I may have said this before, but it's hitting me like waves: Babylonian captivity is all about worship. We go into captivity and confusion because we worship other gods. When we come out, the first thing that happens is that the true worship of God is restored.
The things we're confronted with in captivity are all the things we've worshipped instead of God: What am I trusting in? Who do I fear? What do I desire most of all? Who or what am I molding myself to? Who am I trying to please? What am I filling myself with? Who am I following? How am I getting guidance? What do I think about all the time? What do I crave? Who or what intimidates me? What am I addicted to? What am I patterning my life after? Who or what do I run to for protection? What or who do I count on for provision? For fulfillment? For worth? For identity? What are my entanglements? Who or what do I actually worship?
Because there are so many things we worship as idols instead of, or along side of, God, we might have to go into captivity more than once. But every time we are released, we are back to getting true worship established once again. This is a life process for all of us, I think. The faster we're willing to relinquish our idols the quicker we are out of captivity and into freedom.
If we want God's abiding glory, we must first turn away from our idols (and this is why God identifies them to us and shows us His perspective on them). Then we must follow God's directions for establishing true worship. While this is happening, there will be opposition.
In these chapters today we see opposing ages and the spiritual rulers of these ages at work. There is this present age of the world (which is reaching its end), and the satanic spirits that rule over it. There is also the Kingdom age (which began with Christ's appearance in the world). That has been a mystery that has slowly been revealed since then, and is still being progressively revealed. The Spirit of Truth is the ruling spirit of the Kingdom Age.
Every person has to choose which age he or she will partake of. We are born, naturally, into this present worldly age. What could we call it? The age of rebellion? The age of lies? When we're born again, we begin to partake of the Kingdom age in some ways. But just because we're born again in the spirit doesn't mean we're able to understand or accept much of it-- it's so different than what we've gotten used to. We find ourselves in two opposing kingdoms and two opposing ages at once, and we are mighty confused!
From what Paul is saying about wisdom and spirit, I understand that the wisdom of this age comes from the heart of pride and rebellion that originated with satan. The wisdom of the Kingdom of Christ proceeds from the heart of God. Since it's written that it's the spirit of man that knows the "things of a man" and that the Spirit of God knows the deep things of God, I'm taking it that the wisdom of this age is also what comes from the heart of man separated from God. Satan is completely obsessed with man, however, so it takes discerning of spirits to sometimes be able to tell the difference between what's coming from man's spirit and what's coming from demonic spirits.
The spirit of man gravitates one way or the other. People are going to receive from demonic spirits or the Spirit of God, like it or not. If we've not put ourselves in subjection to the Kingdom of God, then we're subjected to the kingdom of rebellion (or lies, or darkness). The "rulers of this age," that Paul speaks of, can't logically be human, as he's talking about the fact that they crucified Christ, not knowing that He would be risen from the dead. Obviously, they worked through people. These spirits are still around, still working through people, trying to keep the Kingdom of God from prevailing. Too late! They've been defeated. They didn't stop it from coming and they didn't even see what was going to happen. They can't possibly stop it. The glorious reign of Christ on earth is inevitable.
Carnally minded people, even Christians, have a hard (or impossible) time seeing what's going on in the Kingdom of God. Until we reject the idols of this present age of rebellion, we can't be spiritually minded. Until we are spiritually minded, we can't receive the deep things of God revealed by the Spirit of God. When we are worshipping idols, we are still receiving only the wisdom of this age, the same "wisdom" that blindly crucified Christ.
Wrongly directed worship destroys the fruit of the Spirit in us and tears down the seed of the Word in us. It defiles and defames the temple. When we get disgusted with living in the age of rebellion, and reject its idols, we can then become cleansed from their influence and become a vessel for pure worship of God. We begin to have the fruit of the Spirit in abundance. Instead of ourselves usurping the throne of our hearts (being actually "puppet kings" of satan), then Christ is welcomed as King of kings, and we are holy participants in the Kingdom Age. We are now worshiping Him in whatever areas we are not rebelling against Him as King. He is working on getting all of us to absolute worship of Him! Give us an undivided heart to worship You! Glory!!
The Kingdom Age has glories in it we are only beginning to see as we come out from this putrid cloud of darkness. The Spirit of God delights to reveal these things to us; Jesus Christ knows all things of the Father's heart, and instructs the Spirit to reveal them to us when we are ready to receive them.
