I am going through something I have never experienced in my entire life. the devil & his army of demons have been personally attacking me this past week. their primary goal is to sway me from becoming what God has for my life. beyond that the attacks have nothing to do with me at all. I am just the means to attack God Himself. by attacking me the devil is actually attacking the Father.
I have been using Galatians 2:20 quite frequently during the attacks. recently Romans 12:1 - 3 have made an impact; "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith."
- living sacrifices don't get to pick & choose what happens to them.
- in order to become holy & acceptable I must become a living sacrifice.
- it truly is my reasonable service as Jesus Christ paid for all my sins.
- Christians should only conform to Christ.
- to renew one's mind the Word of God must be implemented.
- God's will is that every child of His do His good, acceptable & perfect will.
- by doing His will, He is going to prove me to see if it still is the forefront of my life.
- upon choosing to become a living sacrifice, I have been shown who I really am in God's eyes.
- the only way I can survive the attacks is to place all my trust, as a living sacrifice, in Jesus.
God is always good and God is always right.
Showing posts with label devil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label devil. Show all posts
11/17/09
8/22/09
ever so weak
right now my faith is being tested. it’s been a year since I turned from my wicked way and ran towards the Saviour. following along behind has been the devil and his tormentors. in front of me has been God Almighty and His army of angels with flaming swords fighting for my spiritual existence. becoming the strength in all my weakness. Hallelujah!
I was reminded of I Thessalonians 5:24, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” at times I just want to cry. during those times the Lord draws closer and reminds me that I am not alone. He is the lover of my soul. He is always faithful. He will perform that great work within me.
My Adoni! My Almighty!
7/26/09
old friends
lo and behold I found out an old friend lives in my town. now this old friend knew me quite well prior to returning to God. she and I used to work together at a restaurant and did many things I am not proud of, nor willing to post.
the first thing the devil did was try to get me to return my thoughts to my past. once the Saviour defeated those thoughts, the devil launched into another immoral act. he said, well at least you can masterbate to memories. NO! Romans 12:1 tells us our body, including the mind, is a temple of the Lord.
this was the final giant from my past for God to defeat. it reminds me of David being used by God to smite Goliath in I Samuel 17. what is interesting is that David took 5 smooths stones. now no doubt he believed that God could kill him with just one, but Goliath had 4 brothers. only several years later did David and his mighty men defeat the remaining giants, II Samuel 21:22.
I can honestly say that God has cleaned me up - from the inside out. it is humbling to know that God has extended grace, provided mercy, and in lovingkindness has cleaned up this sinner. then on top of that has led me in His path. Psalm 25:8 tells us that God will teach sinners in the way. David was all too familiar with God's classroom as am I. but the coolest part is that God is willing to teach sinners if the sinner is willing to be taught. it just has to be in His time and in His way.
the first thing the devil did was try to get me to return my thoughts to my past. once the Saviour defeated those thoughts, the devil launched into another immoral act. he said, well at least you can masterbate to memories. NO! Romans 12:1 tells us our body, including the mind, is a temple of the Lord.
this was the final giant from my past for God to defeat. it reminds me of David being used by God to smite Goliath in I Samuel 17. what is interesting is that David took 5 smooths stones. now no doubt he believed that God could kill him with just one, but Goliath had 4 brothers. only several years later did David and his mighty men defeat the remaining giants, II Samuel 21:22.
I can honestly say that God has cleaned me up - from the inside out. it is humbling to know that God has extended grace, provided mercy, and in lovingkindness has cleaned up this sinner. then on top of that has led me in His path. Psalm 25:8 tells us that God will teach sinners in the way. David was all too familiar with God's classroom as am I. but the coolest part is that God is willing to teach sinners if the sinner is willing to be taught. it just has to be in His time and in His way.
