Behind Closed Doors

 

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Our enemy Satan is very subtle. He works in the shadows to deceive people and plants lie after lie using often unsuspecting human subjects to trick us and take us off course. His mission is to kill, steal, and destroy according to John 10:10. He is not interested in the truth and will try to get even believers caught up and so busy they have little time to study the Bible. It is by reading and the study of God's word we have the weapons to defeat him. 

We can become so interested in doing 'good' that we forget to devour God's word. Sunday worship time is super but it does a person little good if there is no life change and no desire to go beyond that one hour on Sunday. It is the Holy Spirit's job to convict others, not ours, so if you live with a person like this, shhhh,not your job. 

Make sure you are not ignorant of the enemies schemes. Many people get uncomfortable talking about the enemy but he is puny, tricky, and REAL, but God is bigger and more powerful. Run to Him today!

PRAYER: I want to not get caught up in religion and forget to have a relationship with you Lord. I choose to resist the enemy and let him hear me praising you. I will run to you and flee Satan's traps. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL ABOUT CONSCIENCE?

We all have a conscience. You know that "little voice" in your head that gives you convictions and tells you what is right and wrong? For just a moment let me focus on this as it has been in the news concerning the new healthcare law and abortion debate. Did you know that God gave us a conscience? Yes it is true. We know what is right or wrong and good or bad because this "little voice" sort of tells us. Unfortunately our current USA President does not think a Christian should be entitled to his or her conscience. It is God who gave it to us. Galatians 5:1(NIV) says 'It was for freedom that Christ set us free. Stand firm then and do not allow yourselves to be burdened by a yoke of slavery.' 

Medical Doctors used to be protected by a "conscience clause" to keep them from doing procedures that opposed their religious beliefs but under the new, deceitfully named the "Patient Affordable Health Care Act", the right of conscience for both doctors, nurses, and Christian businesses,  churches and  Christian people will slowly be taken away. Yes I am not joking!! This is not on mainstream news but it is true! Our religious convictions are under fire, that is why there have been so many lawsuits by Christian groups to get it stopped. Our very freedoms are being threatened. Freedom and conscience are from God, not the government. 

Typical of the government,  much is hidden within this health care legislation that no one knew about and many lies are still being told but as insurance is being cancelled and promises are broken, people are finding out.The government was in such a hurry to control the medical industry and the people, they did all they could to shove this monstrosity through regardless of what "We The People" thought. 

Back in 2010 when the big fight between "We the People" and 535 leaders on the "Hill" ,"We The People"  were ignored. Then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said 'we have to pass the bill so we can read it and find out what is in it." Say what?  In the Bible is clearly says in Proverbs 18:13(KJV)' he that answers a matter before he hears it is folly and shame to him.'  You do not sign contracts without first reading them, so our government should have to do the same. 

What about all the "good" Catholics in Congress and in the Senate, who voted to go ahead and approve it knowing abortion, which their church opposes, was in it?  This is a very  sad time in America indeed. Remember abortion is taking a innocent babies life. 

Concerning the conscience, Acts 24:16 clearly states "So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man." So we Americans who love God and follow the Bible teaching and have the God given right to have our convictions, are told by our government that that right no longer exists. Hobby Lobby has paid a huge price for standing up for righteousness and their beliefs, something like fines of over a million dollars per day if I am not mistaken. 

This is not a fantasy but is happening here in America. People bury their heads and do not want to know the truth. This is not a Democrat thing or Republican thing but we are talking about a government takeover of the people's rights given to them in the Bible and in our Constitution!! (You can not blame that on George Bush).No matter what anyone says, The United States was founded on Biblical Christianity. When you try to remove God and the Bible, chaos and evil are the result. We in this country are in the midst of spiritual warfare.

God will protect His followers but we are marching slowly but surely into the hands of a tyrannical government trying to control everything we do and even what we believe apparently. We need to use our Bibles more, the sword of the Spirit(see Ephesians 6:17),  and keep the television news off. Psalm 91:5(NIV) says 'You will not fear the terror of the night or the arrow that flies by day.'

