifies (means builds up, strengthens, fortifies) himself." Verse 5 says,"I wish you ALL spoke in tongues." Verse 14 says,"For if I pray in a tongue my Spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." This means praying in the Spirit bypasses my natural mind and is the Spirit of Christ within me praying through my earthen vessel. Psalm 81:10b says,"Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
Also, 1Cor 15:16-17 notes while I am praying in tongues I am blessing well and giving thanks well. Our mouths are given to us to bless and to thank - to praise and to encourage so praying in the Spirit is accomplishing these very important purposes. In verse 18, Paul thanks God that he speaks in tongues MORE than you all. Paul is expressing gratitude for this gift of God that brings strength, power, wisdom and love to me.
The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to us by Father and is the gift of the Spirit of His Son - Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit brings with Him all of His gifts as well, which according to 1Cor 12 are word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gifts of faith, gifts of healings, gifts of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretations of tongues. Verse 11 says it is the Holy Spirit's good will to work these things severally and individually. This means that it is the good will of God to have each of these gifts personally and in abundance. God is NOT stingy with His gifts, but is lavish and bestows them for the profit of you and the other humans in your life.
This gift from the Father is so vital to our mission and quality of life that our enemy opposes it in every way he can connive. Your enemy will try to make you think it is you or jibberish or contrived or unnecessary or unprofitable or perhaps even "from the devil". This is the slant he puts on this gift so that you will not employ it. His purpose is ALWAYS to keep you under him. Praying in tongues edifies you and puts you over - over the circumstance, the enemy, your natural ability to think through the situation in your own understanding, etc. The Word cautions us not to lean on, rely on or depend on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge HIm. Praying in tongues acknowledges Him. Speaking in tongues is the Spirit of God speaking, is a language, is from God, is for you, is necessary and is hugely profitable.
Jesus Christ died to purchase this gift of speaking in tongues for you. Do not let your flesh or your enemy diminish the power and purpose of this gift. You NEED to speak in tongues regularly. You NEED to exercise this gift. This is one way the Holy Spirit supplies your NEEDS. Praying in tongues is a key lifeline. Do not leave off doing this very important and valuable activity...it is a privilege granted to you by Christ. Praying in the Spirit is the ultimate love language - you loving Him and His love flowing to you. Any time the enemy tries to diminish the value of this gift in your eyes, know the OPPOSITE is true and push through to the treasure. Don't give up - you can do ALL things because Christ is supplying His strength to you!
According to 1Cor. 14 (which describes the gift of the Holy Spirit and the power of praying in tongues), verse 2 says,"He who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God." Verse 4 says,"He who speaks in a tongue edifies (means builds up, strengthens, fortifies) himself." Verse 5 says,"I wish you ALL spoke in tongues." Verse 14 says,"For if I pray in a tongue my Spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful." This means praying in the Spirit bypasses my natural mind and is the Spirit of Christ within me praying through my earthen vessel. Psalm 81:10b says,"Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
Also, 1Cor 15:16-17 notes while I am praying in tongues I am blessing well and giving thanks well. Our mouths are given to us to bless and to thank - to praise and to encourage so praying in the Spirit is accomplishing these very important purposes. In verse 18, Paul thanks God that he speaks in tongues MORE than you all. Paul is expressing gratitude for this gift of God that brings strength, power, wisdom and love to me.
The gift of the Holy Spirit was given to us by Father and is the gift of the Spirit of His Son - Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit brings with Him all of His gifts as well, which according to 1Cor 12 are word of wisdom, word of knowledge, gifts of faith, gifts of healings, gifts of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretations of tongues. Verse 11 says it is the Holy Spirit's good will to work these things severally and individually. This means that it is the good will of God to have each of these gifts personally and in abundance. God is NOT stingy with His gifts, but is lavish and bestows them for the profit of you and the other humans in your life.
This gift from the Father is so vital to our mission and quality of life that our enemy opposes it in every way he can connive. Your enemy will try to make you think it is you or jibberish or contrived or unnecessary or unprofitable or perhaps even "from the devil". This is the slant he puts on this gift so that you will not employ it. His purpose is ALWAYS to keep you under him. Praying in tongues edifies you and puts you over - over the circumstance, the enemy, your natural ability to think through the situation in your own understanding, etc. The Word cautions us not to lean on, rely on or depend on our own understanding, but in all our ways acknowledge HIm. Praying in tongues acknowledges Him. Speaking in tongues is the Spirit of God speaking, is a language, is from God, is for you, is necessary and is hugely profitable.
