Im Jesus Cousin

When God Stop Speaking to Me

2011-08-08T11:19:00.003-04:00

I had this preconceive notion that God continually speaks to us and tells us what to do and where to go. No one ever told me how to deal when God is silent. What am I suppose to do when I stop hearing God speak and I am not given any instructions. Out of all honesty, I heard about situations when God stop talking, but I thought He stop speaking if the person was doing something wrong. Everyday I woke up seeking God and waiting to hear from Him and waiting for the next instruction. The beginning of this year I was hearing so much from Him and I knew what he wanted me to do. I did it. At the beginning of this summer, however, the speaking stopped. I would wake up seeking God and waiting to hear something and I got nothing. There I was sitting praying and seeking God and I got nothing.

I begin to reflect over my life and tried to see if I was doing something wrong. Was I saying the wrong thing? Did I not follow out assignments correctly? I was pretty sure I was doing things right, but it was an overwhelming feeling of insignificance on my part. I was starting to feel like I did something wrong.

Slowly I started doing my own thing...again. I stopped seeking God (He wasn’t speaking to me anyway) and I started doing what I wanted to do. I still prayed, but I did a lot of the talking and stop listening. I read and studied my bible as a routine. Yet, I abandon everything God had originally set up. I got away with that for a good two months. At the end of the second month, nothing was going right. God was still taking care of me, but he was not blessing anything I had started myself.

I set on my bed one morning in the complete in complete silence and I begin to demand to hear from God. I spoke aloud, “God speak to my heart! I need to hear from you! I need to know what to do!” Nothing...

I left that quiet time angry and upset. I said “Fine, you don’t want to talk to me, I won’t speak to you.” I went downstairs of my home and turned on the television and begin watching a movie. In one of the scenes in the movie a father and daughter was driving down the road. The father was instructing the daughter which way to go. The first part of the trip the father was telling the daughter to “turn here, make a right, keep straight for two blocks then turn”. Then they came to an open highway and the father didn’t give anymore instructions. In fact, he fell asleep. The daughter became restless and started asking her dad, “where do I go?”. He remained asleep and mumbled to her “just keep going”. She started to get more restless. After a while she decided that she would exit the highway and find a place to get a map. She got the map and was trying to read it. She started driving again and begin to go the wrong way. Her dad woke up and saw that she was going the wrong way and saw her trying to read the map. The father snatch the map and looked at it and told her the map was outdated and they were going the wrong way. He told her “I know the way why can’t you just trust me?”

She replied, “You went to sleep and didn’t tell me anything else!”

“Well there was nothing else to tell you. Just stay on the highway and keep going!” he replied.

This movie for most was pure entertainment, but for me it was God’s way of letting me see that that this particular situation is a lot like what I was going through. God was giving me directions and when the directions stop I assumed he didn’t care anymore. God’s silence does not mean that he doesn’t care or that he has left you. His silence has different meanings in different situations. For some, like myself, it means that we are to keep doing what we have been doing until God tells us differently. There are those that have prayed for something and you hear no answer, well, perhaps that’s God letting you know you will not be getting that. Or you will not be getting that right now. Regardless, God’s silence is a time for you to exercise faith and to prove you trust God at all times.

I have learned my lesson. I learned to have peace in God’s silence and I know I cannot become anxious and start making my own decisions.

-DJuana “Dfitz” Fitzpatrick
www.jesuscousin.com

Reconnecting to the Power Source

2011-08-01T16:22:00.002-04:00

Acts 1:8 NIV But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you: and you will be my witnesses...

Yeah, so once again it's been a while since I took the time to sit down and write another blog entry, but I've had one brewing for a while now. Before I go into this entry any further let me encourage all of you that are on twitter to follow me http://www.twitter.com/des10d4gr8ns pretty cool to follow also you don't want to miss my inspirational segments called what... none other than #toiletdevotion. If you didn't know, you better ask somebody. So many times in life we go through trials and tribulations until it seems like we're constantly going through. However, it is important to remember that we're going through and not staying in. So many times in our lives we go through things so that God can prune us and grow us to the next level of where He would have us to go, but a lot of what we go through is because of our disobedience or better yet lack of obedience. That is what has lead me to write this particular blog.

When our carpets get dirty in our homes it usually means it's time to pull out the vacuum cleaner and do some cleaning. Over time our carpet gathers dirt from various things including our feet, dust particles, crumbs, and many other things. In other words our carpets just gather a lot of filth. So we begin to vacuum and we like what we see, but then all of the sudden we go around that corner and the vacuum stops! What happened? In the process of us getting rid of the dirt in the carpet and being so focused on the dirt we stretch the vacuum too far and it disconnects from the power source. Well, until we go back around that corner and reconnect the vacuum to the power source we can not remove any more dirt from the carpet. Yep, you guessed it that is where I'm going with this one.

In life there are so many things that get in our way of excelling or having a closer relationship with God. Simply put there is a lot of dirt that gets in our way. Any believer should be able to make it through these things the more we pray, study and commune with God. So let's just think of our ability to deal with life as the vacuum cleaner. Well sometimes we get to certain junctures in life where we feel like nothing is working. It seems like all we try to do fails. No matter how hard we fight, it seems that we can not see the light of day. Many times it is easy to fall into a state of constant stress or depression. Believe me I know, because I was there just last year as I wrote about in an earlier entry. I realize that sometimes we just hit that juncture so hard that we become disconnected from the power source. As a great prophet said, "God is the only boss that will fire you and let you keep working." In other words we can still be operating as a Christian, we can still be operating as a believer, we can still be operating as witnesses for God but yet we have no power.

Let me suggest to you that if you are going through some things in your life, if you can't seem to see the light of day, if you can't seem to see the end of the tunnel, if your life is worse now than it has ever been before, sit down and ask yourself have you disconnected from the power source. What is the power source you ask? The power source is the electricity of the Holy Spirit in your life. In 2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV the bible says, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. That means that we have specific steps to reconnecting to the power source. Then when we start the journey to reconnecting to the power source we need to immediately begin to Praise God more in everything we do. For there is power in our praise. Don't focus on the dirt or the negative in our lives. That is the best way to disconnect from the source. However, allow the source to generate the good in our lives. We don't know how to get ourselves out of situations anyway. So many times what we think is the right thing to do is in direct conflict with the right thing to do. For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, "declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. -Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV I was watching youtube videos last night and I came across and interview with Prophet Todd Hall. He said that God desires, deserves, demands and then delights in our praise. That is so powerful to me, and I immediately begin to bury that in my spirit. As i wrote in an earlier entry, when life gives you lemons don't make lemonade and show signs that you had lemons but Praise God and show signs that you've been blessed.

My prayer is that this will minister to someone in a special way. I love and enjoy writing because it helps me bless others when I'm going through or from what I've been through. I'm just walking in the gift that God has given me. As always I pray that God will bless each and every person that reads this spiritually, mentally, socially, physically and financially. I ask that you pray the same for me. God Bless you and I love you!

The Spell Breaker TD Jakes (Part 4-6)

2011-05-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

Spell Breaker- TD Jakes Video (Part 1-3)

2011-05-06T06:00:00.003-04:00

Part 4-6 will be in the next post.

Clearing the Past for the Present

2011-05-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

By Jeanie Marshall

A phrase I coined to describe a process (or really several processes) which I use to assist individuals to release or heal unresolved issues from previous generations is "Transgenerational Healing." I have noticed that when one generation has not transmuted its karma or resolved its issues, the next generation must attend to this.

Seven Generations

Since there are Biblical references to "sins of the fathers" being passed to "seven generations," I know this concept is familiar to many. I work energetically to lift off unresolved stuff of past generations. Typically, I facilitate a guided visualization to step backward generation by generation.

Married persons include their spouses and their spouses' seven generations. Those who are adopted or raised by anyone other than their birth parents include all relevant persons and their previous generations.

When I do one of these processes in a group, the room gets very full! Ancestors in the etheric realm come from many planes to be present. Most of those who are physically present go unconscious because the experience is quite intense. But afterwards.... Wow! What a lifting! What a healing!

The Process

Of course, the process varies depending on a number of criteria, including the consciousness and willingness of the individual client or the group, what has happened prior to the process, and what is planned to follow the process. Here is a basic outline as I work with a group.

I guide the group into a deep meditative state. As I do this, I clear the energy field of the room and all those present. Then I invite the parents of those present to come into the room energetically or spiritually. I include all those of that next generation -- in-laws, foster parents, surrogate parents, birth parents, adoptive parents, etc., inviting them to form a council around the individual.

I make the point that it matters not if those present knew the ones in the parent generation (I call this the "first" generation) or if they are still alive. We call them in spiritually, or as I prefer to say, "energetically."

Since I can see these beings arrive in the energy field, I have access to a tremendous amount of information. I notice, for example, that some arrive with great remorse for their activities and the messes left behind. Others arrive with great joy. All arrive with wisdom.

My purpose in doing this process is for those present at the workshop to have greater access to this wisdom of the ancestors and to dissolve the karma that is ready to be dissolved. As I notice bits and pieces of information, I interject suggestions that enhance the process for everyone, often in quite unexpected ways.

We proceed through the generations. Time after time, the fifth generation is the most intense. Few persons are able to stay conscious beyond this point. And there is really no need for them to be aware -- as long as I stay conscious.