I hope this helps you to rise up and put off everything that hinders you from worshiping God purely from the heart. It certainly does motivate me!
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.
For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2: 9-10 NKJV
Questions to ponder:
Has your concept of idol worship changed?
What idol or idols in your life has the Spirit of God identified to you today, or recently?
How is He motivating you to turn away from them?
What is He showing you to do that will replace the practices of idol worship?
What glimpse of His glory has He given you to keep you wanting the deep things of God?
Showing posts with label Satan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Satan. Show all posts
Friday, August 6, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
April 27, 2010
What do you do if somebody mocks you? I don't mean just playing, I'm mean really. They're trash-talking you-- really belittling you, and maybe by implication, God. I haven't had a person do this to me in a long time, but the devil tries to do it in my thoughts sometimes. What do you do?
When Jesus was mocked, He didn't reply. He didn't get angry or mock back. He didn't fight them off when they put a crown of thorns on his head, mocking him. He certainly didn't do what Gideon did! Jesus, while dealing with the people, was silent, except to offer forgiveness, even as He died on the cross. He didn't try to prove himself, defend himself, or take revenge.
On the other hand, with d'devil, it was different. Jesus totally trounced Satan, breaking into his domain, and taking from him the keys of hell and death! We don't know what Jesus said to Satan then, but He would never engage in prideful mockery; perhaps He warned Satan of his future imprisonment, and his eventual destruction. For once, Satan was probably speechless! I still don't think he's gotten over Jesus rising from the dead.
Follow Jesus' example when dealing with mocking people. When dealing with the devil, do what Gideon did (in a spiritual sense). Be aggressive when the devil mocks you and tries to steal your confidence in God. (You have to watch out for the lies after you have a great victory. Beware!) Don't listen to anything the devil has to say-- just say no! Fight him with the Word-- what Jesus has said and done-- and that will be like torturing the devil with thorns; then tear down his stronghold.
When Jesus was mocked, He didn't reply. He didn't get angry or mock back. He didn't fight them off when they put a crown of thorns on his head, mocking him. He certainly didn't do what Gideon did! Jesus, while dealing with the people, was silent, except to offer forgiveness, even as He died on the cross. He didn't try to prove himself, defend himself, or take revenge.
On the other hand, with d'devil, it was different. Jesus totally trounced Satan, breaking into his domain, and taking from him the keys of hell and death! We don't know what Jesus said to Satan then, but He would never engage in prideful mockery; perhaps He warned Satan of his future imprisonment, and his eventual destruction. For once, Satan was probably speechless! I still don't think he's gotten over Jesus rising from the dead.
Follow Jesus' example when dealing with mocking people. When dealing with the devil, do what Gideon did (in a spiritual sense). Be aggressive when the devil mocks you and tries to steal your confidence in God. (You have to watch out for the lies after you have a great victory. Beware!) Don't listen to anything the devil has to say-- just say no! Fight him with the Word-- what Jesus has said and done-- and that will be like torturing the devil with thorns; then tear down his stronghold.
Monday, April 26, 2010
April 26, 2010
Empowerment: that is the word that comes to me through the readings today, and yesterday's too (I'm sure you've noticed, I'm not writing on Sundays). I see the theme of God rising up through His faithful people to come against evil and oppression. "For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth." Psalm 96:13 Yes, Jesus is coming again as the Righteous Judge and King! Come quickly, Lord! In the meantime, He does call people to rise up and lead people to fight against wickedness, as we see in Gideon, and yesterday, in Deborah.
I often wonder how often the Church is responsible for what goes on in the world. How many times is it our turning away from God that allows evil to work, and how often is it our prayerlessness and lack of vigilance that allows evil to continue? Righteouness and judgment are part of God's nature. How does that affect us? Whenever the Israelites started serving other gods, they got overrun and oppressed by enemies. When they called out to God in repentance, they were given judges to help them overcome. You never know-- you might end up to be a Deborah or a Gideon whom the Lord might call and empower to fight evil. And like Jael, you might be a stay-at-home mom who the Lord uses to fight evil, right there in her own home!