Jesus Christ died to purchase this gift of speaking in tongues for you. Do not let your flesh or your enemy diminish the power and purpose of this gift. You NEED to speak in tongues regularly. You NEED to exercise this gift. This is one way the Holy Spirit supplies your NEEDS. Praying in tongues is a key lifeline. Do not leave off doing this very important and valuable activity...it is a privilege granted to you by Christ. Praying in the Spirit is the ultimate love language - you loving Him and His love flowing to you. Any time the enemy tries to diminish the value of this gift in your eyes, know the OPPOSITE is true and push through to the treasure. Don't give up - you can do ALL things because Christ is supplying His strength to you!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Slaying the giants in your land - Smooth Stone #2
Smooth Stone #2 is Giving God Thanks. Being grateful is health to your body and health to your relationships between God and between other humans. When you give thanks, you overcome the evil of discontent , envy, jealousy and self pity. Gratefulness is the ancedote for those distructive poisons. Thanking other people and thanking God is an action that repells Satan.
Praising God and Giving Thanks are the quickest way to bring down the giants that are trying to take you captive. These two smooth stones are so highly effective because your enemy will never praise God or give God thanks - so when you do, he flees. Praising and thanking is opposite to Satan's nature so that's why it's so beneficial to you.
Don't wait to thank until you recieve something you deem "thank-worthy". Start immediately to voice what you have or see or even believe to see. Start with phrases like, "Thank you for the sunshine!", "Thank you for shoes on my feet", "Thank you for drive thrus", coffee, good books...anything! Often we just recieve these things and don't thank for them. We are worse off for not giving voice to our gratitude. Giving thanks is the difference between being a consumer instead of a receiver. A consumer takes - takes - takes, but a receiver receives and gives thanks.
Giving thanks changes how you feel (for the better)! One of the reasons giving thanks changes how you feel is that giving thanks repels the opporession of the enemy. Often times our enemy pushes "feeling buttons" that are not truly our feelings, but are intrusions into our world to make us think in wrong ways and go down wrong paths. These wrong paths end in trashed relationships, bitterness, squelched opportunites, walking according to the flesh, etc. These erroneous thoughts and feelings feed our flesh and quench the Holy Spirit's work in the very situations we're hoping will work out well.
The One we should be quenching is not the Holy Spirit, but the kingdom of darkness. Thanksgiving quenches, thwarts and destroys the agenda of that dark kingdom AND makes the way for the good will of God to be accomplished in our situation. The Bible says to give thanks to God for all things for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Many people think you are thanking God for the circumstance and thinking the circumstance is the will of God for you. That's what religion has done to this passage. The TRUTH is that giving thanks is the will of God for you and giving thanks changes you and your response to the circumstances and often the very circumstances themselves.
It is nearly impossible to start saying words of thankfulness without a smile overtaking your face and soon, your disposition. So open your mouth and GIVE THANKS and PRAISE - this sends your enemy packing and brings the joy of the Lord.
Praising God and Giving Thanks are the quickest way to bring down the giants that are trying to take you captive. These two smooth stones are so highly effective because your enemy will never praise God or give God thanks - so when you do, he flees. Praising and thanking is opposite to Satan's nature so that's why it's so beneficial to you.
Don't wait to thank until you recieve something you deem "thank-worthy". Start immediately to voice what you have or see or even believe to see. Start with phrases like, "Thank you for the sunshine!", "Thank you for shoes on my feet", "Thank you for drive thrus", coffee, good books...anything! Often we just recieve these things and don't thank for them. We are worse off for not giving voice to our gratitude. Giving thanks is the difference between being a consumer instead of a receiver. A consumer takes - takes - takes, but a receiver receives and gives thanks.
Giving thanks changes how you feel (for the better)! One of the reasons giving thanks changes how you feel is that giving thanks repels the opporession of the enemy. Often times our enemy pushes "feeling buttons" that are not truly our feelings, but are intrusions into our world to make us think in wrong ways and go down wrong paths. These wrong paths end in trashed relationships, bitterness, squelched opportunites, walking according to the flesh, etc. These erroneous thoughts and feelings feed our flesh and quench the Holy Spirit's work in the very situations we're hoping will work out well.
The One we should be quenching is not the Holy Spirit, but the kingdom of darkness. Thanksgiving quenches, thwarts and destroys the agenda of that dark kingdom AND makes the way for the good will of God to be accomplished in our situation. The Bible says to give thanks to God for all things for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Many people think you are thanking God for the circumstance and thinking the circumstance is the will of God for you. That's what religion has done to this passage. The TRUTH is that giving thanks is the will of God for you and giving thanks changes you and your response to the circumstances and often the very circumstances themselves.