6/2/09
the word is redeemed
I was wrong and I admit it. my post on 5/28 was half truth and half false as part of it was me listening to the devil. the section about being disqualified to serve God as a missionary is a lie the devil had me half-believing. if I had chosen to wait one more day, then I would have been able to refute the devil and his lie with a solid portion of scripture (beyond what I already was quoting - I Cor. 10:5).
here is how it went down... at the same time the Father ordered me to do something specific in regards to my call, the devil butted in and tried to mess things up. I'm learning the devil is having to come up with new game plans as the old ones don't work anymore. PRAISE GOD! what the Father was trying to get me to see is that currently I am unqualified, not disqualified, but He will train me to become qualified. every task He gives brings me one step closer to becoming qualified and one step closer to His plan. trust me, these lessons were never taught in Bible college!
this has taught me to be patient even if I don't understand. I admit it was a bitter pill to swallow what the devil was feeding me and posting didn't help. it only made me more tranparent. so now you know for sure I am by no means perfect. again I sincerely apologize to my readers and will make certain that all future posts get filtered through the Holy Spirit before posting.
this testing is more difficult than expected but I know He is right there beside me. one thing I am certain of is that I am able to see my Lord more clearer than ever before. testing is by far the best Spiritual eye-cleanser out there!
here is how it went down... at the same time the Father ordered me to do something specific in regards to my call, the devil butted in and tried to mess things up. I'm learning the devil is having to come up with new game plans as the old ones don't work anymore. PRAISE GOD! what the Father was trying to get me to see is that currently I am unqualified, not disqualified, but He will train me to become qualified. every task He gives brings me one step closer to becoming qualified and one step closer to His plan. trust me, these lessons were never taught in Bible college!
this has taught me to be patient even if I don't understand. I admit it was a bitter pill to swallow what the devil was feeding me and posting didn't help. it only made me more tranparent. so now you know for sure I am by no means perfect. again I sincerely apologize to my readers and will make certain that all future posts get filtered through the Holy Spirit before posting.
this testing is more difficult than expected but I know He is right there beside me. one thing I am certain of is that I am able to see my Lord more clearer than ever before. testing is by far the best Spiritual eye-cleanser out there!
5/28/09
the word is resort
Deuteronomy 1:42b, “Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.” this post accompanies combined heartache and joy. the heartache is not even a drop as to what my Lord experienced on the cross.
as previously posted, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I believe God called me to the mission field. along with my salvation, I am certain of the call. this is the 2nd time He has called me to missions with the 1st being at age 15. now here is the heartache. it is NOT for the foreign mission field (although He revealed to me the place I could have served). that I traded in for what the devil had behind door #2. I vividly remember the moment I resorted to that life instead of the one God called me into. a chilling thought.
along with the aforementioned verse, I base this fact on the qualifications given for a pastor in I Timothy 3:1-6. the qualifications of a missionary are the same. the three that disqualify me are thus: not blameless, sexual immorality and the lack of good behavior. my sincerest apologies to my readers.
now here is the joy. what I thought was to foreign missions is actually to the town in which I live. God needs men, and women, to serve Him in the church just as much as on the field. both sets are called to live Godly lives. the things in which God has shown me to increase my faith need to be implemented in every Christian’s life. whether pew or pasture, God does not differ the guidelines to live a holy life.
now I have exuberant joy as this too is the will of God. true it is also a consequence but there are a multitude of those He should have given. thank God for His mercy! thank God I no longer have to resort but instead yield to Him.
as previously posted, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I believe God called me to the mission field. along with my salvation, I am certain of the call. this is the 2nd time He has called me to missions with the 1st being at age 15. now here is the heartache. it is NOT for the foreign mission field (although He revealed to me the place I could have served). that I traded in for what the devil had behind door #2. I vividly remember the moment I resorted to that life instead of the one God called me into. a chilling thought.
along with the aforementioned verse, I base this fact on the qualifications given for a pastor in I Timothy 3:1-6. the qualifications of a missionary are the same. the three that disqualify me are thus: not blameless, sexual immorality and the lack of good behavior. my sincerest apologies to my readers.
now here is the joy. what I thought was to foreign missions is actually to the town in which I live. God needs men, and women, to serve Him in the church just as much as on the field. both sets are called to live Godly lives. the things in which God has shown me to increase my faith need to be implemented in every Christian’s life. whether pew or pasture, God does not differ the guidelines to live a holy life.
now I have exuberant joy as this too is the will of God. true it is also a consequence but there are a multitude of those He should have given. thank God for His mercy! thank God I no longer have to resort but instead yield to Him.