The major media will not report the whole story anymore. The ones that do are threatened by the government to shut them down through something called a "Fairness Act". This is an unending onslaught against all that Christians stand for and free speech guaranteed by our First Amendment. Never before in my lifetime have we been under so much attack by our own government that is supposed to be "limited" and to protect it's citizens. I am speaking up for our freedom, which is given to us by God. We have our freedoms now to worship but how long will that last? There has been talk of taking away the tax deduction for charitable contributions as well. Many are unaware of this as evil forces like to keep the masses ignorant. They sneak in and do their dirty work when no one notices or is too busy to care. What happens if they approve gay marriage nationwide and a Christian minister refuses to perform a ceremony as it is against his beliefs? Probably prison time. This is religious persecution. 

Speaker Kitty Werthmann, who I have been fortunate to hear speak, tells Americans of her time in Austria under the Nazi regime and warns America that things happening now in America are very similar to those days before Germany was taken over by Nazi's and Hitler. Why are we too busy to care or too endeared to a party or a race of people to believe it? As for violence and taking away peoples right to own guns according to the Second Amendment, well might I add that guns are not the issue, but the human heart and mind are the issue. Why didn't the leaders in the Senate scream at the video game or movie industry or irresponsible parents who think it is okay to let their children feed their minds with this garbage? Does anyone happen to see the correlation to the problems in America to taking prayer out of the schools in 1963? No, it is automatically blamed on a gun, instead of what shapes the human mind. Philippians 4:8( NIV) tells us 'Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things.'

  Jesus is Lord of lords and he rules from on high. Trust Him but stand up for the truth or fall for lies. There is a saying by Sir Edmund Burke that simply says 'Evil triumphs when good men donothing.' I urge you to make it a daily practice to pray and read the word of God. Do not keep watching news if it is making fearful or angry. Romans 8:31(NIV) says 'If God be for us who can be against us.'  Go out in peace and know God is on our side. Keep praying!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I know there is spiritual warfare going on now in this world. Evil is being confused with good. Wrong is being confused with what is right. Lord God I know you rule from on high and it is not your desire that anyone die but that all come to repentance. I choose to walk in the spirit keeping my mind on heavenly thoughts which is the best cure for anger and hate. Use me Lord to share your love with others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Might I urge you to take a peek at the Presidential Prayer Team website. Click on the link I have provided and check it out. After all, the Bible does tell us to pray for our leaders.

www.presidentialprayerteam.org

NO SUBSTITUTES

There are some things you can not substitute in life but need the real thing.
You might be able to get by with artificial sweetener, recycled paper, used furniture, fake marble countertops, or a school teacher standing in for the actual teacher but when it comes to being a Christian there is no substitute for the Word of God, the Bible.

I love watching Christian television stations and there are several good ministers of the gospel who preach and teach over the airwaves. Most all of them will tell you to not substitute your "TV Bible time" for an actual getting alone with God time. This takes discipline because there is some real good teaching out there I enjoy watching. What is needed is to make a habit of getting alone with you,God, your Bible and a journal to write down thoughts. I enjoy doing this on my back porch or maybe up in a park somewhere.

Coca Cola advertises as "The Real Thing" and The Bible is the real thing too. Revelation 22:19(HCSB) says '

And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book.' There is a church that claims to have "another testament of Jesus Christ". My friend, there is only one word of God not to be added to or taken away from. There truly is no substitute for the truth and promises found within its' pages. Satan would love to extinguish it and have it vanish from the Earth because through it we are saved and have eternal life in heaven. Lately the enemy is at work trying to get people to believe lies about marriage. It is like in the Garden of Eden when Satan appeared as a cunning serpent and deceived Adam and Eve. There the downfall of man all began. The truth of God was exchanged for lies straight from the enemy and the pit of a fiery hell. 1 Corinthians 16:13(NIV) says 'Be on your guard. Stand firm in your faith. Be courageous. Be strong.' 1 Peter 5:8(NLT) is a great verse to end with and it says ' Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.' Don't be led astray and fooled. Stay in the Bible and the truth will indeed set you free to recognize Jesus as Lord. PRAYER:Lord you indeed are the real thing. You are my hope and I trust no one else. It is only through you Lord that we are saved and have eternal life. I know the enemy is lying to millions of people and trying to get them to believe lies. Protect me and my family from ever being tricked by his schemes. In Jesus' name'. Amen.

WHO'S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF?

Many of us from childhood might remember reading the nursery rhyme about "Little Red Riding Hood" and the villain in this case was the big bad wolf.  Seems like lots of these childhood stories had a bad guy in them and good always won out over evil. 