When all seven generations have arrived, I invite each council to have its own meeting. Each council has a unique dynamic; each has a characteristic way to pass gifts from older generations to the younger.

When the time is right, I instruct the visiting ancestors to leave, beginning with the seventh generation. As they leave the room, they leave their gifts of wisdom. Everyone awakens.

Gifts of the Generations

A group that is ready for this process is richly rewarded. Sometimes the ancestors' gifts are too awesome to verbalize. Here are two examples of the many gifts that have been reported either to the whole group or to me privately.

"I began to cry beginning at the fifth generation. Such pain and sadness. I don;t remember the sixth generation at all. By the seventh generation, just before the council meeting, all the sadness lifted. I feel...I feel 'light.' I am light."

"My grandmother, who died two years ago came to kiss me on the cheek just like she did when I was a little boy. I always knew she was a wise soul. Now I know this in a way that is so deep that talking about it seems trite."

Participants tend to glow. All evidence points to this clearing as a permanent condition, which is not to say that all past issues are resolved. Those that are cleared, are truly cleared.

©1996, 2003. Marshall House, http://www.mhmail.com. Jeanie Marshall, a Personal Development Coach specializing in deep transformation and personal success, writes extensively on subjects related to personal development and empowerment. She assists professional coaches and consultants to write their knowledge, wisdom, and experiences.

Healing Prayer for Past Hurts

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

"A Healing Prayer for Past Hurts"

Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, go back into my Past memory today. There has been a number of years that things have hurt me. Troubled my heart and soul. Every hurt that has ever been done to me in my body or my emotions, please heal those hurts. Every hurt that I have knowingly or unknowingly caused to another person, bring healing to that hurt too. Also heal the hurts that I knowingly did. Help me to remember them so that I may ask for healing to take place.
Please Lord, give me strength to look at those memories with courage. Lord, if there is anything that I need to do, show me. If I need to go to another person because they are still suffering from my part, let me become aware of that person in my memory. As I do remember, help me to be humble and ask for forgiveness. I choose to "forgive" the hurts that are done to me. My tongue will say that I forgive and make my mind and heart come into line with your Word.
I also ask to be forgiven of the sins and wrongs that I have done. Please remove whatever bitterness and unforgiveness may still be in my heart, Lord. I don't need to walk around with that is my life. Fill me with your love and peace. Let me see my brothers and sisters through your eyes Jesus, not mine. Let me look at everyone with all of the Love that I can.
Help me to put a guard over my mouth everyday, so that I may always glorify you. Let me be a true Christian witness of your love in me. Please help me to bring about healing in the hearts of all that I see throughout my days. I love you Lord so much and I am grateful to you because you love me. You make me feel special and at peace. Thank you Lord and in your name Jesus. Amen

History is History

2011-05-03T06:00:00.001-04:00

Healing your past – Part 1

" DON’T KEEP GOING OVER OLD HISTORY…I AM ABOUT TO DO SOMETHING BRAND-NEW" Isaiah 43 : 18 (TM)

Cremate your past – don’t embalm it! Dr Harold Bloomfield writes: “Unresolved emotional pain wreaks havoc on your immune system, cardiac function, hormone levels and other physical functions. We must make peace with our past, because our life may literally depend on it!” Challenging words! Here are four suggestions for dealing with your past:

reframe it. Ask yourself, “How did it make me stronger? What do I know now that I didn’t know then?” Be a learner, not a loser
break the shackles of shame. Shame isn’t feeling bad over what you’ve done, it’s feeling ashamed of who you are. It’s lethal! When God created you in His image He said, “I like it! It’s very good.” (See Genesis 1:31). Start agreeing with Him!
arrest the acid drip of regret. Stop punishing yourself with the ‘if onlys’. David said, “Happy is the person whose sins are forgiven…whom the Lord does not consider guilty…” (Psalm 32:1-2 NCV). Forgive yourself, God has! When He looks at you through the finished work of Calvary, you look better to Him than you do to yourself!
move from grief to gain. Healing takes time, so expect some anger, fear, and sadness. Don’t disown them – they’re part of the healing process. But don’t adopt them either; know when it’s time to move on. You can’t walk backwards into the future, and the future God has for you contains more happiness than any past you can remember!

Healing your past – part 2

" I HAVE PLANS…TO GIVE YOU THE FUTURE YOU HOPE FOR. " Jeremiah 29 : 11 (TM)

Three further suggestions:

practise acceptance. While working in the Congo as a missionary, Helen Roseveare was brutally raped. Later she said, “I must ask myself the question, ‘Can I thank God for trusting me with this experience, even if He never tells me why?’” The secret of trust doesn’t lie in answers, it lies in acceptance! It’s knowing that in the midst of whatever has happened, is happening or will happen – God’s in control! Either you fix your mind on that and determine to laugh again, or you whine your way through life complaining that you never got a fair deal
bury the past or live with its ghosts. Rehashing old hurts is like watching the same movie over and over again, hoping for a different ending. Learn from it and move on. You don’t drown by falling into the water; you drown by staying there!

get out of ‘the blame game’. Blame is a waste of time! When you blame yourself, you multiply your guilt, rivet yourself to the past and decrease your already low self-esteem. When you blame God, you cut yourself off from your single source of power, doubt replaces trust and you put down roots of bitterness that make you cynical. When you blame others, you enlarge the distance between them and you, losing the only option that works – forgiveness.

Contributed From: http://www.circleofprayer.com/healing-the-past.html

Healing Past Hurts

2011-05-02T10:42:00.001-04:00

Offered to the body of Jesus Christ, 2003-2010
by David W. Eckman at lordslaw.com

Basic Concepts

What kind of hurts are we talking about?

Healing past hurts or emotional wounds has been referred to by a number of names: "inner healing", "healing of memories" and "soul healing". Regardless of what you call it, this lesson addresses those hurts, those emotional wounds, that result from events in our lives such as rejection, abandonment, abuse, neglect, violence, insecurity and being embarrassed, shamed, terrorized, scared, manipulated or otherwise controlled. Our concern is with hurts and wounds that remain long after the events that caused them, hurts that have not healed and therefore disrupt people's lives. Calling such hurts "scars" is inappropriate: A scar indicates healing of a wound, and the tissue of a scar is typically stronger than the tissue around it. Unhealed hurts are open wounds that continue to fester and flare up, causing emotional pain and suffering, somtimes physical discomfort and illness, sometimes even serious disruption.

When dealing with such hurts, it helps greatly to recognize that a spiritual background attends and in fact permeates them. With that recognition, we can both receive and minister healing much more effectively. For one thing, such hurts almost invariably arise from the work of the enemy, the spirit or spirits that oppose YHWH* and the wholeness YHWH intends for all of us to enjoy. Therefore, healing past hurts or emotional wounds typically requires dealing with what the enemy has done. Luke 13:11-16 tells of a woman who had been bent double by "a spirit" until Jesus freed her from her bondage. Jesus attributes her bondage to Satan. The account does not indicate that she suffered a physical injury or illness that Jesus healed or from which he made her well or whole. He freed her from bondage. And the bondage had spiritual roots. Although we are not told that the spirit's affliction attended a past hurt, that record illustrates some of what healing past hurts is about. And the experience of many Christians who serve Jesus by helping others receive such healing confirms the healing's power and demonstrates that YHWH, who created us, is also our healer. Although he has made us self-healing, he stands ready to help that process when we need it.

When I see phrases like "let go of", "move on from" or "get over" the past or hear people talk about having trouble letting go of their past, moving on in their lives or getting over something that's happened to them, I recognize a need for healing of past hurts. People cannot "let go" of their past, nor should they try. They might be able to "move on", but the pain of the past remains. And telling people to "get over it" only adds more pain. The pain of past hurts creates a form of bondage. What these folks really need is freedom from the hurts, the psychological wounds, the painful memories, the "broken heart", the emotional baggage, that interferes with enjoying their lives. The events that produced those hurts and memories may constitute a very small part of people's past, but the hurts and memories have an inordinate impact on their present. When Jesus heals those past hurts, he transforms the memories, removing the pain. He also enables the person to begin remembering and enjoying the more pleasant memories of the past. I can testify to this from my own experience and the experience of others with whom my wife and I have prayed. Instead of letting go of the past, therefore, I encourage everyone suffering from past hurts to reclaim the past by getting those hurts healed.

Where do the hurts reside?

The past hurts addressed in this lesson reside in our memory and affect the way we think, the choices or decisions we make, the emotions we feel, and inner and outward reactions to other people and what they say, as well as both pleasant and painful events. The people who recorded the Bible referred to the place where such activity occurs with a number of words and phrases, some of which we translate as "heart", "soul", "mind", "spirit", "innermost being" and "inward parts". Today, many, if not most, of us who minister in this type of healing refer to that place simply as the soul (psyche in Greek), which generally encompasses what we might call personality or individuality: thoughts, will, memories, and emotions. Even when the hurts have been thoroughly suppressed and no longer infect the conscious memory, they can remain open wounds and affect the quality of our lives.

Why bother with past hurts?