It is so significant that Gideon's revelation of God was Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord is Peace. Did it ever occur to you that Jesus, always knowing what was in people's hearts and what would happen, told the disciples to bring swords so that He could teach them (even while He was being arrested) that God's battles are not fought with human strength, and that we must seek His strategies. Peter's lack of internal peace caused him to act impulsively out of fear and anger, cutting off a servant's ear. Without this on-the-field training, he could have become the next anti-Roman revolutionary. [A bonus spiritual insight: if we speak, even the Word of God, impulsively and without a love motivation and the leading of the Spirit, we can wound people and hinder them from being able to hear God's voice for themselves].
I've noticed two particular extremes of thought and behavior: 1) activists who want to take on every evil they see, and seem to do it passionately and with every means possible, righteous or not; and 2) "separatists" who want to think only of our future in heaven and who don't pay any attention to what is going on here. I really don't see the leading of the Spirit too much in either of these stances. The way I see it, if you're stuck in a "program", it's the program leading you, not the Lord. Our mindset needs to be: know the Lord and do what He says.
I'm not trying to get into a debate about war here, and I'm not answering questions about whether nations should go to war or not. What I'm talking about is individuals and their response to God. I'm talking about spiritual warfare, not natural. It should be clear, by now, that the Israel in the Old Testament was a living parable about spiritual things. God's not telling you to take a tent peg and hammer it through somebody's temple! He's not telling you to bomb an abortion clinic or to assassinate someone. But that doesn't mean we're supposed to sit around and do nothing. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Luke 18: 7-8
Jesus went to the cross because mankind needed to be delivered from the power of darkness. He now sits on the right hand of God, in power and authority. Satan is defeated, and yet, he seems to be running rampant in the world. What to do? What to do?
I don't claim to have answers for everything. I know that there are end-time things that are happening, absolutes that have been prophesied and cannot be changed. Satan will be allowed to do things, and we won't be given power to stop him, not until the Lord comes back and we fight Satan together. However, one thing I know: we, each and every Christian, have been given authority to put an end to all demonic activity and oppression in our own life. If every Christian alive on earth never allowed Satan to do anything in their own areas of dominion, starting first and foremost in their own mind, what would this do on Earth?
This is one goal of mine, after being led at all times by the Spirit of Truth, and that is not to give the devil a single opportunity. If every Christian walked free, as Christ means for us to do, the level of freedom in each of our nations would rise as well. If we desire to fight spiritual wickedness in high places-- principalities and powers that have a hold over many areas of influence, people and nations-- we must first win on the personal front.
Gideon was not expecting the visitation he received. Gideon had never been to war as far as I know-- he was a farm-boy. Yet the angel of the Lord greeted him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior." Gideon saw himself, in the natural, as a weak nobody. But he could apparently hear God, and maybe he was an intercessor. "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel."
Do you think of yourself as weak, or a nobody? God sees you differently! If you have received Christ and are born-again, then you have the Spirit of God in you! You have the Word, the Sword of the Spirit! Jesus, the King, is mighty in you! Your next battlefield is whatever comes up in your life that fights against the Truth! God has called you to be an overcomer. And whatever you overcome in your own life will be what God can work through you in to deliver others. No need to use a fleece. You've got more than Gideon did: you've got a new nature, and the internal leading of the Spirit! Go in this might of yours and conquer!
I often wonder how often the Church is responsible for what goes on in the world. How many times is it our turning away from God that allows evil to work, and how often is it our prayerlessness and lack of vigilance that allows evil to continue? Righteouness and judgment are part of God's nature. How does that affect us? Whenever the Israelites started serving other gods, they got overrun and oppressed by enemies. When they called out to God in repentance, they were given judges to help them overcome. You never know-- you might end up to be a Deborah or a Gideon whom the Lord might call and empower to fight evil. And like Jael, you might be a stay-at-home mom who the Lord uses to fight evil, right there in her own home!
It is so significant that Gideon's revelation of God was Jehovah-Shalom: The Lord is Peace. Did it ever occur to you that Jesus, always knowing what was in people's hearts and what would happen, told the disciples to bring swords so that He could teach them (even while He was being arrested) that God's battles are not fought with human strength, and that we must seek His strategies. Peter's lack of internal peace caused him to act impulsively out of fear and anger, cutting off a servant's ear. Without this on-the-field training, he could have become the next anti-Roman revolutionary. [A bonus spiritual insight: if we speak, even the Word of God, impulsively and without a love motivation and the leading of the Spirit, we can wound people and hinder them from being able to hear God's voice for themselves].