It is nearly impossible to start saying words of thankfulness without a smile overtaking your face and soon, your disposition. So open your mouth and GIVE THANKS and PRAISE - this sends your enemy packing and brings the joy of the Lord.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Slaying the giants in your land - Smooth Stone #1
Putting God's Word into practice - that's what we want to do. When David was facing Goliath, he first went to the river bed, picked up five smooth stones and put them in his bag. Why FIVE smooth stones? Goliath had four brothers. In your life, God has give you five smooth stones. They are in your bag and they will subdue Goliath and all his brothers.
The first of the five smooth stones is PRAISE. God instructs us to praise Him not because He has a big ego and needs to hear how great He is. No! He tells us to praise Him because WE need to hear how great HE is. Plus our enemy needs to be told what we know about God and His power. Praise is us saying what God is and what He has done. Praise is not warm fuzzies and emotional dribble about how we "feel" about God. There is a place for that emotional display, but praise is something very different.
Praise is you telling you Who God is and What God has done. When you praise God, your inner ear hears the Truth which will subdue what your eyes are seeing (i.e. the circumstance). This is putting into practice "walking by faith and not by sight". Praise is re-MINDING you of the power of God over those circumstances you are looking at and over the emotions you are feeling. Because Jesus Christ stripped the devil of all his powers, deceit is the enemy's ONLY option. Using deceit, the enemy plants thoughts and pushes emotional buttons to try and get you to be your own worst enemy and act contrary to God and to your best interest. DON'T TAKE THE BAIT! It's not you - it's your enemy. Recognize the difference. Then, use praise to send the enemy packing! Praising God is your trump card - it beats the enemy every time.
How does the smooth stone get from you to the giant's head to bring him down? The slingshot that give velocity and direction to that smooth stone is your very own mouth. God provides everything you need - you just need to open up your mouth and SAY IT!
Next blog will reveal smooth stone #2!
The first of the five smooth stones is PRAISE. God instructs us to praise Him not because He has a big ego and needs to hear how great He is. No! He tells us to praise Him because WE need to hear how great HE is. Plus our enemy needs to be told what we know about God and His power. Praise is us saying what God is and what He has done. Praise is not warm fuzzies and emotional dribble about how we "feel" about God. There is a place for that emotional display, but praise is something very different.
Praise is you telling you Who God is and What God has done. When you praise God, your inner ear hears the Truth which will subdue what your eyes are seeing (i.e. the circumstance). This is putting into practice "walking by faith and not by sight". Praise is re-MINDING you of the power of God over those circumstances you are looking at and over the emotions you are feeling. Because Jesus Christ stripped the devil of all his powers, deceit is the enemy's ONLY option. Using deceit, the enemy plants thoughts and pushes emotional buttons to try and get you to be your own worst enemy and act contrary to God and to your best interest. DON'T TAKE THE BAIT! It's not you - it's your enemy. Recognize the difference. Then, use praise to send the enemy packing! Praising God is your trump card - it beats the enemy every time.
How does the smooth stone get from you to the giant's head to bring him down? The slingshot that give velocity and direction to that smooth stone is your very own mouth. God provides everything you need - you just need to open up your mouth and SAY IT!
Next blog will reveal smooth stone #2!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
To quench or not to quench...and WHO to quench; that is the question.
Dear Ones,
You have been given the greatest gift on this planet...the Holy Spirit of Christ IS the gift of God to us. Christ Jesus thought it so important for you to have the Comforter. He said that this gift would be what would make us different from all others on this planet. When you have the Holy Spirit, you ARE a new creation, i.e., a human being with the very Spirit of Christ living in your earthen body; that had never before happened in the history of this world. Yet, I see many Christians living without allowing this power to transform them and their situations. God told us in 1 Corinthians 14 the value, the perks, the benefits of having this gift. But our enemy tries to do the "Jedi mind trick" by saying things like, "You need to think this through.", "You need to figure this out.", and all other such LIES. The truth is that the Holy Spirit is the only one who knows what you should do and he communicates that to you by by-passing your mind and speaking to your spirit...that what speaking in tongues is--building you up in faith, giving you courage and direction.