If allowed to remain unhealed, such hurts can lead to many types of problems, some quite serious. For example, psychologists inform us that depression often results from anger that has not been released or resolved. The anger arises from a particular hurt, which for various reasons, the person feeling it is not able or allowed to express constructively but stuffs down inside. In some people that depression can lead to suicide or acts that harm other persons, including close family members. Other people experience what medicine calls psychosomatic illnesses, actual physical illnesses that have psychological roots. Sometimes people with such unhealed hurts may exhibit various forms of rage or an inability to relate to others in a healthy way. Some with such hurts inflict on others the same acts that produced the hurts in them, particularly in abuse cases.

From personal experience and that of others, I would say that everyone has past hurts that want healing, some much less serious than others. Everyone can benefit from healing those hurts. To use one woman's imagery, as we grow up from childhood and suffer various hurts that are not resolved or healed, we are like houses in which the garbage (the unresolved, unhealed hurt) is thrown into the basement and after a few years, the entire house begins to stink. To borrow from Jesus' image of a person delivered from the spirit which then wanders in waterless places only to return with seven buddies to make the person's condition worse than it was originally (Matt. 12:43-45, Luke 11:24-26), we are like houses that have broken windows and doors and have begun to decay from abuse and neglect, and the spirits that cause us to miss YHWH's mark for us are like bums who move in and out of the house, trashing it at will but not always present.

Healing past hurts helps, for example, when a person feels particularly insecure, becomes addicted, is easily angered or hurt, frequently feels resentful, bitter or depressed, finds it difficult to hold or enjoy a job, or cannot maintain healthy relationships with others. A person should seek to heal past hurts when suffering anxiety attacks or autoimmune conditions or diseases. Some of us have found that even a small measure of such healing helps when a person suffers from certain forms of arthritis or from cancer. Whenever a physical problem arises that does not have a clearly discernable physical cause (and maybe even when it does), it would be appropriate to seek healing of past hurts.

From observing and knowing several people diagnosed with mental illness, I have begun to believe that such illnesses are spiritually related. But not all mental or emotional problems are: some may be caused by injury or physical problems. A spiritually related problem may begin in prior generations, making it a generational problem, or it may develop from things an individual has done. Most past hurts, however, seem to be wounds (not scars) from childhood, perhaps some trauma, some event incorrectly perceived, some unfilled emotional or physical need, or some other cause. Whatever caused them, past hurts typically seem to stunt an individual's maturity and growth and sometimes even reverse it.

How do we know when healing happens?

A healthy soul is one that is mature, whole, unblemished in YHWH's eyes. In a healthy soul, we see an ability to love unconditionally, understand deeply and act and react appropriately and consistently with YHWH's word. Healing past hurts or emotional wounds helps a person toward that maturity.

Regular study of the Bible over many years has taught me that YHWH wants us to progress from being totally self-centered, our condition in infancy, to being God- and other-centered, from primary concern for what we want or need to concern for what YHWH wants and others need, becoming true instruments of YHWH's peace in a troubled and selfish world. That is true maturity, true holiness, real manhood and real womanhood. For too many people, religious rituals and practices focus on self-- how to manipulate a higher power to produce a benefit for the supplicant. True Christianity, on the other hand, expects us to leave self behind, while remaining in control of what we do-- a remarkable feat that is totally beyond all human ability. That, I believe, is why YHWH gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Now, lest anyone misunderstand, being God- and other-centered does not mean neglecting our own needs. On the contrary, it requires meeting our needs so that we can serve YHWH and others without our needs interfering. In other words, our primary concern should not be ourselves, but we should take care of ourselves. In addition, we must recognize that desires are not needs. To confuse them is a sign that we need greater maturity.

How do we get the healing?

If you'd like to try this by yourself, you can ask YHWH to heal you from something that's been bothering you. But finish studying this entire lesson first. Knowing what happens during such sessions helps if you seek your own healing. For example, when YHWH revealed that I suffered from insecurity that had contributed greatly to outbursts of anger, I asked YHWH to take me to the memory that he would heal to remove it. One by one, he reminded me of three incidents that happened when I was 6 years old. Because of the shame their memory carried, I had never told anyone about them. As I recalled each of them in sequence, seeing them in my mind's eye, he appeared in them with me. In the most shameful one, he sat with me, not saying a word, not even putting his arm around me, just accepting me as I was. I did not associate the memories with my insecurity, and at the time, I was not aware of any change. But about a year later, I realized that I was no longer worrying as much as I had and that I no longer got angry as often or as easily as I had. Still later, I realized that he had transformed the memories, so that now when I recall them, he is a part of them, and I feel no shame. In fact, I am now able to tell about them freely.

When I went to YHWH for that healing, I already had some experience praying with folks for healing of their past hurts and had done quite a lot of reading about the subject, so I knew that YHWH often heals a past hurt by appearing in the memory of it. In fact, that seems to be the most common method of healing, but for folks who have trouble visualizing, especially if the memory involves a lot of pain, he uses other methods. In fact, if the variety encountered by my wife and me in praying with others is any indication, he has an infinite variety of ways he helps people receive healing from past hurts.

If you seek healing of a past hurt on your own, read through the following instructions for prayer ministers to familiarize yourself with the process and the scriptures I've provided. Your goal is to receive whatever YHWH chooses to give you. So find a place without distractions and relax. Take a few deep breaths to help you relax. Then you might want to read the verses in Psalm 103 that I have highlighted or some other scripture that will put you in a receiving mode. Try to relax your mind if you find it dwelling on anything. Then simply ask YHWH to heal. You might ask him, as I did, to heal whatever memory is causing a problem. Don't be concerned if he takes you to a memory that does not seem very significant. When I went to YHWH for my healing, he chose memories that I had already prayed for him to heal. I expected him to take me to a memory of one of my most traumatic childhood experiences, one that I knew caused a lot of insecurity. He didn't do it then, and even when I've gone back for further healing, he never has. Take whatever he gives you and let him process it and redeem you from it.

If you try to receive the healing yourself and do not think it's happening, you may find it helpful to seek out a prayer minister who has experience with healing of past hurts. You may even have the good fortune to find one who has a gift for such healing. But regardless of whom you select, remember that YHWH does the healing when he wants, the way he wants and at the speed he wants, so don't start with expectations of instant healing.

Instructions for Prayer Ministers

Fundamentals

In the following instructions, I will refer to the person who is praying for another as the prayer minister and the person being prayed for as the prayer subject. When we pray for someone to be healed from past hurts, we are escorting them through an experience with YHWH. The nature of that experience is YHWH's, so we have to leave the results entirely to him. Maintain high hopes and low expectations. Don't be discouraged by having an expectation of what will or should happen; don't miss what YHWH is doing by having a preconceived idea of how the healing should proceed.

It is helpful but not necessary if the prayer minister has experienced healing from a past hurt. But not having experienced such healing should not deter you from helping someone else. Just take an early opportunity to receive it.

The prayer subject must recognize the need for healing and truly desire it. Forcing or urging prayer on someone doesn't work and may cause harm.

For best results, a prayer subject usually should commit to several prayer sessions, or until the prayer minister senses that the minister's involvement with that subject is finished or praying with that subject has hit a wall. The prayer subject may not be finished but may need another prayer minister to continue the prayer. There is also a danger that the prayer subject may become dependent or begin fulfilling a social need, rather than focus on healing.

YHWH does the healing. Beware feelings of discouragement: They mean that something personal in you has hooked into the process. such as enmeshment in the prayer subject's problems, collecting trophies or notching one's gun, or identification with the prayer subject.

Compassion and objectivity are not mutually exclusive: Beware emotional involvement but also recognize the possibility that some emotion you feel may point to an emotional barrier in the prayer subject or may be a word of knowledge from YHWH.

I prefer healing the soul rather than deliverance. They often have the same results, but healing tends to be more permanent. Broken doors and windows through which ungodly spirits operate are repaired and closed by healing. The basement is cleared of garbage. Deliverance does not necessarily achieve that.

Deliverance may be needed, however, so be prepared, and if it is, ask for YHWH's anointing, because deliverance is best done under YHWH's anointing. Since Jesus gave no reason for those who abide in him to fear anything during deliverance, do not be afraid to do it when it is needed. Just try not to alarm or scare the prayer subject. For example, a loud voice adds nothing. I minister deliverance in a soft but firm voice. If the prayer minister knows his authority in Jesus, the oppressing spirits will too, and they must obey when commanded to leave. And the prayer minister need not fear what the spirits will do any more than Jesus and his apostles did.

Do no harm. The person prayed for should feel loved, even if nothing else seems to happen. And we should not be a source of more pain.

Make the Bible your primary source of information. Test every other writing or teaching, including mine, against the scripture, in prayer. What fits, keep; what conflicts, reject; what remains in question, shelve for better understanding and knowledge. Following are some of the scriptures that I find helpful. I offer them in no particular order. Familiarize yourself with them and watch for others as you study the Bible.