I've noticed two particular extremes of thought and behavior: 1) activists who want to take on every evil they see, and seem to do it passionately and with every means possible, righteous or not; and 2) "separatists" who want to think only of our future in heaven and who don't pay any attention to what is going on here. I really don't see the leading of the Spirit too much in either of these stances. The way I see it, if you're stuck in a "program", it's the program leading you, not the Lord. Our mindset needs to be: know the Lord and do what He says.
I'm not trying to get into a debate about war here, and I'm not answering questions about whether nations should go to war or not. What I'm talking about is individuals and their response to God. I'm talking about spiritual warfare, not natural. It should be clear, by now, that the Israel in the Old Testament was a living parable about spiritual things. God's not telling you to take a tent peg and hammer it through somebody's temple! He's not telling you to bomb an abortion clinic or to assassinate someone. But that doesn't mean we're supposed to sit around and do nothing. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Luke 18: 7-8
Jesus went to the cross because mankind needed to be delivered from the power of darkness. He now sits on the right hand of God, in power and authority. Satan is defeated, and yet, he seems to be running rampant in the world. What to do? What to do?
I don't claim to have answers for everything. I know that there are end-time things that are happening, absolutes that have been prophesied and cannot be changed. Satan will be allowed to do things, and we won't be given power to stop him, not until the Lord comes back and we fight Satan together. However, one thing I know: we, each and every Christian, have been given authority to put an end to all demonic activity and oppression in our own life. If every Christian alive on earth never allowed Satan to do anything in their own areas of dominion, starting first and foremost in their own mind, what would this do on Earth?
This is one goal of mine, after being led at all times by the Spirit of Truth, and that is not to give the devil a single opportunity. If every Christian walked free, as Christ means for us to do, the level of freedom in each of our nations would rise as well. If we desire to fight spiritual wickedness in high places-- principalities and powers that have a hold over many areas of influence, people and nations-- we must first win on the personal front.
Gideon was not expecting the visitation he received. Gideon had never been to war as far as I know-- he was a farm-boy. Yet the angel of the Lord greeted him, "The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior." Gideon saw himself, in the natural, as a weak nobody. But he could apparently hear God, and maybe he was an intercessor. "Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel."
Do you think of yourself as weak, or a nobody? God sees you differently! If you have received Christ and are born-again, then you have the Spirit of God in you! You have the Word, the Sword of the Spirit! Jesus, the King, is mighty in you! Your next battlefield is whatever comes up in your life that fights against the Truth! God has called you to be an overcomer. And whatever you overcome in your own life will be what God can work through you in to deliver others. No need to use a fleece. You've got more than Gideon did: you've got a new nature, and the internal leading of the Spirit! Go in this might of yours and conquer!
Saturday, March 20, 2010
March 20, 2010
Have you ever been "in the wilderness" experiencing God's spiritual feast while you are distanced from earthly things? I believe it's a necessary place to be in preparation for ministry. Jesus was there, and while He was, Satan came to tempt and test Him. I see three areas He was tempted in: 1) His physical existence, 2) His purpose, and 3) His identity. In any one of these areas, He could have reacted according to the flesh, but He walked in the Spirit and overcame with God's Word. We can all do the same, with His help.
In the area of physical existence, we are constantly challenged to rise above the worldly way of living and follow God's instructions. He is to be our source in every way. The wilderness shows us where we are relying on things other than God to sustain us and meet our needs. As a personal example, when I fasted from shopping I became aware of how I was using it to cope with anxiety.
In the area of purpose, did you notice the theme of "authority" being expanded? That again could be a whole blog in itself! Let's just think about Jesus' purpose. He knew what He was supposed to do, but it was obviously not to be done the way Satan suggested. It looks obvious here to us as we read it, but our enemy tries the same approach on all of us-- it just seems more subtle when we're in the middle of it.