The one you need to quench is the father of lies, Satan. His kingdom of darkness will never help you out! He always means to do you harm no matter how fancy he dresses up the lies. I often see Christians letting him talk unhindered. Throughout the day, they listen to his thoughts, reasonings and arguments until they end up adopting these thoughts as their very own. Soon, they are being directed by this mindset into the very pit they need to avoid. All the while, the Holy Spirit is available to that very same human so that they may overcome Evil with the Good that God has given us. The Holy Spirit is good. Praying in the Spirit is good. It is good for you. It is good for the Kingdom of His dear Son. The Holy Spirit will always benefit you. Every transaction with Him will result in good.
For instance,when you "bring a thought captive" to Him, you get wisdom and truth instead of the stinky lies the enemy was trying to pawn off on you. When you "cast your care" on Him, you get peace instead of the turmoil the enemy had planned for you.When you "give thanks" rather than complain, you get power going that will actually change the circumstances for the better! Complaing opens the door for the Destroyer to work against you, but thanks giving slams the door on destruction and makes the way for God's GOOD will to come into your arena.And, best of all, when you praise Him, you send evil FAR from you-praise is your best tool to "resist the devil." Notice how many quotation marks are in the last few sentences...that is because these are quotes from the Bible! These are instructions from God's very own Word that tell us how to overcome.
Being do-ers of the Word results in lfe, life, life(there is the abundant life He came to give us!) but, the enemy desires us to squander that life by worrying, fearing, complaining. Wake up. Shake off those heavy bands, lift up those Holy hands and praise the Lord!! Let ALL God's people Praise the Lord. Say His praises with YOUR mouth. Cleanse the atmosphere around you by praise and thanks.
You have been given the greatest gift on this planet...the Holy Spirit of Christ IS the gift of God to us. Christ Jesus thought it so important for you to have the Comforter. He said that this gift would be what would make us different from all others on this planet. When you have the Holy Spirit, you ARE a new creation, i.e., a human being with the very Spirit of Christ living in your earthen body; that had never before happened in the history of this world. Yet, I see many Christians living without allowing this power to transform them and their situations. God told us in 1 Corinthians 14 the value, the perks, the benefits of having this gift. But our enemy tries to do the "Jedi mind trick" by saying things like, "You need to think this through.", "You need to figure this out.", and all other such LIES. The truth is that the Holy Spirit is the only one who knows what you should do and he communicates that to you by by-passing your mind and speaking to your spirit...that what speaking in tongues is--building you up in faith, giving you courage and direction.
The one you need to quench is the father of lies, Satan. His kingdom of darkness will never help you out! He always means to do you harm no matter how fancy he dresses up the lies. I often see Christians letting him talk unhindered. Throughout the day, they listen to his thoughts, reasonings and arguments until they end up adopting these thoughts as their very own. Soon, they are being directed by this mindset into the very pit they need to avoid. All the while, the Holy Spirit is available to that very same human so that they may overcome Evil with the Good that God has given us. The Holy Spirit is good. Praying in the Spirit is good. It is good for you. It is good for the Kingdom of His dear Son. The Holy Spirit will always benefit you. Every transaction with Him will result in good.
For instance,when you "bring a thought captive" to Him, you get wisdom and truth instead of the stinky lies the enemy was trying to pawn off on you. When you "cast your care" on Him, you get peace instead of the turmoil the enemy had planned for you.When you "give thanks" rather than complain, you get power going that will actually change the circumstances for the better! Complaing opens the door for the Destroyer to work against you, but thanks giving slams the door on destruction and makes the way for God's GOOD will to come into your arena.And, best of all, when you praise Him, you send evil FAR from you-praise is your best tool to "resist the devil." Notice how many quotation marks are in the last few sentences...that is because these are quotes from the Bible! These are instructions from God's very own Word that tell us how to overcome.
Being do-ers of the Word results in lfe, life, life(there is the abundant life He came to give us!) but, the enemy desires us to squander that life by worrying, fearing, complaining. Wake up. Shake off those heavy bands, lift up those Holy hands and praise the Lord!! Let ALL God's people Praise the Lord. Say His praises with YOUR mouth. Cleanse the atmosphere around you by praise and thanks.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Comforted, not condemned
Religion paints the Holy Spirit as the one who convicts us...that nagging - pointing finger that says what you did wrong, what you didn't do well enough, where you fell short again, etc. But God tells us the Holy Spirit has been given to us to COMFORT us, not condemn us. The condemning words are being fed to us by the one who masquerades as an angel of light that sounds pious, but under the thin veil is condemnation.