Biblical examples of healings in the soul or spirit

Mark 2:1-11 (healing of the paralytic at Jesus' house)
Luke 13:10-17 (healing of the woman bent by Satan)
John 5:2-9, 14 (healing of the cripple at Bethesda hospital)
John 8:1-11 (woman accused of adultery)

A few of the numerous passages that may help prayer subjects receive healing

Psalm 103:1-5, 8, 10-14 (bless YHWH, oh my soul)
Psalm 139:1-18; Jer 1:4-5 (YHWH is with us from the womb)
Psalm 41:4 (heal my soul for I have sinned)
Psalm 23:3 (he restores my soul)
Joel 2:21-27 (YHWH restores what the locusts have eaten)
1 Pet. 2:24 (by his wounds you were made whole)
Ephesians 6:17 (helmet of salvation [wholeness])
John 5:19 (Jesus does what he sees the Father doing)
Luke 11:9-13; Matt 7:7-12 (YHWH gives good things to them who ask)
Rom. 8:28 (God works good to those who love him)
1 Thes. 5:16-18 (rejoice, pray, give thanks)
John 8:31-32 (truth sets you free)
John 20:22-23 (authority to forgive sins)

Beyond Scared Straight

2011-04-19T08:03:00.002-04:00

In the month of January, A&E premiered a show called “Beyond Scared Straight”. It highlighted the stories of several teens who’d lost their way in life and was headed down a path that would lead to prison. Counselors and parents decided that they would allow these teen to have a prison “experience” in hopes it would get them back on track. For some it worked, for others it did not.

As a viewer, I sat on my couch and made promises of how I would never do anything that would result in prison time. Being able to witness their experience reinforced my desires to remain on the “straight and narrow”. Though many of us feel that we live life in a manner that would not result in a prison sentence, we fail to acknowledge that the life we lead could result in eternal damnation.

The speaker Sunday at church teachings came from Revelations 21:7. However, I took the liberty of reading beyond that into verse 8.

Rev 21:7-8
Conquerors inherit all this. I'll be God to them, they'll be sons and daughters to me. But for the rest—the feckless and faithless, degenerates and murderers, sex peddlers and sorcerers, idolaters and all liars—for them it's Lake Fire and Brimstone. Second death!"

Verse 8 in this passage is something I’ve been told many many times. I’m sure someone has always mention or said in one way or another “their is a lake of fire waiting on you” (I would hear my grandmother say this to my grandfather and others she didn’t care for). Yet unless you understand exactly what that means, the true impact of the passage means nothing.

First understand just what Lake of Fire is. Imagine burning forever. Its not your body its your soul. FOREVER. There’s no water, no one to save you. You had your chance to get saved and do the right thing and you choose against it. It will be your second death."Brimstone," also referred to as sulfur, evokes the acrid odor of volcanic activity. So to sum it all up, you burn for eternity with the type of substance that erupts volcanoes.

There has been many who say that Lake of Fire and Brimstone is not going to be the literal experience (as if they know), but this particular passage is just describing and comparing the experience. Either way its not something I would want to go through.

I’m not perfect and I can be transparent enough to admit that I am still struggling with the awful sin of lying. However, just the thought of knowing that my fate is burning forever is enough to scare me straight. We probably won’t get that “Lake of Fire and Brimstone” experience like on the “Beyond Scared Straight” series. Nevertheless, the Bible gives a description several times that is enough to remind me to get on the right path.

I admit, I have not been able to make myself read Revelations (the entire chapter). I really don’t believe I’m ready to face that there will be a end to this earth. I don’t think I want to acknowledge that there will be a punishment for my sins if I don’t start doing EVERYTHING God says do. That doesn’t stop me from knowing that a punishment does exist. There will be a rapture. And there is a Lake of Fire and Brimstone waiting for those who didn’t want to do right. The thought alone is enough to scare me straight. I encourage you to have your own reality check. Read Revelations. Do research. Understand that your sins will not go unpunished. For me, I’m beyond scared straight.

Is It Cheating If Your Aren't Married

2011-04-19T08:03:00.001-04:00

As I closed my laptop and prepared to conclude the meeting between my client and I, I brought up a question in which I continue to go back and forth with. “Is it cheating if you aren’t married?”

The topic surfaced when I asked my sister for some relationship advice when I wondered if a boyfriend was cheating on me. My sister said since we weren’t married I shouldn’t expect a boyfriend to be faithful. I didn’t like her advice so I turned to the Bible, but it only addresses marriage.

My client (who happens to be a pastor) chuckled slightly and paused. I could tell he didn’t want to give me the wrong answer. He knows that I am in a relationship with a longtime boyfriend and he wanted to make sure he gave wise counsel. Finally, he saids, “Who is it that you are trying to please? Once you answer that, you have the answer to your question.”

That wasn’t the answer I was looking for. I was hoping he would answer with a “Yes or No” and give a brief reasoning behind his answer. Instead, he gave me an answer that was more like a “Karate Kid” type of ancient Chinese proverb.

Once I began to really think about his answer, it made sense.

I repeated the question to myself: “Who is it that you are trying to please? ”

The answer was obvious – God.

I love the Lord. My true loyalty is to God and what saith the Lord. When you are cheating in a relationship you are engaging in an act that is dishonest and deems you untrustworthy. Cheating requires one to be sneaky and deceitful. Both of these characteristics are ungodly. If you are trying to please God then engaging an act that is not of Christ is totally wrong.

Romans12: 9-10 says:
Marks of the True Christian
9 tLet love be genuine. uAbhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 vLove one another with brotherly affection. wOutdo one another in showing honor.

So is it cheating if you aren’t married? For me, it’s cheating on my relationship with Christ. I long to please God and if my actions are dishonest then that goes against all my beliefs and values. I believe God will bless me with a husband one day, however how can I expect Him to bless me with a mate that I can’t stay devoted too?

Many people don’t take courting seriously. Some believe it doesn’t hold as much weight as a married relationship. It’s not marriage, but in any relationship you engage in – and you proclaim to be a Christian – you are to uphold the same morals and values. It is cheating if you are not married. The action of dishonesty makes it so.

Until Next Time

Christian Testimony - Davey Falcus - Gangland To God - Word Out Productions

2011-04-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

Watch this powerful testimony.

Ben's Intervention

2011-04-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

Ben's Intervention

I was raised with Christian beliefs, but I had a difficult time with my faith in my earlier days. I began doing drugs and drinking alcohol in my early teens.

The Most Important Things

Drugs and alcohol quickly became the most important things in my life. Although I didn't see the problems this would cause me then, looking back I recall the immediate changes in my decision making process. As time went by, the church, my family, and school became much less important to me. Before I knew it, my whole life was wrapped up in drugs and alcohol.

I was drinking and getting high on a daily basis. I dropped out of school and ran away from home. By the time I was 16, I was living on the streets.

An Intervention

It all came down to my mom contacting me on Christmas, pleading with me to come over and visit her on Christ's birthday. So I went and had breakfast with her.

I'm not sure how it all got started. Either she said something I didn't want to hear, or I didn't get what I wanted. Like I'd done so many times before, I treated her badly. I began yelling and swearing and pushing her away. It was so bad she had to call the police on me again.

The police came and told me that I needed to leave; I wasn't welcome there any longer. I left my parent's home and went to a grocery store where I stole two beers and went back to drinking.

Something Different

But this time something was different. I wasn't getting the relief that I needed. Suddenly, I knew I had to stop drinking. I spoke to God for the first time in years and asked for his help.

The help quickly came and people started intervening in my life. I stopped drinking and doing drugs with the help of Jesus' love and the love from those who loved him.

One of the men who helped me was from Christian Intervention. He explained to me how Jesus and other Christians had helped him turn his life around. It has been seven years since that time, and I have not returned to alcohol or drugs. I have continued to turn to Christ and I've seen how I can help others in his name. My life keeps becoming more and more enjoyable; It's better than I could have ever imagined.

My Journey to the Bottom

2011-04-06T06:00:00.000-04:00

My Journey to the Bottom and Back

The following is my story—my journey from hell to everlasting life through a relationship with Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. I write not only to heal, but maybe to reach someone whose story may be similar to mine.

My parents divorced when I was seven due to my father’s alcoholism and inability to take care of himself.

Absence of Love

I never remember hearing my father say “I love you.” That would have been fine if I had been able to feel his love, but it was absent. He was very hurt by my mother’s decision to leave him.

After the divorce, he spiraled into an alcoholic’s oblivion. In his depression and anger, he spent his time drinking and trying to find ways to hurt my mother.

The Hand of God

I remember spending the day with him once, and it never really occurred to me until I was much older what his intentions had been. He had been drinking. He loaded me and my two sisters into his car for a ride on an old farm road. He placed my youngest sister, then about five years old, onto his lap and gave her the steering wheel. He stepped down on the gas so the car sped up. While my sisters and I were terrified, he laughed. I believe in order to hurt my mother, he had planned to kill us all that day.

God had his hand on us, though, and he changed my father’s mind and carried us safely home.

From that point on, my relationships with men were forever a challenge. At nine, I was molested by a stranger who was a guest at a small motel that my mother and stepfather managed. This further damaged my perspectives on men and my image of myself.

Devastating Losses

I felt unloved by my father, and when I needed him the most, he chose not to be there. When I was 15, his choice to “be there or not” was taken away. He died after a barroom fight in which he staggered home and into bed. While he slept, he bled to death internally. His death was devastating to me, even though I didn't know him that well. My plans to confront him someday and to reach out to him were gone. I would never know him.

In high school, I began to drink every weekend, and I looked for love from a boy. In order to be loved, I felt I had to give myself to him. That led me into a situation that ended in abortion.

My stepfather, also an alcoholic, was against the abortion and he became verbally abusive. I was called a “murderer” and a “whore.” I heard it so much that I came to believe it.

I continued to drink and started smoking pot. One night in particular, I passed out and was left by friends in a college dormitory. I awoke to being gang-raped. I never reported what happened because I actually believed that somehow I caused it.