We have to be on our guard, particularly when we feel we are clear on what our calling is and we are headed for it. Satan will try to avert us from the path of truth and get us to accomplish, in our own strength, whatever God has told us to do. If we didn't pass the "physical existence" test, we will be easy prey in this area. Look what happened to Balaam. It seemed that he had repented from his oracle-for-pay lifestyle, but today we read that he was responsible for a despicable plan to bring Israel down. He was slain in the vengence against Midian. What a reminder to maintain the fear of the Lord and not be driven by greed! I'm sure greed is the reason many called prophetic people err, and even become false.
If the enemy can't stop you with the first two assaults, he will aim at the heart of your being. "Who are you, really?" "Why would God ever do that for you?" I have many times, during this kind of test, felt like a delusional person while the enemy taunts me with "you are nobody" and "you're just nacissistic." When my pastor shared that Jesus' last reply was "It is said," Luke 4:12, it revolutionized my understanding of the wilderness experience. It's when the Lord has applied Scripture to you, or given you a vision, etc., and you've received it in your heart ("You are my child." "This is what we're going to do."), that you can use Biblical truth to overcome the lies of the enemy. Just quoting Scripture isn't going to do it if you don't believe the Word in your heart. And it doesn't have to be written word-for-word in the Bible if it's truth from God (you should test everything you hear or see against Scripture to make sure).
Again, you can use whatever God had said to you, or shown you in any way, as part of your warfare. Here's an example. During my second pregnancy, the Lord said to me "Your baby is going to come early, but it's going to be alright." Not long after, I had a dream (or vision) of my son grown up. There were many times, during the course of labor and delivery, two months early, and afterwards while my son was very ill or had problems, I held on to the words and vision from the Lord. Scripture all backed me up in my faith, of course, but it was the strength of direct revelation from the Lord that kept me going in the middle of distress. Many times I had to refuse to follow advice from "experts." Now, my son is grown up and married, and he is a wonderful, talented and successful man of God. And I know that God's not done fulfilling His word. Praise the Lord!
That was a lot of words to say: embrace the wilderness-- because when you come forth, having been tried by fire, you will see the word of the Lord fulfilled.
In the area of physical existence, we are constantly challenged to rise above the worldly way of living and follow God's instructions. He is to be our source in every way. The wilderness shows us where we are relying on things other than God to sustain us and meet our needs. As a personal example, when I fasted from shopping I became aware of how I was using it to cope with anxiety.
In the area of purpose, did you notice the theme of "authority" being expanded? That again could be a whole blog in itself! Let's just think about Jesus' purpose. He knew what He was supposed to do, but it was obviously not to be done the way Satan suggested. It looks obvious here to us as we read it, but our enemy tries the same approach on all of us-- it just seems more subtle when we're in the middle of it.
We have to be on our guard, particularly when we feel we are clear on what our calling is and we are headed for it. Satan will try to avert us from the path of truth and get us to accomplish, in our own strength, whatever God has told us to do. If we didn't pass the "physical existence" test, we will be easy prey in this area. Look what happened to Balaam. It seemed that he had repented from his oracle-for-pay lifestyle, but today we read that he was responsible for a despicable plan to bring Israel down. He was slain in the vengence against Midian. What a reminder to maintain the fear of the Lord and not be driven by greed! I'm sure greed is the reason many called prophetic people err, and even become false.
If the enemy can't stop you with the first two assaults, he will aim at the heart of your being. "Who are you, really?" "Why would God ever do that for you?" I have many times, during this kind of test, felt like a delusional person while the enemy taunts me with "you are nobody" and "you're just nacissistic." When my pastor shared that Jesus' last reply was "It is said," Luke 4:12, it revolutionized my understanding of the wilderness experience. It's when the Lord has applied Scripture to you, or given you a vision, etc., and you've received it in your heart ("You are my child." "This is what we're going to do."), that you can use Biblical truth to overcome the lies of the enemy. Just quoting Scripture isn't going to do it if you don't believe the Word in your heart. And it doesn't have to be written word-for-word in the Bible if it's truth from God (you should test everything you hear or see against Scripture to make sure).