After listening to the enemy, we are ready to give up and throw in the towel. You feel like you want to shrink away and withdraw because you just can't seem to get anything right. Those feelings and thoughts are the tell-tale sign that the enemy of our soul is talking to us and it's not the Holy Spirit speaking.
The Holy Spirit is given to us as a gift from Father God to comfort us, to give us strength and to give us a steady supply of faith, hope and love. He's the conduit of grace and strength and wisdom. He is extremely generous to us humans. Sometimes we unknowingly quench Him and frustrate His grace because we do not discern WHO is talking to us. When you listen to the enemy, you are quenching the Holy Spirit. When you listen to the Holy Spirit, you are quenching your enemy!
The "business" of overcoming is one of the major reasons we are on this planet. The Holy Spirit is the means that God has chosen to get strength to us to overcome. No wonder the enemy tries to discount and discredit His counsel to us, but when you listen to the Holy Spirit, you want to follow God. When you listen to religion (one of the kingdom of darkness's greatest facades), you feel discouraged, dirty, unworthy, hopeless, etc.
Another tactic of the kingdom of darkness is to get us to leave off praying in the Spirit. The enemy tries to get to us to forget, put off, think it is foolishness, to feel silly - he will use all manner of distractions to keep you from enjoying the power that comes from praying in the Spirit. Remember the enemy is liar and he does not want you to have the power that comes from praying in the Spirit.
In 1 Cor 14, God tells us how valuable the gift of the Holy Spirit is to our daily living. He says praying in the Spirit strengthens us with pure, unadulterated faith. Wow!!! Praying in the Spirit is how we tap into the faith-flow that is always coming from God's throne of grace.
When you don't know what to do and the enemy is trying to confuse you - pray in the Holy Spirit. It won't be long before you'll have an impression or a knowing of what to do (which God will confirm through His words as well).
Next, He tells us that praying in the Spirit bypasses our natural understanding because it is directly from His Spirit, not our minds. You are not making it up (a favorite accusation of the enemy), the Holy Spirit is talking to you and through you.
There are so many benefits of praying in the Spirit. Paul says that when we are praying in the Spirit, we are "blessing well" and "giving thanks well". We are designed by God to thrive by those two activities - giving thanks and blessing. Our mouths are supposed to be filled with words of thanks and praise both to God and toward our fellow humans. It is no surprise the enemy would rather we complain, murmur, are unkind in our words, ungrateful to God and to the other humans. Those are the enemy's speech patterns and when we are talking this way, it is because our hearts are full of his garbage thoughts (remember out of the abundance of the heart, our mouth speaks).
Do you see the contrast between the Holy Spirit and the enemy? The Holy Spirit "talk" is giving thanks, blessing, praising, encouraging, etc. The enemy's talk is cursing, blaming, criticizing, finding fault, discouraging, etc. You will be filled with power, strength, courage, hope and faith when you are praying in the Spirit. Conversely, the enemy will rob you of those very things if you don't press through to keep that supply line open. It is there for you - it is a gift and it's yours!
After listening to the enemy, we are ready to give up and throw in the towel. You feel like you want to shrink away and withdraw because you just can't seem to get anything right. Those feelings and thoughts are the tell-tale sign that the enemy of our soul is talking to us and it's not the Holy Spirit speaking.
The Holy Spirit is given to us as a gift from Father God to comfort us, to give us strength and to give us a steady supply of faith, hope and love. He's the conduit of grace and strength and wisdom. He is extremely generous to us humans. Sometimes we unknowingly quench Him and frustrate His grace because we do not discern WHO is talking to us. When you listen to the enemy, you are quenching the Holy Spirit. When you listen to the Holy Spirit, you are quenching your enemy!
The "business" of overcoming is one of the major reasons we are on this planet. The Holy Spirit is the means that God has chosen to get strength to us to overcome. No wonder the enemy tries to discount and discredit His counsel to us, but when you listen to the Holy Spirit, you want to follow God. When you listen to religion (one of the kingdom of darkness's greatest facades), you feel discouraged, dirty, unworthy, hopeless, etc.
Another tactic of the kingdom of darkness is to get us to leave off praying in the Spirit. The enemy tries to get to us to forget, put off, think it is foolishness, to feel silly - he will use all manner of distractions to keep you from enjoying the power that comes from praying in the Spirit. Remember the enemy is liar and he does not want you to have the power that comes from praying in the Spirit.