Undeserving of Love

I felt that I didn't deserve to be loved. My father didn't love me, so how could anyone else? I became so depressed that I tried to end my life. I missed a huge portion of my senior year in high school and only graduated through a correspondence course.

I grew older and stopped drinking, but continued to smoke pot daily. I met a man and fell in love. We were married, and I began to think that my past was behind me.

I gave my life to God. I was saved and baptized, and I took it all very seriously. Soon, I began teaching Sunday School and getting involved in my church. You would think that this was the end of the story, but what comes next took me to hell.

My Journey to the Bottom

My husband wasn't going to church with me. He wanted no part of my new found faith. I soon discovered that while I was at church, he was having an affair with one of my friends. We already had one daughter, and I was pregnant with the second when he began cheating on me. I was devastated! Our marriage of 11 years was over, and once again, I felt like I deserved it.

Depression kept me from my Lord, and soon I quit teaching Sunday school and stopped going to church. I was lost and searching for something that would make me feel better—make me forget.

I thought I found it in Meth.

I began using for recreational purposes, on the weekends. Eventually, weekends weren't enough, and I began using every day—every hour if possible. Soon, I couldn't live without it.

At first I was snorting it, then I began smoking it, and eventually I started using needles. I went from being secure in my Christianity to becoming a meth junkie.

At my lowest point, I called my mother and told her to come and get my girls. I couldn't take care of them. I had hit my bottom.

I loaded a syringe with as much meth as I had, and I put it in my arm. I wanted to die. For all intents and purposes, I should have been dead.

My Journey Back

What felt like a brick slammed against the back of my head, and I fell to the floor. I don’t know how long I lay there, but God spared me. I knew that he had a plan for me, and his plan was for me to prosper and not to die. I got on my knees, and in tears I begged God to let me back in. I asked for deliverance from my addiction. I pleaded for forgiveness.

I now have 2.5 years of sobriety. My girls are back with their mother. I am back with my Savior. I've learned to forgive people who hurt me, and I've asked for their forgiveness.

I spend my time now talking to people in recovery centers, and I give my testimony over and over in hopes of helping someone like I once was.

God waits for them, just like he waited for me. He gave us free will, and I used mine in the wrong way. He has turned my mistakes into good, just as the Bible promises. I now hold onto these promises like I once held onto meth.

God delivered me. He loves me just the way I am. Before I came into existence, Jesus knew the sins I would commit and he still crawled onto that cross and died for me. After searching for true love my whole life, I have finally found it in Jesus Christ—my best friend, my Lord and my Savior.

Naomi's Darkest Times Child Abuse and Neglect Christian Testimony

2011-04-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Naomi's Darkest Times

I would like to share just a part of my testimony in hopes that someone, even just one person, will believe that there is a God and that he is merciful and faithful, in spite of our human faults and wrong doings.

I am 37, and most of my life has been filled with disappointment and tragedy. Much of it was caused by my own wrong choices. Although I was exposed to the church at a very young age and saved at age five, I did not follow that path much of my life.

Memories of Child Abuse and Neglect

I had a very abusive childhood. I experienced rejection, loneliness, and physical and emotional abuse. From a very young age, my sister and I have bad memories. We were often homeless and moved around a lot. My parents split up when I was 9, and right before that, I saw something so awful that it remained bitterly engrained in my memory until just recently when I made the choice to forgive and put it in God's hands.

Anyway, after my parents split, things only got worse. I was no longer under my father's iron fisted control, and could be labeled "damaged goods." My mother tried to reach me, but I became impossible. We were poorer than we had ever been. My mom got on welfare, and we lived on the worst side of Tucson, Arizona—right in the middle of gang territory in a dumpy trailer with roaches everywhere.

I began smoking pot and cigarettes, drinking, and hanging out with people much older than me. I became violent, stealing from stores and fighting with my mom. We moved to a different trailer in the same park that was even worse. My mom was gone a lot. We we were hungry; once I went door to door asking for money so my sisters and I could eat.

Building Anger and Resentment

I was molested for the third time in a year, and I couldn't tell anyone. So, I exposed all of my anger and rage to anyone in my path. I was filled with hate and resentment. My self-esteem was shot.

I could go on and on, but to make a very long story short, as I grew into a teen, I grabbed at about anything I could get my hands on. At 14, I was violently raped, yet still I didn't learn. By that time we were living in a small town in Montana, and trouble followed me everywhere.

My mother tried group homes and counseling, but nothing worked. I was impossible. At 16, I got involved in a very abusive relationship with a guy who was three years older than me. That began a pattern of many violent relationships with men—one in which I was almost killed.

Mad at God

I've endured the pain and humiliation of being homeless; I've been raped, abused drugs and alcohol, been in depression, abusive relationships, had to give up my son in 1995, been in mental hospitals, had breakdowns ... you name it! I even tried suicide four times.

I was so angry at God. I couldn't understand why he continued to let me live. Yet, through it all, in the darkest times of my life, he remained by my side, even though I rejected him.

Then, about three years ago, God finally put me in a place where I had no choice but to focus on him, and only him. I met a wonderful man, who, of course, God had put in my life.

Turning to God

I was a single parent with a six-year-old daughter. I was heading down the same path of alcohol and bad relationships. But this time, I chose to turn to God, even though I felt worthless to the world and in my own eyes.

God did something miraculous when I met Tony; I left my old life behind. Thank God for sending me this beautiful Christian man! God is first and foremost, but he used Tony to help me. A few times I slipped with the alcohol, but Tony would say, "I don't like you when you drink!" Suddenly, my desire for alcohol was completely gone. Just the smell of it makes me sick now.

I would like to tell you my full testimony, but it would take too long, so, in closing, I'll share a couple of things I've learned.

We can look into the eyes of death and darkness, we can be crippled with pain, even blind and destitute, but there is nothing God cannot heal! If the Lord had not allowed me to live, I would not be here to experience the blessings I now know in this life. These are blessings the enemy had robbed me of for 37 years.

Also, let me encourage you to make the choice to forgive yourself as well as those who have hurt you. I have learned that forgiveness is the greatest step toward total healing!

Shot of Jack Please....Switching Addictions

2011-04-04T08:21:00.002-04:00

At one point in my life a pint of Jack Daniels was my best friend. There were so many things happening to me at one time that the only way I found comfort was scrapping up $14 and proceeding to the local liquor store. “Pint of Jack please”. It got to the point where when I came in the door, the lady behind the thick glass window knew what I wanted and had it sitting out for me. It was the same way in the bars I would frequent. Bartenders knew me and knew that I didn’t want anything but Jack Daniels and to get ready because I’m all in for no less than three shots. It wasn’t that I liked the taste of Jack, who really likes the taste? It was the fact not too many people could handle Jack. It doesn’t go down smooth, it actually provides a discomfort. And for many, it gets you very drunk very quick. For that reason, I favored Jack Daniels.

I remember rationalizing in my mind how easily I could control my drinking and stop whenever I pleased. I wasn’t addicted to it; I just knew that if I drank than I’d forget for about three hours the crazy life I was living. It was in a way medicine... or so I thought.

As a daughter of a pastor you’d think that the years upon years of Christ teachings I experienced would keep me from turning to the bottle but it didn’t. Honestly, I didn’t think twice about going to God because I was ashamed. And to me, God would take too long to fix things. (At this point I am admitting what a lot of people think regularly).

My drinking began to climax at a time when I was leaving an abusive relationship, graduation was approaching, just crossed Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., ran right into another unhealthy relationship, money was funny, and my self esteem was at an all time low. That night I can recall the room spinning and me lying on my bed crying saying “God if you love me, fix me”.
Next morning I was awaken by my mother’s ringtone. I can’t recall the full conversation but I remembered her saying, “How do you feel about moving to Charlotte?” I was totally against it. NO! NO! NO! But two weeks later, I was gone. I was up the highway on my way to Charlotte, NC.

Upon arriving in Charlotte, NC I was living with my mother and she wasn’t going for that drinking thing. I didn’t know my way around so I was a little nervous about trying to find bars. It was at that time, my cloudy head of thoughts cleared and God was able to get through to me. I remember hearing His voice telling me to “switch addictions”. Instead of giving Jack Daniels so much power over my life, try Him. That is exactly what I did.

My problems didn’t go away, but I took the steps needed to face them, deal with them and move on. I switched my yearning for Jack with a yearning for Christ. I wanted to do what was right. I wanted to please God. I wanted to live right.

I’m not going to present myself as a saint and say, “And I haven’t had a drink since”. That would be a lie. What I can tell you is I’m not addicted or dependent to or on Jack Daniels. I switched my addictions. Right now I’m addicted to God. Without Him, I am nothing.

Many of us have addictions that we don’t want to recognize as an addiction. It could be alcohol, sex, image, another person, drugs, even porn. If your addiction is not God, than the time is now to step back and re-examine your live. God is a jealous God and made it quite clear that we are to have no other Gods before Him. I encourage you to remove anything that has more power in your life than God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, (10) use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. (11) A number of you know from experience what I am talking about, for not so long ago you were on the list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Sprite.
(The Message Bible)

I will continue to encourage you to switch addictions. God should be and always be number one in your life. You will not get to heaven glorifying the things of the earth.

Until Next Time....

