Holy Spirit

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

(John 14:16-17)

 

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God to those of us who are saved. He did this to help us through life, to navigate the world to stay on track with Jesus.  The Holy Spirit is the light in the darkness that we can see to keep us on the path of righteousness.  Without the Holy Spirit, we would be lost, not knowing right from wrong, not having discernment of things of the world, and not being able to have confidence in our faith. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, letting us know that Jesus does love us and wants us to be successful in our walk to salvation with Him.

The Little Things

I’m not sure about you out there, but I tend to worry a lot about the little things in life. Maybe it’s because of the way I grew up in a violent home. Maybe it’s because we were dirt poor when for a good portion of my childhood. Maybe, and most likely, it is because I have General Anxiety Disorder, or GAD, as some of you may have heard it as.  I’m pretty sure it is a mix of all three, being the two former made me the latter.  Regardless of, I’m doing this essay for selfishly thinking of myself. I hope, of course, that my research and words have an impact on those reading my words, but I need this essay as much as anyone else. 

 

Some of you may think I am a weak person, or my strength is not strong enough in Christ. You may say that if I were stronger, I would be able to overcome this problem of mine. Believe me, I’m strong in my faith with Christ and know where I’m going when this is all over. But, and I say this again, but, when I pray for relief and healing, I end it with “…thy will be done.” I trust that His will is being done.

 

I believe I am to suffer from GAD for reasons unbeknownst to me. I have not been healed of it. I have not been relieved of this burden.  Sure I have good days, but five out of seven days is full anxiety of the little things in life that give me anxiety.  You know what? I don’t think I’m alone in this.

 

There are so many things happening in life, not only the big things, but the little things in life that snag us and trap us into negative thinking.  Christ doesn’t want us to worry about the little things and he addresses this in Matthew 6:25-26:

 

“Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?”

 

We are told not to worry about anything for God will take care of us and our needs. Great concept and guidance, but to put into practice can be quite a challenge, especially for me.

 

This is what I struggle with, being a worry-wart and getting anxiety about everything, I mean everything.  I struggle with overcoming my anxiety. I know what the verse says, but I don’t know how to implement it in my thought process.  Right now I’m in intensive Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). It is specific therapy to address what I’m going through with my anxiety.  I know it is secular but the psychologist is a Christian. So even though he professionally can’t speak on Christian things, he allows me to express myself through talking about Christ and my beliefs.

 

We have determined that my anxiety stems partly from fear. Now I know I shouldn’t fear and fear is not something to dwell on but I fear nonetheless and it manifests itself into anxiety for me.  1 John 4:18 says: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” In my heart I can relate and know this but I am still tormented by my anxiety, my fear. It’s a roadblock for my being in His perfect love. I want to be in His perfect love and strive for it every day.    

 

It’s the little things that get me and get me down; challenges I face daily.  The bills, what to eat, what to wear, my kids, my family, my job, etc. and etc. The little things in life can take us away from our needed focus on Christ.  The little problems and challenges is Satan poking at us to try to find a weak spot in our armor.  He wants to exploit the little things in our lives into big things. If he can find a crack in our armor, through little things, he can begin to push a wedge into us and try to pull us away from Christ.  We can overcome this.

 

John 14:1 says “Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.” It is the little things that can lead to bigger things if we get troubled in our heart about them.  I have this great trouble in my heart about my health. My health is pretty poor because of multiple conditions I have and I fear a shorter life. Yet at the same time, I know God has greater plans for me for I feel this in my heart of hearts.  What those things are, they have not been revealed to me yet, but I know I still have a future. Yet it still troubles me. I can’t get over it. I’ve tried many times to let go and let God. Yet, I still feel this way.

 

We should not be troubled because we believe in Christ and He cares and looks after each one of us. We can overcome the little things and come out of it with confidence and greater strength in our Lord and Savior.  Troubles will always come, little and big, but we can overcome through our faith and ever growing strength and confidence in Christ.