In life even though it does not seem so at times, good always trumps evil. We are not unaware of Satan's traps and schemes to bring us or our loved ones down. He indeed is a trickster and weaves his evil sinister web in order to trap unsuspecting victims. Don't be fooled. We are all susceptible  to his deceptive tactics. Just because you go to church, attend Bible study, listen to Christian radio, watch Christian television shows, attend retreats and concerts does not mean he can not try to get to you. His mission is destroying your soul and getting you to believe his lies and deny Christ.

In 1Peter 5:8(NIV Reader's Version) we are warned 'Control yourselves. Be on your guard. Your enemy the devil is like a roaring lion. He prowls around looking for someone to chew up and swallow.'  Now that, my friend, is a pretty blunt  and graphic word picture. Other places in scripture he is referred to as an "angel of light". 2 Corinthians 11:14(NIV) says 'And no wonder for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.' For any of you who have ever been to a Harvest party  at Halloween or trick or treated you dress up like someone else. Well this verse says that Satan indeed also does that. If he came to you as his despicable, lying, evil,abhorrent, deceptive mean self he would fool no one.  So therefore he is tricky and gets people on his side by getting them to believe his lies. It says in John 8:43-44(NIV) 'Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.'

We need to be I prayer for those deceived by him. Some are in vey high places of authority. Satan does not like the United States of America as we are founded as a Christian nation and lately he has worked his deception on many to try to destroy this great land. Take heart, keep praying. Don't feel like there is no hope because there is always hope!

Remember the first big lie was in the Garden of Eden when the serpent, Satan, said to Eve in Genesis 3:4(NIV) 'You will not surely die' . So right then and there it all began. The fall of man and sin entered the world. 

We have the power through the word of God to stop Satan in  his tracks by quoting scripture and not believing his lies. You may know someone who is caught in a trap of Satan who is a believer and may be deceived and walking another way away from the Lord right now. Just keep praying. God is not through with them yet. Revelation 12:11(NIV) tells us what to do. 'They triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. They did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.' 

Who are you praying for today? Know that Satan would love you to give up on prayer.Luke 18:1 tells us to pray and not give up. God is still on the throne and weave victory in Jesus Christ!! 

PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus I know that Satan has no authority over me. I pray for my loved ones that may have believed his lies. I pray for friends who do not know you or who are being led astray by the enemy. Lord Jesus I choose to remember to pray each and every day and put Satan in his rightful place. Jesus is Lord! In Jesus' name. Amen! 

Click on link below for an awesome song of encouragement.

http://youtu.be/FqXZD_z3eCc

BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY

This is a command of God found in Genesis 1:27-28(NIV) which plainly says the following. 'So God created mankind in his own image,  in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

Marriage is between  a woman and man, and that was God's plan all along. Two men or two women can not "be fruitful and multiply". It is impossible. Today our  world has gone crazy trying to pervert the gospel of Christ to make it okay for those loving the same sex person to be married. Opposing this plan, Christians are called hateful. It is not about hate but it is about what the Bible clearly states. Many fine Christians have even bought into this lie and some of them struggle with same sex attraction as well. 

We need to be on our knees in prayer for the lives of our children. We need to pray seducing  spirits do not hold them captive or lead them astray. The devil is at  work overtime to destroy and pervert the message of Jesus Christ. Lamentations 2:19 (NIV) says 'Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to him for the lives of your children, who faint from hunger at every street corner.'

Turning our backs on God by not opening up and speaking out against things that are contrary to His teaching is wrong. We need to do it in love. Many may oppose you because they have bought into the lie of Satan. Today the culture of America has endorsed and made legal killing babies in the womb and is now attempting to legalize same sex marriage. The more we see it on the news and start getting our minds saturated with the lies of the enemy the more we buy into this false teaching and start thinking "people should get to do what they want" so leave them alone. Let them be happy. 

If you "walk with God" you can not rewrite scriptures to help your "sin" be okay. The word of God never changes. Modern society buzz words are "equality" and "tolerance". Christians who speak up are called hateful. So are we to just roll over and be brainwashed by our society giving no thought to people mocking God? The answer of course is a resounding NO.

I will end with Psalm 1:1-3(NIV) which says 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.'