Trusting First and Not Last

2011-04-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

How to Trust God First, Not Last

Trust in God Part 3,4,5,6 Joyce Meyers

2011-03-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Trusting God - Joyce Myers

2011-03-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

Great message! Part 1 and 2

Why is Trusting God So Hard?

2011-03-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

The Bible says this about trusting God, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). Furthermore, it tells us that "He who trusts in himself is a fool. . ." (Proverbs 28:26). Still, most of us have difficulty trusting God at least at one point or another in our walk with Him.

There are probably many reasons why trusting is difficult. God's ways don't always make sense to us. God told Noah to build an ark. It may have never rained up to this point and the nearest body of water was probably many miles away. It could not have made much sense to Noah at all (story found in Genesis 6-8). We want life to make sense. We always want to set our own terms and timetables.

God works on a different timetable than our minds comprehend. God promised Abraham a son from his own body through his wife Sarah. It was at least 24 years before this promise was fulfilled in the manner in which God had promised. In the meantime, Abraham and Sarah had difficulty trusting God and tried their own methods to fulfill the promise (read about this in Genesis 15-17). We want what we want and we want it. . .now! It is difficult to trust in a plan that requires us to surrender all control of the time for completion.

In order to trust in God, you must totally surrender your will, your ideas, your desires, and your future in to God's hands. Many of us are "control freaks." We don't want to give the control of any part of our lives over to another. If you don't believe that God loves you fully and really does have your best interests at heart and desires the very best for you, trusting Him is going to be extremely difficult. It takes a very special relationship to allow that measure of surrender. Most of us have a tendency to claim trust in God. However, at the first sign of any difficulty or trial, we think that God must not love us because He is allowing this difficulty to happen. The trial is exactly what God is using to test the level of trust that we have in Him.

In spite of the trials, we always have God's promise that the trials and tests that we go through are for our good (Romans 8:28, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 4:17, James 1:2). We learn that it is through trust that our relationship with God strengthens and our love for Him grows.

We can trust in many things. None, however, offer the protection plan, the long term security, or the benefits that trusting in God offers. All of the other things in which we place our trust can fail. God never fails! In the words of King David, ". . .Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. . ." (1 Chronicles 28:20).

http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/trusting-god-faq.htm

Don't Give Up On God

2011-03-28T09:28:00.005-04:00

I must say that last week was one of the hardest weeks in my life from an emotional stand point. Our topics for the last few weeks were on faith, disobedience, and resisting temptation. It seemed as though God put me through all that to see if I could practice what I preach. Everything in me knew it was a test, but my days last week just got harder and harder. By Friday I was to the point where it was too hard to pray and it seemed as though my biggest enemy was God Himself. I remember sitting staring aimlessly into the sky wondering "what's really going on?". I remember hearing God say "Trust me".
I wish I could write ... "at that very moment, I cast all my worries aside and trust God for all the He can do in my life".... NO. The story didn't quite go that way. Actually, I did suck it up and reluctantly said "ok God, I trust you." I had the tone of a skeptic. The week's events clouded everything that God has done for me and was doing for me in my life. I couldn't see pass my dwindling bank account. I couldn't see pass the road blocks I kept running into with this month's Jesus Cousin outreach, nor could I see pass the stress I was enduring working with the kids. Really, I couldn't see pass ME. Yet, I still "trusted".
Going into the weekend, I was due in Atlanta for a private performance for an A&R. The week had took a toll on me and by the time I was suppose to leave, I didn't want to go. I was exhausted, I had no fight left in me. Then I heard God again saying "trust me". By this time God is all I had to hold on to, by this time he was my only hope. I gathered myself, prayed, and went. It was pouring raining the whole time. I wanted to turn back, but I kept going. Finally I arrived and was able to perform. The show went well and I impressed the A&R. With the feedback I received, the trip was worth it.
I believe Satan was doing his best to keep me from receiving my blessing. I believe God allowed it just to see if I could be pushed to a point where I would give up on him. I with stood the test just as Job did.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

I couldn't have gotten through this pass week without God. I trusted God to protect me, guide me, and keep me sane. This pass week, I would have truly lost my mind if I did not trust him. Don't ever give up on God because he will not give up on you. Every promise he has made to you, he will full fill them. Trust him and know that He is God and God all by him self.

Tips For Resisting Temptation

2011-03-25T13:57:00.000-04:00

Introduction - Fundamental Truths
Since the entrance of sin into the world, a war has been raging in every human heart between the spirit and the flesh. Every person desiring to serve God feels the battle between these two opposing masters. And Satan is always exploiting our physical and emotional desires to sever our relationship with the Lord. "Your iniquities have separated you from your God" (Isaiah 59:2 NKJV). The Bible begins with the serpent tempting Adam and Eve and follows with the world's deterioration. The New Testament begins with Satan tempting Jesus and follows with the world's salvation. When humanity fell after that first subtle temptation in the garden, it lost the pure loving motives with which it had been originally created. Selfishness took its place, and the result has been devastating: death, disease, war, crime, pain-the list goes on.
God has called us to holiness. "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15, 16). But without supernatural aid, men and women are powerless to resist the evil desires and motives of the carnal heart.
Yet God will never ask us to do anything that we are incapable of doing without His help. He has not abandoned His rebellious creation, and He made complete and final provision for its restoration. The purpose of His plan of salvation is to restore within you and me the image of Christ, so that we might be called the sons of God. "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:3, 4).
Many believe it is a sin to be tempted. This is not true. The Bible declares, "For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Jesuswas tempted in the wilderness, so it can't possibly be a sin to be tempted. Rather, it is a sin to give into temptation. Shakespeare wrote, "Tis one thing to be tempted, Another thing to fall." Christians must not allow the carnal nature to dictate what they do; they must allow the Spirit to direct their path and not the flesh.
If we truly want to follow Jesus, we can choose to resist those actions and thoughts that we know are contrary to His will. Thankfully, through Jesus, God has provided everything we need to successfully resist evil and be overcomers. So we might naturally ask ourselves, "Since I am a follower of Christ, what did Jesus do to resist temptation?" For one thing, He quoted the Bible. Knowledge of His Word makes for the first and best defense against temptation. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalm 119:11). Second, we need to pray! Even Jesus turned to prayer to resist temptation. "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation" (Mark 14:38). I could easily expound on just these two basic points, prayer and the Word, to develop an entire book about fighting temptation. But instead, I want to use these fundamental truths as a foundation to highlight 12 practical keys to resist and overcome temptation. I also want to give you some Bible passages that you might recite, as Jesus did, when you are tempted. I believe this basic biblical ammunition, along with regular and sincere devotions, will mark your path with more consistent victory.

#1 Remember the Reward
"It's easier to endure the darkness when you believe in the approaching day."
I am certain that one reason people are so easily overcome by temptation is that they lose sight of their eternal perspective. If an angel appeared to you right now in all his brilliant glory and said, "Repent! Jesus is coming soon," would it be easier for you to resist temptation—at least for the rest of the day? Sure, because your faith would be strengthened that your reward was real and near.
Hebrews 11:24-26 says, "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Moses was in line to rule Egypt during the zenith of its power and wealth. That position of influence would be a terrible temptation for anyone. But Moses looked to God's eternal reward and was able to resist the devil's temporary earthly treasure. Don't forget the glory God has in store for you. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). It is so much easier to resist temptation if you believe you are really saved. If you mistakenly think you can work your way into being saved, you will actually erode your ability to resist. But when you believe you are saved, it's a lot easier to behave like a son of God.
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). It's easy to resist a jellybean when you know you are on your way to a feast!

#2 Believe in the Badness of Sin
You also must remember how bad sin is—with or without a reward. Paul says "That sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful" (Romans 7:13). You need to truly know that sin is very ghastly, and if you need a reminder, go back about 2,000 years ago to Calvary and see what sin did to Jesus. As Christians, we can't embrace sin because it is filthy, ugly, and deadly. Sin caused the death of our beloved Jesus.
The Bible says, "There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1 NKJV). We need go beyond the basic emotion of loving God. Like Job, a part of loving God is hating evil. God wants us to hate sin because He hates it. "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way" (Psalm 119:104).
Don't be deceived when the devil tries to portray sin as something desirable and attractive. He's a genius at making something filthy and crooked look clean and harmless. But don't be mislead, because that pretty picture will end up killing you. You need to come to the place where you love God so much that you would rather die than deliberately sin and grieve Him.
"Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay."

#3 Don't Love Money
I could write out a long list of individual temptations, but I've chosen to include money specifically because next to pride, it's the big one. But the money I'm writing about isn't so much about dollar bills as it is about the trap of materialism and power. I believe Christians should work hard, earning and saving and giving as much as they can. Yet there is a constant danger that money could become our god.
"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition" (1 Timothy 6:9 NKJV). I've seen people make such foolish choices, like gambling away their savings, because they want to get rich quick. They keep yanking the slot-machine lever because the devil tells them that maybe if they drop in just one more quarter, they'll hit it big. Not to mention that they're throwing money away when it could be used for saving souls.
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). Serving God and your desire for money is impossible. Money is a power, and not all power is bad. Money can be a power to do good or evil—a double-edge sword. We pray in our churchesthat the Lord will bless our needs financially, but we don't want to become slaves to loving money. If your heart is with your money, it can't be with God. God has asked us to be prepared to leave our full nets, tax booth, and houses filled with possessions without looking back. "Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:32).