 

Romans 15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

 

In searching versus, this one popped out at me.  I’m not sure it is directly related to trouble with the little things in life, but it rings a bell for me that by believing in Christ, through the Holy Spirit, I can have hope that the little things in life won’t get me down and out.  Instead of anxiety and worry about the little things, I should have a joy and peace inside of me. I should have hope that I can overcome the little things in life so the world and Satan don’t take me over and pull me away from Christ.

 

I believe that the little things in life can be a stumbling block in our relationship with Christ.  It is a long term project for me that I fight daily to overcome.  Some days I succeed and… some days I fail miserably.  Hope though stays with me and I never give up hoping, expectantly waiting, for God to answer my prayers and give me His strength to overcome. For as Luke 1:37 says: “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” I must be patient for this.

 

When I think of the little things Satan and world through at us, I think of them as challenges to overcome with the end state of have a closer relationship with God. I do look forward to facing my fears and anxiety because I know that by doing so, my strength in Christ grows each and every day. I can’t help but grow in Christ as I face the little troubles in life with Him by my side.

 

2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

 

2 Corinthians (above) says to take pleasure in infirmities.  Hmmm.  In the little things of life that the world throws at us, we should take pleasure in them, face them head on, toe to toe.  Why? Because when we overcome what the world throws at us when we are weak, we become stronger in Christ, in our relationship with Him. When we are at our lowest, i.e., our weakest, we overcome and are stronger in Christ.  This is a challenge with the little things in life that nip at our legs. 

 

The little things the world gives us to battle can become big things if we let them run amuck and unchecked.  We should be humble in Christ and ask for His strength to overcome these challenges.  In due time as we face the little challenges in life, God will exalt us:  1 Peter 5:6-7, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

 

I think we tend to ask God for help with the large obstacles in our life and neglect to ask for help with the little things.  If we cast all our troubles to Him, he will exalt us in due time. What is due time? We in modern society want due time to be right now, this instant, no waiting. Yet due time is on God’s timeline, not ours. Maybe you will get relief from your little troubles right away, or like me and my anxiety, I’m on the long term plan of exaltation. 

 

This verse though says that He cares for us. He cares for us! Did you get that? God doesn’t want us to be unloved or forgotten about. He doesn’t work that way. He cares for us. Caring isn’t just a holistic concept. Like we care for friends and family, their livelihood, their trials, and their wellbeing every day, God is the same way. He cares for us not just with the big things in life that we face, but the little things also. Each day He is looking down, awaiting us to ask Him for His strength, to help us overcome, to get relief from those little things that can bring us down.

 

Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”

 

With the little things in life that we face, they can grow like a tumor and overcome us, making our hearts sick or cold.  They can build up slowly and become big problems.  Little things that build up will slowly wedge a chasm between you and your relationship with Christ and can sever our relationship with Christ.  Don’t let this happen.  Pray for God’s guidance. Let the Holy Spirit guide you on how to deal with your minor problems.  The Holy Spirit will not lead you astray. I’ve never been lead astray be the Holy Spirit, I just don’t listen sometimes.

 

The Holy Spirit is the gift from God, put in our hearts to ensure we stay on the right path, to give us Godly guidance in our hearts. Trust the Holy Spirit to keep you straight on the path of righteousness. Trust the Holy Spirit for he will not disappoint you.  You may not like the guidance that the Holy Spirit gives you, but the Holy Spirit is never wrong.

 

Take for example my anxiety. One of the triggers for my anxiety is being at work, a little thing, right? I know that it’s kinda weird to be anxious about work. For me, I haven’t figured out why, but it just is.  It happens every day. Not so bad in the morning, but as the day goes on it gets worse and worse. I pray for relief. Nothing. I pray for guidance on how to deal with it to make it less of an impact on my mind, heart, and body. The Holy Spirit has guided me on how to lower my anxiety. Sometimes it is stepping away from my computer. Sometimes it is going to talk to my Christian mentor. Sometimes it is just to breath slow and mediate on the Lord. 

 

Most of the time the Holy Spirit inspires me to get the Word out and read at lunch.  These things may not take my anxiety away completely but I do get a sense of peace in my heart and my anxiety is lessened greatly.  Pretty much the Holy Spirit tells me to take a break from myself and focus on something other than work, something that makes me happy:  Proverbs 12:25, “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.”