Again, you can use whatever God had said to you, or shown you in any way, as part of your warfare. Here's an example. During my second pregnancy, the Lord said to me "Your baby is going to come early, but it's going to be alright." Not long after, I had a dream (or vision) of my son grown up. There were many times, during the course of labor and delivery, two months early, and afterwards while my son was very ill or had problems, I held on to the words and vision from the Lord. Scripture all backed me up in my faith, of course, but it was the strength of direct revelation from the Lord that kept me going in the middle of distress. Many times I had to refuse to follow advice from "experts." Now, my son is grown up and married, and he is a wonderful, talented and successful man of God. And I know that God's not done fulfilling His word. Praise the Lord!
That was a lot of words to say: embrace the wilderness-- because when you come forth, having been tried by fire, you will see the word of the Lord fulfilled.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
March 16, 2010
It isn't always our own wrongdoing or negative words that bring opposition to us. Sometimes its persecution from an enemy! How do we know the difference? We have to keep on inquiring of the Lord. If things are troubling us we need to go talk to the Lord about it. By allowing God to examine us, we avoid self-justification and blame-shifting, as well as condemnation and false guilt.
David wrote in Psalm 59 "Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready." vs 3-4 All persecution arises from a real enemy who hates us: Satan. It can either come through direct activity of evil spirits, through people who are influenced by them, or from a worldly system that is given over to Satan. We should not blame everything that happens on the devil, for we can do a lot to ourselves through our choices, but we also should not ignore the fact that we have an aggressively evil foe. What do we do about this foe?
Obviously, I'm not going to go into a major teaching in this devotional on how to deal with the devil . But I will do what I've been doing all along, and that is, bring out what I see in the readings for the day. Today, I saw a few things about this:
1) recognize and proclaim that Jesus came to deliver us; the Good News is that we have a Savior! Luke 2: 10-11 (One of the things He came to save us from was Satan and his works: if this is something you don't understand yet, keep your eyes open for evidence of this as you continue reading this year.)
Follow David's example and
2) pray for deliverance and protection from your enemies (and like him, trust God and expect Him to do this). Psalm 59: 1-2
3) declare your faith and trust in God, and His goodness and faithfulness. vs 9-10
4) sing praises to God, remembering how He's protected you before.
5) trust in God's strength and not your own: "O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress." vs 9
The angel's message to the shepherds was "do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people." Luke 2: 10 Praising God through declaration and singing reminds us of this good news. Fear doesn't survive in an atmosphere of praise. And if we've lost our joy, our peace will be the next to go. Get your joy and your peace back by praising the Lord. It's a great way to activate your shield of faith, and your spiritual enemy hates it and will run the other way!
David wrote in Psalm 59 "Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O Lord, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready." vs 3-4 All persecution arises from a real enemy who hates us: Satan. It can either come through direct activity of evil spirits, through people who are influenced by them, or from a worldly system that is given over to Satan. We should not blame everything that happens on the devil, for we can do a lot to ourselves through our choices, but we also should not ignore the fact that we have an aggressively evil foe. What do we do about this foe?
Obviously, I'm not going to go into a major teaching in this devotional on how to deal with the devil . But I will do what I've been doing all along, and that is, bring out what I see in the readings for the day. Today, I saw a few things about this:
1) recognize and proclaim that Jesus came to deliver us; the Good News is that we have a Savior! Luke 2: 10-11 (One of the things He came to save us from was Satan and his works: if this is something you don't understand yet, keep your eyes open for evidence of this as you continue reading this year.)
Follow David's example and
2) pray for deliverance and protection from your enemies (and like him, trust God and expect Him to do this). Psalm 59: 1-2
3) declare your faith and trust in God, and His goodness and faithfulness. vs 9-10
4) sing praises to God, remembering how He's protected you before.
5) trust in God's strength and not your own: "O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress." vs 9
The angel's message to the shepherds was "do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people." Luke 2: 10 Praising God through declaration and singing reminds us of this good news. Fear doesn't survive in an atmosphere of praise. And if we've lost our joy, our peace will be the next to go. Get your joy and your peace back by praising the Lord. It's a great way to activate your shield of faith, and your spiritual enemy hates it and will run the other way!
Friday, March 12, 2010
March 12, 2010
Do you ever wake up in the morning with a sense of dread? I do sometimes. I learned a long time ago, from Joyce Meyer, that dread is just another form of fear. Fear is a core issue in my life, as I am sure it is with many of you. It stems from my temperament and from past experiences. These, of course, are no excuse for allowing fear to torment me and hold me back. Fear is an internal enemy, and it must be overcome.