In 1 Cor 14, God tells us how valuable the gift of the Holy Spirit is to our daily living. He says praying in the Spirit strengthens us with pure, unadulterated faith. Wow!!! Praying in the Spirit is how we tap into the faith-flow that is always coming from God's throne of grace.
When you don't know what to do and the enemy is trying to confuse you - pray in the Holy Spirit. It won't be long before you'll have an impression or a knowing of what to do (which God will confirm through His words as well).
Next, He tells us that praying in the Spirit bypasses our natural understanding because it is directly from His Spirit, not our minds. You are not making it up (a favorite accusation of the enemy), the Holy Spirit is talking to you and through you.
There are so many benefits of praying in the Spirit. Paul says that when we are praying in the Spirit, we are "blessing well" and "giving thanks well". We are designed by God to thrive by those two activities - giving thanks and blessing. Our mouths are supposed to be filled with words of thanks and praise both to God and toward our fellow humans. It is no surprise the enemy would rather we complain, murmur, are unkind in our words, ungrateful to God and to the other humans. Those are the enemy's speech patterns and when we are talking this way, it is because our hearts are full of his garbage thoughts (remember out of the abundance of the heart, our mouth speaks).
Do you see the contrast between the Holy Spirit and the enemy? The Holy Spirit "talk" is giving thanks, blessing, praising, encouraging, etc. The enemy's talk is cursing, blaming, criticizing, finding fault, discouraging, etc. You will be filled with power, strength, courage, hope and faith when you are praying in the Spirit. Conversely, the enemy will rob you of those very things if you don't press through to keep that supply line open. It is there for you - it is a gift and it's yours!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Remote Control
You know how you have a remote control that gives you control over what you're seeing and hearing from your TV? Well, God has given you a remote control that regulates what you hear and see in life...the stream that is coming into your life. Just like muting an annoying, unwanted commercial.
God showed me the mute button that He has provided to silence the barrage of yuck, fear, doubt and unbelief that come from the kingdom of darkness. Our mute button that silences these things is PRAISE and GIVING THANKS. This silences / mutes our enemy's taunts and torments.
Praise and thanksgiving cut through - slices through - all the enemy's arguments and defeats his best-laid plans. Giving God praise IS our mouths saying what He is and what He has done. For example, God is love. God is slow to anger. God overflows with mercy. His compassions NEVER fail. He is the God that is with us, for us and not against us. He loves us! He forgives us. He is our rescuer. He saves, heals, gives wisdom, takes away our sins and gives us His life, wipes away tears and comforts us.
These are all good things about our God that we need to say with our mouth to our enemy who desires us to feel abandoned, alone, helpless and without hope in the world. Remember Satan is The Liar and Jesus is The Truth. Saying the truth with your mouth defeats the liar.
Giving thanks and being grateful is your way to silence that selfish spirit that tries to ruin your life. The sweetness of being grateful and giving thanks to God, counteracts the sour / bitter water of selfishness and pride! Your mouth must say out loud, words of truth and faith. Faith is giving thanks for something you have not seen with your eyes.
Giving God thanks and thanking the humans is how you wrestle against and overcome those principalities, powers and rulers of darkness. You know you need to use the remote control when you feel your peace threatened or it has altogether vanished.
God showed me the mute button that He has provided to silence the barrage of yuck, fear, doubt and unbelief that come from the kingdom of darkness. Our mute button that silences these things is PRAISE and GIVING THANKS. This silences / mutes our enemy's taunts and torments.
Praise and thanksgiving cut through - slices through - all the enemy's arguments and defeats his best-laid plans. Giving God praise IS our mouths saying what He is and what He has done. For example, God is love. God is slow to anger. God overflows with mercy. His compassions NEVER fail. He is the God that is with us, for us and not against us. He loves us! He forgives us. He is our rescuer. He saves, heals, gives wisdom, takes away our sins and gives us His life, wipes away tears and comforts us.
These are all good things about our God that we need to say with our mouth to our enemy who desires us to feel abandoned, alone, helpless and without hope in the world. Remember Satan is The Liar and Jesus is The Truth. Saying the truth with your mouth defeats the liar.
Giving thanks and being grateful is your way to silence that selfish spirit that tries to ruin your life. The sweetness of being grateful and giving thanks to God, counteracts the sour / bitter water of selfishness and pride! Your mouth must say out loud, words of truth and faith. Faith is giving thanks for something you have not seen with your eyes.
Giving God thanks and thanking the humans is how you wrestle against and overcome those principalities, powers and rulers of darkness. You know you need to use the remote control when you feel your peace threatened or it has altogether vanished.
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