#4 Get Ready to Flee
Few speed records are broken when people run from temptation. Generally, they crawl away from temptation hoping it catches up with them. Sometimes temptation comes through a door we deliberately leave open. Suppose that you accidentally spilled kerosene all over your clothes and somebody nearby lit a match. Where would you go? As far away as you could and as fast as possible! That should be the attitude of a Christian toward temptation. Paul said, "Flee fornication" and "flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 6:18; 10:14). So flee from sin, and don't leave a forwarding address.
Don't miss this: When you run from temptation, you head toward God. "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you" (James 4:7). When you know something is sinful, don't engage or banter with the devil, because he is the master of rationalization—that's how Eve fell!
It breaks my heart when Christians try to justify their sins. There is no limit to the arguments with which the devil can supply you. As soon as you know something is wrong, flee! The bravest man runs from temptation; the fool flirts with it.
You also don't want to wait until you get so old that all those desires of youth fade away and you deceive yourself into thinking you have gained the victory. "And desire fails. For man goes to his eternal home" (Ecclesiastes 12:5 NKJV). Your heart may still be corrupt. Flee now, actively. You must commit yourself to God while you can still experience His renovating grace in your life. Jesus' power is sufficient even for our hot-blooded youth. Remember when Joseph was tempted, he fled from Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:12).
John Dryden said, "Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare."

#5 Don't Follow the Crowd
A common reason Christians easily fall into temptation is the reasoning, "Everybody's doing it, so it must be okay." That's the devil's favorite "lemming logic." It's also why Peter denied Jesus. Just a few hours before betraying Jesus, Peter vowed, "Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (Matthew 26:35 NKJV). And when Peter made that statement surrounded by his friends, he was very sincere. But when Jesus was taken into the judgment hall, it was no longer popular to be with Christ. Peter gathered with Christ's mockers around a campfire, and the longer he stayed, the easier it was to act and talk like Christ's enemies.
By letting the crowd measure our values, we become like the crowd. And the Bible says the crowd is usually wrong. "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat" (Matthew 7:13). Christians have to think for themselves. They must resist peer pressure—they have to be different. If a billion people believe a lie, it's still a lie.
In the end-times, there's going to be two very religious groups—one with the mark of the beast, the other with the seal of God. The former group will be the larger. Just because a large group of people is being religious, it does not mean it's God's group. Generally, the Bibleís great men and women are the ones standing for right when everyone else is bowing down.
Also keep in mind another reason to not follow the crowd is because the crowd is watching. While you don't want to follow the crowd, you should live a life the crowd can look at. People are more impressed, and many have been converted, when they have seen Christians maintain their faith under pressure. One weak compromising act might spoil an entire lifetime of witness.

#6 Plan to Stay Busy
Hanging behind the check-out register in a Cincinnati candle shop is a large sign that reads: "There is a very good reason for this sign being here and you standing in front of it reading it. It is here to keep you busy. We realize how annoying it can be just standing around doing nothing, trying to find someone to help you. So, we have this sign here for you to read, and hope that by the time you finish reading it one of our salespeople will have found you."
A little later it adds, "P.S. If not, please read this sign again."
Most people hate to be idle because God created us for activity. You've heard the expression, "Idleness is the devil's workshop." That's not a direct Bible quote, but Ezekiel 16:49, 50 comes close. "Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters ... therefore I took them away as I saw good."
The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah wasn't simply perversion and sexual immorality. The valley of Sodom was lush with vegetation and abundant with food. Life was easy for her inhabitants. Lot moved there because it offered him a life of leisure. But when a person doesn't have anything to do, chances are the devil will help the carnal heart to concoct something evil. "Idleness is the parent of all vice."
Sin begins in the human mind, which is designed to concentrate mainly on one thing at a time. If we stay busy, especially focused on doing something good like witnessing or helping the poor, we don't have time to think about evil. E. G. White said, "Strength to resist evil is best gained through aggressive service." One of the ways to stay out of trouble is to be aggressively involved in serving Jesus. After the fall, when God told Adam, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," it was intended to be a blessing for man to stay busy and out of trouble (Genesis 3:19). But an idle person tempts the devil to tempt him.
"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:15,16 NKJV). An Italian Proverb adds, "He that labors is tempted by one devil; he that is idle, by a thousand."

#7 Have a Plan!
We often stumble into sin because when we see temptation coming, we just wait like a deer caught in the headlights to see what might happen when it arrives. But it's better to be prepared in advance. Proverbs 22:3 advises, "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished" (NKJV). A wise man surveys the road for potential trouble. If he spots a band of robbers, he thinks, "I'd better hide or change routes because I don't want to be robbed!" But the fool says, "Wow. I think there are bandits down the road. I wonder what's going to happen when they get here."
Christians will often do that with temptation. We say, "I wonder if I'll be tempted if I watch this program, read this magazine, or drink this stuff." I think it was Ben Franklin who said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." And Jesus said, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell" (Matthew 5:29). If you have an area of temptation you know will drag you down, take whatever advance measures of prevention you can, no matter how desperate, to keep from being overcome.
If you are trying to quit smoking, then avoid friends who smoke or places where you are more prone to be tempted. In the very least, plot a way of escape. If your temptation is overeating, make an advance decision to place an appropriate amount of food on your plate and plan to stop when it's gone. Millions nibble their way into sin because they don't think ahead. This leads me to the next point very well. #8 Know Thyself
Alex was trying to save all the pennies he could to buy a new baseball bat, but he had a real struggle. One night as he said his prayers, he fervently requested, "O Lord, please help me save my money for a baseball bat. And, God, don't let the ice cream man come down this street!"
A Spanish proverb instructs, "Be not a baker if your head be of butter."
When someone joins Alcoholics Anonymous, he or she is first supposed to admit to being an alcoholic. This admission can represent a tremendous breakthrough, because the person recognizes their weakness. Likewise, it's one of the first steps in becoming a Christian, to admit that we are a "sin-a-holic."
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us" (1 John 1:10). "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12). The Bible says that we must not trust in our own strength. We must be very cautious when we begin to think we have a handle on a certain temptation and say, "It won't bother me anymore. I'm strong enough. I've got the victory!" Thatís when we are especially in a position to fall. Some Christians are even proud of the areas they have overcome, but they're only setting themselves up for the devil to knock them down. On the night of His betrayal, Jesus warned Peter: "This night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times" (Mark 14:30). But Peter boasted, "If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!" (Mark 14:31). Jesus was warning Peter that he didn't really know how weak he really was.
Even when you're helping somebody else overcome weakness, you need to pray with him or her, but also recognize that you're in danger of making the same mistake. When a rescuer is pulling a person from rushing water, they have to be careful that they don't get pulled in too. So we must always be vigilant to recognize our weakness. "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Galatians 6:1).
Watch out for temptation—the more you see of it the better it looks!

#9 Overcome Evil with Good
We sometimes leave ourselves wide open to compromise when we fail to fill the vacuum left by forsaken bad habits. I have known people to gain victory over one addiction only to replace it with another because they did not find a positive substitute to fill the vacancy.
"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first" (Luke 11:24-26).
If you are struggling with an eating disorder or food addiction, you can't simply give up eating. The secret is to learn to "eat what is good" (Isaiah 55:2 NKJV). "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). If you have a problem nibbling chocolate through the day, buy some grapes or almonds. Have you even thrown away those cigarettes? Get a box of toothpicks or some sunflower seeds (but not chocolates).
If someone has insulted or cruelly used you, do not retaliate with evil but kindness. "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink" (Romans 12:20 NKJV). Overcome evil with good. When a hawk is attacked by kingbirds, it does not make a counterattack, but soars higher and higher in ever widening circles until the tormentors leave it alone.

#10 Care for Your Health
Temptation often comes not at our strongest moments, but during our weakest. When we are at the limits of our strength, patience, love, and health, we are tempted to be un-Christian. Beware; Jesus' temptation began after 40 days of fasting. He was tired and hungry. When Peter denied Jesus, he was also very tired.
Our ability to resist basic temptations might be greatly influenced by everything from regular exercise, or lack of, to body hormones. Often when we are sick or when our reserves are drained, we react in negative ways. Most marital arguments occur at the end of the day when one or both spouses are tired and hungry. Get enough sleep and eat good food at regular times. One of my favorite authors also advises, "By the indulgence of perverted appetite, man loses his power to resist temptation." Excessive sweets can give you a temporary rush only to be followed by feelings of depression and irritability.
You may not always be able to avoid fatigue or hunger, but if a soldier is passing through a minefield, he is much more careful where he steps. Avoid sensitive discussions or demanding tasks during these volatile times. Jesus said, "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). But that does not mean we should not try to do everything in our power to improve our health and as a result improve our moral resolve. A good night's rest, a little exercise, and nutritious breakfast can make you feel like you're ready to take on Goliath. #11 Recognize Your Escape
When boarding a plane, I make a mental note of emergency exit locations. I'm not paranoid, just prudent. For me, the very best means for overcoming temptation is recognizing that God has provided a way of escape for every one of us. Remember this passage: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Now that's some very good news. We don't have to rely on our shaky faith; we can rely on God because He is faithful!
Now when you are tempted, you can say, "God is measuring what He allows the devil to bring against me, and I'm able to handle it with His grace." You never have to say, "I can't bear to resist the devil any longer." By saying that, you'd be calling God a liar!
The Egyptians pursued the children of Israel from behind, and as they fled they also found that mountains were on both sides and river lay in front of them. It seemed like a very hopeless situation. But God had promised that He would be faithful, and He provided a way of escape. The Bible is full of stories like these that seemed hopeless, but God was faithful. And He'll use even dramatic rescue attempts to help you. When it looked like there was no food to feed the crowd following Jesus, God was faithful to bring food even out of heaven for the followers.
So every time you think, "I don't see any way out," remember these stories and make up your mind to trust God and watch for His way of escape. Even with the most devilish temptation at your doorstep, say, "I'm going to trust God. I'm going to do the right thing." God will make an escape for you.