PRAYER: Lord I want to know the truth and I thank you it is found in the uncompromising unchangeable word of God. Help me be gentle in sharing with others who may be believing a lie from Satan. Help me remember to pray, not condemn, those caught up in this lifestyle and being lied to by Satan. In Jesus' name. Amen.

M AND M(AKA MOUTH AND MIND)

Those two M and M's in our lives can at times create lots of trouble
for us. If we say the wrong words we can hurt someone or destroy a
relationship. If we allow our minds to focus on the wrong things we
can also be deceived by Satan into believing lies. These two M and M's
need God's intervention to help you with self control of both what you
say and what you think.


The mind is a battleground of sorts for the enemy Satan. He can get
you to imagine things, concur up scenarios, worry, fret,reason, or
have self pity. To combat this, it is essential to keep your mind on
things "above". You may recall the favorite Bible verse of mine I use
lots and that is Philippians 4:8(NIV) which says 'whatever is
true,whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever
is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy, think on these things.' Letting your mind dwell on bad
junk or worrying unnecessarily not only robs you of peace but keeps
you from being productive for the Lord. The enemy can captivate you by
causing your mind to dwell on wrong things.

Now as for that mouth, nothing unholy should be coming out of it. Do
you gossip, argue, belittle, lie, or curse? These are a few examples
of bad junk that proceeds from our mouth. James 3:11-12(NIV) says 'Can
both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My
brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs?
Neither can a salt spring bring forth fresh water.' Likewise our mouth
should not curse at someone then bless them. If your tongue is a
problem pray and surrender that area to your life. God can help you
have kind and pure speech if you are serious.

It is so easy to offend someone with words we say. Perhaps something
is said in innocence and totally taken out of context. And that mind
too can get us into some real wrong thinking predicaments. The cure
and your assignment is to dwell on the word of God each and every day.
Start reading the Bible daily. Read the book of John, Romans, or
Proverbs to start out. Ask God to open your mind to the good things He
has for you to learn. With The Lord's help your M and M's can be under
God's control.

PRAYER: Lord it is my desire to have a pure mind and speech that
glorifies you. At times I know I have hurt someone by words so please
forgive me. Help me lead a life pleasing to you and being kind to
those around me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

SATAN'S TOOLBOX

 Our chief enemy is Satan,aka the devil. He has an arsenal of tools he uses to try to cripple Christians. Some of these are doubt, defeat, despair, depression, worry, comparison, fear, lies, tricks, critical spirit, alcohol abuse, drug addiction, anger, abuse, hurt, self pity, jealousy, hatred,bitterness, sickness and I am sure you could add to this list. These are his  tactics to get us off course and feeling hopeless. He weaves a web to destroy and torture us and to get our eyes off Jesus. We defeat Satan by the word of God and the power of our testimony it says in Revelation 12:11.

Remember you need to talk out loud to the enemy, the devil, and remind Him God is in control, not Him. Fear and worry are two of his specialities. He can literally get us so focused on a problem or situation we feel powerless. The good news is we have plenty of power to defeat him through Jesus.

The Bible says in Isaiah 54:17 that "no weapon formed against me shall prosper."  That is a promise to believe in.

 Will you be victorious in the power and authority of Jesus or allow Satan to make you powerless and weak? Start today and use the best tool yet in a Christians' toolbox and that is the word of God! Read it daily,  study it, claim its' promises and let it guide you through the ups and downs of life. Satan has no authority over you so do not let Him destroy you.

 PRAYER: Thank you Lord that I can use the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God to come against the enemy, Satan. I will not allow him to distract me and get me down in the dumps. I will rise up each day Lord and praise your name. I know when I praise you the devil has to flee. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link below to worship the Lord and defeat the enemy.
http://youtu.be/xi0yLRX4d2M

CLOUDS AND SIN

Recently on a trip to Cincinnati, the aircraft I was flying in climbed through many layers of white puffy clouds as it reached cruising altitude. Even though it was a clear, sunny day with white clouds scattered throughout the sky, when the jet would 'punch through' these clouds it was deceptive. They looked soft and puffy but would cause the aircraft to shake just slightly in a little rough air. Once through these clouds we once again had a smooth flight for the duration of the journey.