4/6/09
hate in the harshest sense
I hate the devil. I hate what he does, what he stands for, how he destroys lives and how he uses the simplest of tricks to accomplish his deeds. I thoroughly hate the devil. it's the only time God will allow you to reference yourself as all other times it must be to Him. yet even then it is He that gives you that hate for the devil.
this past weekend was a milestone in the path of God's direction for my life. I made it public to my parents and church family that I have surrendered to God's calling to the mission field. do I know to where God has called me? the answer is yes... where ever He wants me. right now it's my hometown, the surrounding towns and the state. no place like home. but what many times we fail to realize is we are all called to be missionaries. if to no other place than our own hometown.
that's exactly the same place where the devil wants to stop you. see if he can stop you there then he knows you won't go where God wants you. this is no more evident than in Genesis 25:34 when Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. and for what, a bowl of beans? no. he sold it to curb an appetite. one that could never be satisfied. and where did it happen? AT HOME! it wasn't at a conference in the next city, it wasn't in the next state and it wasn't in the Bahamas. it was at home. the exact place where the devil knew he could curb his appetite.
God has opened my eyes to see that I have a huge bullseye directly above me with the devil aimed and ready. and he's begun in my own comfort zone. exactly where he knows I can curb my appetite. so how will I make it to where God wants me? by realizing that, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power (II Timothy 1:7)” and relying on that,“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). that's why I hate the devil.
this past weekend was a milestone in the path of God's direction for my life. I made it public to my parents and church family that I have surrendered to God's calling to the mission field. do I know to where God has called me? the answer is yes... where ever He wants me. right now it's my hometown, the surrounding towns and the state. no place like home. but what many times we fail to realize is we are all called to be missionaries. if to no other place than our own hometown.
that's exactly the same place where the devil wants to stop you. see if he can stop you there then he knows you won't go where God wants you. this is no more evident than in Genesis 25:34 when Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob. and for what, a bowl of beans? no. he sold it to curb an appetite. one that could never be satisfied. and where did it happen? AT HOME! it wasn't at a conference in the next city, it wasn't in the next state and it wasn't in the Bahamas. it was at home. the exact place where the devil knew he could curb his appetite.
God has opened my eyes to see that I have a huge bullseye directly above me with the devil aimed and ready. and he's begun in my own comfort zone. exactly where he knows I can curb my appetite. so how will I make it to where God wants me? by realizing that, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power (II Timothy 1:7)” and relying on that,“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (I John 4:4). that's why I hate the devil.
4/2/09
the seeds of just imagine
my mother had not one but two green thumbs. growing up I honestly believed she even had green toes as her silk plants would bud and blossom. alas I only have one green thumb as even my silk plants will die. as with all life, plants start as a seed. they are germinated, bud and eventually bloom into the beautiful flowers or foliage we admire and adore.
such is the case with our thoughts. a “seed” called imagine is planted within our head. it’s where we store our dreams and fantasies; this land of imagination. our head is fertile soil in which to plant our thoughts and ideas. Genesis 8:21c says, “for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth.” hmmm seems one obtains this fertile soil at birth. not like we get an option.
now how we germinate those seeds is left up to us. see the devil would like for us to germinate his way. evil, wicked, sinful thoughts and ideas are his specialty. God, on the other hand, wants them to be pure and pleasing. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
sounds good but how does one think this way? glad you asked. James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” DON'T LET THE DEVIL GET ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR FERTILE SOIL WITH HIS SEEDS! you by no means can do it alone! so you must submit your thoughts, mind, ideas, imaginations, dreams, fantasies and even your thought process to God. the whole bundle just wrapped up and handed over.
a few posts ago I mentioned that my mind is one area that I battle in. God and I are going to war with the devil in this arena. it won't be easy but I know that “Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world.” bring it on.
such is the case with our thoughts. a “seed” called imagine is planted within our head. it’s where we store our dreams and fantasies; this land of imagination. our head is fertile soil in which to plant our thoughts and ideas. Genesis 8:21c says, “for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth.” hmmm seems one obtains this fertile soil at birth. not like we get an option.
now how we germinate those seeds is left up to us. see the devil would like for us to germinate his way. evil, wicked, sinful thoughts and ideas are his specialty. God, on the other hand, wants them to be pure and pleasing. Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
sounds good but how does one think this way? glad you asked. James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” DON'T LET THE DEVIL GET ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR FERTILE SOIL WITH HIS SEEDS! you by no means can do it alone! so you must submit your thoughts, mind, ideas, imaginations, dreams, fantasies and even your thought process to God. the whole bundle just wrapped up and handed over.
a few posts ago I mentioned that my mind is one area that I battle in. God and I are going to war with the devil in this arena. it won't be easy but I know that “Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world.” bring it on.