#12 Surviving a Fall
In 1944 over Germany, Flight Sergeant Alkemade jumped from his blazing bomber and fell headlong 18,000 feet. He survived without a scratch because his fall was broken by snow covered fir trees on a slope.
I've saved for last what I believe to be the most important key to overcoming temptation. You already know that Jesus is able to keep you from falling (Jude 1:24). But if you do fall, don't stay down.
If you are in Christ, you have the greatest power to resist wrong. To abide in Him is to abide in His Spirit. Galatians 5:16 says, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." Noah, Enoch, and Abraham walked with God. And you can do the same today by getting on your knees and petition for strength. God will send every angel in heaven to save you from sin, rather than let a trusting child fall when pleading for His help. But we must choose to follow Jesus, rather than the lies of the devil. God has made us free moral agents, and the devil cannot make us sin.
By God's grace, you and I can resist every temptation through His Spirit. But remember that if you do fall, don't give up. Many people who fall down, stay down. They say, "Oh well. I'm lost now; I may as well surrender to every other temptation." God can help you recover lost territory, and He will save you from future temptations. You might need to spend three days sorrowing and searching just like Joseph and Mary when they lost Jesus, but He will be waiting for you in His Father's house.
The devil may dishearten you with his wicked whisperings saying, "I know you! I tempted you, and you did it! You're no good. You call yourself a Christian, but you're just a hypocrite. In fact, you aren't even saved!" But I believe the Christian life is progressive. The Bible promises, "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1). If you sin, and we all do, don't give up. If the devil tricks you, and you fall down, don't stay down. Don't let your past failures be an excuse for future compromise. God can help you overcome everything. You just take it one day and one step at a time.

Staying Out of Trouble

2011-03-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Stay out of trouble

First, stay away from sin. Don’t go looking for Satan just to show that you can withstand his wiles. We aren’t supposed to go looking for trouble, jumping off of spiritual cliffs and expecting angels to rescue us. What I recommend is the opposite: Draw boundaries for yourself that keep you away from the danger.

By boundaries, I do not mean that you see how close you can get to sin without actually going over the line. That is stupid, for the simple reason that our strength of resistance varies from time to time. A boundary that may be safe for us one day may be hazardous to us the next, depending on our emotional state. So a boundary, if it’s going to work, has to be set for our weakest moment, not our strongest.

God doesn’t tell us where to put our boundaries, and we all may need slightly different levels of strictness with ourselves. For example, a photo that is sexually suggestive for one person may not even catch the eye of another. Consequently, people have differing ideas of what sort of pictures to avoid. People with a high tolerance should not look down on those with low tolerance—everyone must judge the risk for themselves.

A person with high tolerance should not “push” the boundaries of the other, saying it’s OK, for that might cause the person to sin. The person with high tolerance should also remember that it is dangerous to overestimate one’s strength. Many aspects of society are designed to tempt, so don’t forget that you are human.

Many of us struggle with temptation in the form of calories. Here, we can break our boundaries every now and then and still recover. Many people have trouble with alcohol, and experience has shown that the safest boundary for most is “absolutely none.” The potential danger is high; the benefits are low; it is simply not worth the risk.

Sexual temptations can also be dangerous, because the consequences of sexual sins are severe. We can’t just “recover” a relationship shattered by infidelity. Here, we must set boundaries well away from the danger zone, just to make sure that nothing happens even in our weakest moments.

For example, our pastors have been given a boundary: They cannot counsel a woman alone. Although the chances of improprieties may be slim, the devastating consequences make the risk too great to allow private counseling. And for similar reasons, youth ministry workers are not to be alone with a child. Safety is too important to leave to good intentions and assumptions.

Resisting Sexual Temptation

2011-03-23T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hormones are tough to handle. Without being knowledgeable about how hormones actually work, we can state the obvious: that they are a real and powerful part of our human make up. Our sexual hormones, which give us “sex drive”, can make being a Christian very tough at times!

Many of the world’s societies are sex mad. Sexual immorality is everywhere, both visibly and hidden. The prevalence and extent of unchecked sexual activity creates a situation where to be different really makes you stand out from the crowd. Pornography has more and more of a place in many cultures and societies. Also the practice and acceptance of homosexuality is possibly greater now than at any time in history.

Lust and fornication (sex outside marriage) are sinful. In order to resist sexual temptation, the Christian needs to have knowledge of why he or she needs to resist, as well as having the spiritual and emotional strength to make an effective resistance. With God’s help we can resist. If we trust in the truth behind God’s rules about sexual morality, then we have the foundation that we need to make our stand against temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says: “When you are tempted (God) will provide a way out so that you can stand”.

Here are some other scriptures which will help those who are tempted: Psalm 1, Psalm 139:23,24, Matthew 26:41, I Corinthians 10:12-14, Philippians 4:8, James 4:7, II Peter 2:9, II Peter 3:17.

We must trust that God knows what is best for us and that we will ultimately be happiest if we obey Him in this area of sex and sexuality. Indeed, we must comply with God’s will or we will be judged and cut off from Him. The Bible is clear that lust, fornication and adultery are sinful. We can see this in scriptures such as Matthew 5:27,28:

“You have heard that it was said “Do not commit adultery.” But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

This verse is followed by a warning that, “it is better to (sacrifice our personal desires and not sin) than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (verse 29). If we persist in sin we will pay the crushing price of experiencing separation from God.

Resisting Temptations

2011-03-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

Neal A. Maxwell once said, "If we entertain temptations, soon they will be entertaining us." As an angel of light, Satan is especially skilled at making sin seem attractive to us. In other words, Satan prefers to employ subtle tactics rather than overt ones because disguised temptations are more effective in deterring and deceiving well-intentioned Christians. In his book Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote that from the devil's vantage point "the safest road to Hell is the gradual one--the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

Though it is not a sin to be tempted, it is a sin to give in to temptation. Temptations come to the godly and the sinner alike, but what sets them apart
is not the temptation itself but rather the response to it.

>From Scripture we realize two important principles about temptations. Most importantly, God is not responsible for tempting us because it is against His character to lead anyone into sin. James 1:13-15 says, "When tempted, no one
should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone, but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Thus, it is clear that sin originates both from the yearnings of our sinful nature as well as from the Devil.

Secondly, we see that all temptations can be overcome by the power of God. I
Corinthians 10:13 states that "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that
you can stand up under it." To set an example for us on how to overcome sin, Jesus endured temptations of various kinds. Hebrews 4:15 says that "He was tempted in every way just as we are--yet was without sin." Christ demonstrated that sin can only be overcome by prayer, fasting, and studying the word of God. Just like Jesus, the more in tune you become with the word and the ways of the Lord the more apt you are to be able to distinguish His voice from the enemy's in times of crisis.

Though resisting temptation is never easy, God promises to reward us for being obedient. When Potipher's wife pursued an immoral relationship with
Joseph, he immediately fled from her presence. Though he was later thrown into jail because she falsely accused him, God was with him and eventually enabled him to ascend to the second highest position in Egypt. Moses too made a decision that involved temporal sacrifices but eternal rewards. Hebrews 11: 25 says that "He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time." As a result, God gave Moses the privilege of witnessing His miraculous hand of blessing for 40 years in the desert.

Temptations comes to all of us on a daily basis but God promises to give you the strength to overcome them. Ask the Lord today to give you discernment so that you can avoid the enemy's pitfalls. God has called you to a life of victory--don't let anything stand in your way!

The Hard Task of Resisting Temptation

2011-03-21T14:03:00.003-04:00

The temptation to sin surrounds me daily. If it isn't one thing its another. I find myself constantly praying that I do not fall short of the glory of God. Truth is, every now and then, I do fall. I do surrender to temptation. After each time, I am left feeling horrible and very apologetic. Last week we spoke about disobedience. Disobedience happens when one is unable to resist the temptation to sin. This week we will face temptation head on and learn how to flee in the event it comes knocking at our door.
The stronger my relationship with Christ becomes, the harder Satan tries to break it up. To be completely transparent, I have a boyfriend. We have been together nearly three years. About a year ago we decided that we would live for Christ and we would do what thus says the Lord. This includes refraining from sex until marriage. Together we strive to be a support system for one another to refrain from going against the word of God. We have found other ways other than sex to grow closer to each other and express our affection.
Nevertheless, there are times when it becomes hard to bare. There are times when we both just want to give into sin and satisfy our physical "needs". We don't do it though. We resist it. We remember the God that has been blessing our lives and we remember how God has been blessing our relationship. Its important to us both that we please God.
It isn't easy to maintain that mentality. This week we will explore steps on how to recognize and resist subjecting ourselves to temptation.

Until Next Time...