The Psalmist had some fear to deal with as well. In Psalm 55 you can see a progression of feelings: troubled, distraught, anguished of heart, terrors of death, fear and trembling, overwhelming horror. vs. 1-5 At this point, he no longer has any fight in him, and just wants to flee. I can totally relate to these things, having suffered for many years from chronic anxiety and panic disorder. I could end up there again, but I have learned to deal with fear when it's still in its "dread" stage. When I sense dread becoming a dark cloud in my life, I go to the Lord and ask Him to shed some light on its causes.
Continuing in Psalm 55, David lists some causes for the fear he is experiencing. We all have different things we fear-- things we're dealing with internally and externally. It's good to face the things we fear, and to face the fact that we're fearful, but the cause is not really the issue. The cure is what matters.
"But I call upon God, and the Lord will save me. . . cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. . . I will trust in [God]." vs 16, 22
Dread can lead to avoidance of the very things we love and need the most, and doing that can easily lead to depression. If for some reason you begin to feel a dread of going to the Lord for help or just to be with Him, determine in yourself now that you will resist that dread with determination to overcome. If we give in to dread on a regular basis, the subtle fear will eventually become an overwhelming phobia. Satan would love for you to have a "God-phobia" so you would avoid Him at all costs. This is not the holy "fear of the Lord," but a deadly deception. Cry out to the Lord for help whenever you begin to feel dread concerning Him or His Word.
The Psalmist had some fear to deal with as well. In Psalm 55 you can see a progression of feelings: troubled, distraught, anguished of heart, terrors of death, fear and trembling, overwhelming horror. vs. 1-5 At this point, he no longer has any fight in him, and just wants to flee. I can totally relate to these things, having suffered for many years from chronic anxiety and panic disorder. I could end up there again, but I have learned to deal with fear when it's still in its "dread" stage. When I sense dread becoming a dark cloud in my life, I go to the Lord and ask Him to shed some light on its causes.
Continuing in Psalm 55, David lists some causes for the fear he is experiencing. We all have different things we fear-- things we're dealing with internally and externally. It's good to face the things we fear, and to face the fact that we're fearful, but the cause is not really the issue. The cure is what matters.
"But I call upon God, and the Lord will save me. . . cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. . . I will trust in [God]." vs 16, 22
Dread can lead to avoidance of the very things we love and need the most, and doing that can easily lead to depression. If for some reason you begin to feel a dread of going to the Lord for help or just to be with Him, determine in yourself now that you will resist that dread with determination to overcome. If we give in to dread on a regular basis, the subtle fear will eventually become an overwhelming phobia. Satan would love for you to have a "God-phobia" so you would avoid Him at all costs. This is not the holy "fear of the Lord," but a deadly deception. Cry out to the Lord for help whenever you begin to feel dread concerning Him or His Word.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
March 9, 2010
Have you ever heard the term "spiritual pride"? I understand that people use the term to mean "proud over their spirituality" or something like that, but it seems to me that pride is anything but spiritual! Satan fell by being proud, didn't he?
Remember the reading from February 26?: "But when He [Jesus] had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Mark 8:33 No matter how "spiritual" we think we are, if we're in pride, we're not walking in the Spirit. If we're arguing with Jesus, we're taking sides with the devil! Satan is a spirit, but he became carnal by being proud.
All human beings have spirits, whether they walk with Christ or not, and all spirits are not of God! Does this change your point of view about non-Christians? About spirituality?
If you can get a handle on the truth that pride originates in your spirit, it will revolutionize your Christian walk! [Bonus: there's a reason humility isn't listed in the Fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. Humility is an attitude or position of the spirit, and it is your free-will choice; it takes humility to "walk in the Spirit" in order to bear fruit.]
Moses and Jesus both demonstrated, through their words and actions, what it is to be humble. They were submitted to God. "Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth." Numbers 12:3 He had an intimate relationship with God. Jesus is the Son of God, and the most spiritual of all wouldn't you say, and He prayed, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." Mark 14:36
The readings today show both Old Testament and New Testament examples of how pride is a spiritual issue, what the outcome is, and how to avoid it. In Numbers 11, God had just transferred some of the anointing Moses had onto seventy of the elders, and they prophesied. Although Joshua expressed some concern over this, Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" 11:28-29 I'm thinking some pride was exposed by this turn of events, for it wasn't long before Aaron and Miriam rose up in criticism of Moses saying, "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" 12:1-2 Miriam must have instigated it, as she was the one who was disciplined. Do you think perhaps the Lord was giving a strong warning to those who had received the Spirit, not to walk in pride over it? How does this pertain to us?