This made me think about how sin is kind of like that cloud. It looks pretty, harmless, may feel good and seem right , but it is very deceiving and tricky. The enemy, Satan,is like that. He tricks you and lies to you to get you into his web of deceit. He sort of wraps sin in a pretty package at times and draws you in. You have to stay grounded in God's word and resist his attacks.

In effect we all are sinners.  Romans 3:23 says "We all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory." Jesus died a horrible death on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin past, present, and future.
Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way that seems right to a man,but in the end it leads to death."  In Hebrews 11:25 it mentions there being "pleasure in sin for a season". Temptations are out there so beware.1 Peter 5:8 says "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

James 4:7 says "Submit yourselves therefore to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."

PRAYER: I know the enemy is constantly at work trying to twist the word of God and make us believe lies. He can even captivate well meaning Christians in order to make them justify their sin.  Father keep me always alert to his tricks and schemes so I am not sucked into his web of trickery. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link to listen to a wonderful song:
http://youtu.be/Jbe7OruLk8I

CAPTIVATED-BY WHAT?

Jesus came to set the captives free. What entraps you, has a hold on you, or captivates you? The enemy will lie and make you justify what holds you captive. You can not and must not believe his lies. Say " In Jesus name and by his blood, be gone Satan!"

 Alcoholism, drugs, sexual addictions, gossip, pornography, same sex attraction, judging, gluttony, homosexuality, hatred, an unforgiving spirit or something else might have a strong hold on you. The good news is you can be released from that strangle hold that squishes Jesus truth and drags you downhill. There is freedom in Christ and Christ alone. Don't keep justifying your sinful lifestyle and brushing it under the carpet. Satan is all for that. He likes you to be in a state of denial. Do not stoop to his level. Satan is the great deceiver and he has taken many captive by his schemes and tricks. Do not let it happen! Stay in God's word and the truth will set you free. Satan is the great destroyer. He wants to destroy your life and the life of your family. Do not be held  captive to his tricks, lies, deception and schemes.

 Jesus can help set you free. You no longer have to believe the tricks of the great liar, Satan. He will get you to  twist scripture and all sorts of stuff to make you feel you are not so bad. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy it says in John 10:10. Galatians 5:1 says "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm then, and do not allow yourselves to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage."  That word 'entangled' is a great word picture. Imagine thorny vines choking out a beautiful plant. You have to be careful clipping it or you get cut up pretty bad. In a prayer group I was in we prayed a few years ago for God to 'detangle' a problem that had a stronghold in one person's life. God is the great 'detangler' ,so let Him.

Do not let sin get a grip on you. Acts 8:23 says "For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." John 8:36 tells us "For if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." Break loose of the strongholds tearing you away from Jesus and run to Him.

PRAYER:Lord I want to be held captive by your love and your mighty power. I thank you that through you I have the power to resist the enemy and his tricks. He is puny compared to you. Lord thank you for being my strength and my shield and lifting me out of the pit and the trap Satan sets daily for me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link below for a wonderful song of worship.
http://youtu.be/ENtL_li4GbE

SATAN IS A NERD

 Oh my goodness, I am name calling! Shame on me. Not when it comes to the lying, cheating, deceitfulness, and killing of this horrible creature. I got the idea for my title today off an elderly gentleman's baseball cap that I saw as he left church in Tulsa, Oklahoma at Victory Christian Center yesterday. It was funny in a way, but also very true.

Satan is not a little red skinny man with a pitchfork like Halloween costumes attempt to portray him as, but he is in fact a powerful, sinister force working through human subjects, who he has deceived, in order to wreak havoc in the world we live in. He despises Christians and anything they stand for, so he hates America since it is a Christian nation. He is in fact an 'angel of light' tricking and deceiving many people. He can convince you of many things if you are not grounded in the word of God. Satan and his demons of evil like to keep people in bondage. They do not like freedom. They do not like the Bible at all for in it is power to defeat him and his demonic spirits. The good news is that we have the power to defeat Satan and his lies with the blood of Jesus and the word of God. Revelation 12:11 says "They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much  as to shrink from death."

Talk out loud to the devil and say "Get Thee behind me Satan!" Matthew 16:23 says " Jesus turned and said to Peter..get thee behind me Satan. You are a stumbling block to me for you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men." Matthew 4:10 says "Jesus said to him..away from me Satan for it is written, worship the Lord and serve Him only."