3/20/09
about face
though from a line of soldiers, I have never enlisted in the military. true my father's generation considered it a reasonable duty. mine, well I am a product of the 60's and raised in the 70's so not enlisting was an afront to the system. by the 80's, military service was passe' as the cold war continued. not until the 90's did one realize that military service was an honor and not a duty. today our military is lauded as heroes as daily they put their lives on the line for us. my grateful thank you to our servicemen.
today's post is a continuation of an earlier post (read learning to press below).
I have found the secret to obtaining the prize daily! it begins at I Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” this ALL includes times of temptation. there is no other way to get through them. verse 8, “Be sober, be vigilent; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” if you watch throughout the day you will be aware of those time when the devil has approached you with temptation, and if you brushed them off thats when he's got you. the greater attack will come when you least expect it and then its over. you are his lunch!
now to verse 9, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” ahem, you are NOT the center of the universe. the same temptation that you are afflicted with is the same that another brother or sister in Christ is rising above. it is at this time that obedience and submission to God should be first and foremost. not satisfying your flesh, which should be dead. another post for that.
finally in verses 10 and 11, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.” the only way you become perfect, stablished, strengthened and settled is to submit and allow yourself to be purified by God's fire. He only allows the temptation in order for you to become a stronger Christian. and the only way you can become a stronger Christian is to be purified. one cannot withstand temptation while full of their dead self. God cannot get the glory He is due while Christians are full of themselves.
that's the clincher! God will get glory from you one way or another. it is so much easier to submit and allow yourself to give Him the glory while being purified, than to have Him wrangle it out of you. daily have an about face to the devil and towards God!
today's post is a continuation of an earlier post (read learning to press below).
I have found the secret to obtaining the prize daily! it begins at I Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” this ALL includes times of temptation. there is no other way to get through them. verse 8, “Be sober, be vigilent; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” if you watch throughout the day you will be aware of those time when the devil has approached you with temptation, and if you brushed them off thats when he's got you. the greater attack will come when you least expect it and then its over. you are his lunch!
now to verse 9, “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” ahem, you are NOT the center of the universe. the same temptation that you are afflicted with is the same that another brother or sister in Christ is rising above. it is at this time that obedience and submission to God should be first and foremost. not satisfying your flesh, which should be dead. another post for that.
finally in verses 10 and 11, “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be the glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen.” the only way you become perfect, stablished, strengthened and settled is to submit and allow yourself to be purified by God's fire. He only allows the temptation in order for you to become a stronger Christian. and the only way you can become a stronger Christian is to be purified. one cannot withstand temptation while full of their dead self. God cannot get the glory He is due while Christians are full of themselves.
that's the clincher! God will get glory from you one way or another. it is so much easier to submit and allow yourself to give Him the glory while being purified, than to have Him wrangle it out of you. daily have an about face to the devil and towards God!
2/28/09
good-bye february 2009
so long February 2009. glad we met, fellowshipped and gleaned knowledge.
all too often I have not learned from my mistakes against an Almighty God. this month He taught me that habits can be broken. far too often my past had been riddled with caving into my passions and habits that I have allowed my life to be plagued with. the devil is too aware of these habits and so delights in using them to bring me under them thus unable to live for God. true I place myself there but God has opened my eyes to finally understand Romans 6, 7 & 8 (chapters). God sent His Son to defeat the devil and his power he uses over us as Christians by once and for all paying the pardon fr our sins. we can live an obedient life FOR Christ by living THROUGH Christ and while claiming His power. it is the only way. we are not able to defeat the devil alone.
Praise God that He paid for our sins, and praise God He enables us to live victoriously for Him.
all too often I have not learned from my mistakes against an Almighty God. this month He taught me that habits can be broken. far too often my past had been riddled with caving into my passions and habits that I have allowed my life to be plagued with. the devil is too aware of these habits and so delights in using them to bring me under them thus unable to live for God. true I place myself there but God has opened my eyes to finally understand Romans 6, 7 & 8 (chapters). God sent His Son to defeat the devil and his power he uses over us as Christians by once and for all paying the pardon fr our sins. we can live an obedient life FOR Christ by living THROUGH Christ and while claiming His power. it is the only way. we are not able to defeat the devil alone.
Praise God that He paid for our sins, and praise God He enables us to live victoriously for Him.
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