Jesus' disciples seemed to have had the same problem. They'd been singled out to walk with Jesus day by day, and He had told them many things in private. I think they began to see themselves as very spiritual, so much so that they wouldn't receive a serious warning from Jesus. "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you," said Peter. And all of them said the same, even though Jesus had just told them they would all run off. He gave Peter, James and John the chance to "keep awake and pray," but it seems that they were overwhelmed and went to sleep instead.
Pride does not watch and pray, but humility does. Pride falls into temptation, humility falls on its face before God.
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble." Proverbs 11: 2
Remember the reading from February 26?: "But when He [Jesus] had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Mark 8:33 No matter how "spiritual" we think we are, if we're in pride, we're not walking in the Spirit. If we're arguing with Jesus, we're taking sides with the devil! Satan is a spirit, but he became carnal by being proud.
All human beings have spirits, whether they walk with Christ or not, and all spirits are not of God! Does this change your point of view about non-Christians? About spirituality?
If you can get a handle on the truth that pride originates in your spirit, it will revolutionize your Christian walk! [Bonus: there's a reason humility isn't listed in the Fruits of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. Humility is an attitude or position of the spirit, and it is your free-will choice; it takes humility to "walk in the Spirit" in order to bear fruit.]
Moses and Jesus both demonstrated, through their words and actions, what it is to be humble. They were submitted to God. "Now the man Moses was very humble, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth." Numbers 12:3 He had an intimate relationship with God. Jesus is the Son of God, and the most spiritual of all wouldn't you say, and He prayed, "Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want." Mark 14:36
The readings today show both Old Testament and New Testament examples of how pride is a spiritual issue, what the outcome is, and how to avoid it. In Numbers 11, God had just transferred some of the anointing Moses had onto seventy of the elders, and they prophesied. Although Joshua expressed some concern over this, Moses replied, "Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!" 11:28-29 I'm thinking some pride was exposed by this turn of events, for it wasn't long before Aaron and Miriam rose up in criticism of Moses saying, "Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?" 12:1-2 Miriam must have instigated it, as she was the one who was disciplined. Do you think perhaps the Lord was giving a strong warning to those who had received the Spirit, not to walk in pride over it? How does this pertain to us?
Jesus' disciples seemed to have had the same problem. They'd been singled out to walk with Jesus day by day, and He had told them many things in private. I think they began to see themselves as very spiritual, so much so that they wouldn't receive a serious warning from Jesus. "Even though I must die with you, I will not deny you," said Peter. And all of them said the same, even though Jesus had just told them they would all run off. He gave Peter, James and John the chance to "keep awake and pray," but it seems that they were overwhelmed and went to sleep instead.
Pride does not watch and pray, but humility does. Pride falls into temptation, humility falls on its face before God.
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace; but wisdom is with the humble." Proverbs 11: 2
Monday, January 25, 2010
January 25, 2010
There are a lot of voices in the world, and we have to discern which ones we're hearing, and choose our responses accordingly. The people were saying all sorts of different things about who Jesus was, but the only right answer was revealed by the Father-- Jesus is the Christ, God's Son.
Peter got that revelation, but then he heard and responded to the wrong voice (Satan's) when he rebuked Jesus.
Every revelation from God is not as overwhelming as what Peter then got on the mountain and heard God say "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to Him!' Matthew 17:5. It's still the same powerful revelation though, so hold on to it. The next time an opposing voice comes along, use this Word and shoot down the lies.
And listen to Jesus, no matter how He's speaking!
Peter got that revelation, but then he heard and responded to the wrong voice (Satan's) when he rebuked Jesus.
Every revelation from God is not as overwhelming as what Peter then got on the mountain and heard God say "This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to Him!' Matthew 17:5. It's still the same powerful revelation though, so hold on to it. The next time an opposing voice comes along, use this Word and shoot down the lies.
And listen to Jesus, no matter how He's speaking!
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