In Isaiah 54:17 it says "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,and their righteousness is of thee says the Lord." Satan will try his best to get you to take his bait and many fall prey to this and do. Even some within churches are tricked by his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:11 says " in order that Satan may not outwit us for we are not ignorant of his schemes."  He is the ultimate creep and has tricked many unsuspecting earthly subjects to carry out his evil here on earth. We are indeed in a spiritual battle. Do not get mad at 'mere man' knowing Satan has taken them captive to do his evil bidding, but be angry at Satan and be on your knees in prayer for those he is using against righteous men to hurt us.

 The anti Christ will come and will be a powerful force and lead many astray. Be aware. It says in 1 Peter 5:8-9 "Be self controlled and alert . Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to destroy. Resist him standing firm in your faith because you know your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same type of sufferings." James 4:7 tells us to "Submit yourselves then unto God. Resist the devil and he will flee from us." Satan and demons are no joke. You are either doing the work of God or the work of the enemy, think of that for a while. There is no in between. John 10:10 says "The thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy. I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

 We know who wins in the end because it says in Revelation 12:9 "This great dragon, the ancient serpent called Satan or the devil, the one deceiving the whole world, was thrown down to the earth with all his angels." John 12:31 says "Now is the time for judgment on this world,and the prince of this (Satan) will be driven out." Jesus is Lord!

PRAYER: Lord Jesus I know there are evil forces of darkness who seek to destroy the body of Christ and our freedoms. I stand strong in the  Lord and the power of your might and resist Satan firm in my faith. I stand on the promises of God and I have victory in Jesus. I will not fear evil man and his schemes for you are with me Lord and will see me through. In Jesus name. Amen.

Click on link and start your Monday morning out with a praise song to the Lord. Be blessed!
http://youtu.be/wIg6RIbLz1c

PS We are in a world not of this world!!

REPENT..ENOUGH ALREADY!!

Do you want God to work in your life and for Him to hear your prayers? You can not intentionally sin and go against what you know is right. The Bible says we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory(See Romans 3:23) but the trouble is too many people justify their sin or do not think what they're doing is that bad. Satan will trick them and they reason away any condemning spirits.  They will start to believe a lie.( See Romans 1:18-32).

It is not necessary to make a laundry list of sin but off hand some that come to mind are coveting others things, stealing, homosexual behavior, sleeping around when not married, sleeping around with others when married, murdering, swearing, hatred, gossip, gluttony(watch out for those church potlucks), judging others, lying, and lust. You get the idea. Point that finger of condemnation at someone there are 3 pointing right back at your 'self righteous' self. A haughty spirit comes before a fall it says in Psalm 16:18.

Psalm 66:18 says "If I had cherished sin in my heart,  the Lord would not have listened".  Psalm 119:9 says "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word."  But how do you live according to the word and realize what you are doing is wrong if you do not have a steady diet of truth from the Bible? It is the best selling book but many just own it but do not open it. Trust me, you can not learn a subject in school without opening your text book and you can not learn God's ways without knowledge of the Bible.Do not white wash or justify your sin. Pick up the Bible and start reading the book of John for starters.

Proverbs 8:13 says "To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior, and perverse speech." Do you hate evil or do you know things you are doing are wrong but continue to be involved with bad people or bad activities? In your heart you are convicted but still continue sinning.The Bible tells us we must repent, or turn away, from sin. Are you ready to admit your faults and ask for God's help and run away from sin? The choice is yours but God is knocking on your hearts door won't you let him come in?

 

Matthew 3:2 says "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Romans 2:4 also says "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance." In other words you do not have to always 'beat someone over the head' with their sin. Show love, grace and mercy to help win people over and help them gain victory and deliverance.

 

Where are you today? Do you need to let go of a sin that is weighing you down? Jesus is there waiting. Just call on Him.

 

PRAYER: Lord I desire to do things to please you and I want to turn away from anything that is leading me away from you. Convict me of my sins and help me run from them and into your arms.   Thank you father that you patiently wait for us to turn away from sin and run to you. Your arms are open wide and you are ready to forgive and forget no matter what. Thank you for mercy. In Jesus name. Amen!

Note: Enjoy this worship song. Click on link and turn up speakers.

http://youtu.be/SJxlqfHCZFs