 

How we deal with the little challenges and obstacles put before us by Satan and the world can become overwhelming. This is especially true when they bombard us at once, or even when they tap on our shoulder every day. How we deal with these little things is important not only for our wellbeing, but also our relationship with Christ.  We tend to try to handle the little things ourselves, when in fact; we should be casting those things to Christ as well, just like we do for the big things.  I know I’m so used to dealing with the little things in my life that I had forgotten to give them to God to help me through them.  I’ve also forgotten to thank the Lord for help with the little things that the Holy Spirit has guided me through. 

 

I’ve researched and touched a little bit on strength of the Lord and how to face the little things. My anxiety may not go away, for the Lord allows me to have it, but I do feel better now through exploring the Word on this, that I can, with confidence, be better at facing the little things that give me anxiety.  I have learned that God just doesn’t care about the big things that we face in this world, but he also cares and wants to help with the little things that have caused us troubles. 

I know there are people out there who have problems facing the little things of life that cause them anxiety and depression or worry. Take heart that our God cares and loves us. Christ won’t abandon you and the Holy Spirit will guide you through the maze of life and the world we are stuck in to ensure we find our way out and into the arms of Jesus.

Living in the World

I don’t mean to sound harsh, and my language may be strong but I hate the world. I don’t like what the world has to offer me. I don’t like what the world does to me. I don’t like what the world does to others.  I know you all pretty much feel as I do.  There are those out there that are unsaved and don’t understand the suffering they endure for no good reason.  They don’t understand that the world is ruled by Satan and he uses the world and all the temptations in the world to keep them echelons away from Christ. It frustrates me. It angers me. It just makes me mad. 

 

I dislike Satan very much, well, okay, I hate Satan. He is evil, he is disgusting, he is vile, and he is all that is darkness. There is nothing good from Satan. Nothing is worth entertaining with him. He is the disdain of heaven and is the enemy of all of the saved.  Satan deserves hell and deserves our hate for him.

 

The world is tricky though. Satan has had thousands of years to refine how he gets people, keeps them away from Christ, and tries to snatch us away from our Savior.  The world offers people with so many pleasures and temptations adverse to Christ that it is second nature in our society. We are prey for him and he is trying to snare us in his traps.

 

The world is both bold and subtle in how they try to lead us astray from Christ.  Society is in demise. It is falling apart. It’s disheartening to see society falling apart. Society is falling at a faster rate of speed, exponentially getting worse and worse with each passing day.

 

Gay marriage is a bold statement by society to try to slap Christ in the face of Christian values.  This lifestyle is being shoved down our throats. If we don’t agree or follow the status quo, we are set aside on the fringe of society, looked down upon for our “hate.”  Homosexuality is put before us now in everyday life. Look at television. There are multiple shows, including children/teen shows that blatantly flaunt homosexuality as normal. It to me seems like the media wants kids to think it is okay and actually encourages kids to “explore” this horrible lifestyle.  

 

There is a new show on one of the cable stations that is about a couple that cheat on each other and explores sex with multiple partners. The commercials for it make it seem like it is okay to do this, that it is fun, exciting, and that it is normal.  I haven’t watched it, nor will I ever expose myself to such mockery to my Christian values.

 

Yet it is out there. The agenda of the world is there for people and children to eat it up, getting brainwashed without unsaved people even noticing it.  Not only that, but Christians can fall prey to this type of “in your face” programming the media pushes out through the air.  The flaunting of homosexual lifestyles can make people question whether this lifestyle really is wrong.  By constant bombardment from media some Christians are okay with homosexuals and the lifestyles they live. This is bad.

 

When Christians start to sway towards accepting homosexuality, we are in trouble as a collective group. It makes those of us who value what the bible says as hate mongers and unloving.  I don’t hate gay people. I’m charged in the bible to love everyone and to pray for people. I just know that what they are doing is wrong and if my belief of wrong is seen as society as hate, then I’m guilty and won’t apologize for my beliefs. The Word says it is wrong. Period.

 

To me, we can’t seem to escape this fallen world but are trapped in it like an innocent man sent to prison. We can’t escape. We can’t leave. We can’t do anything to change the situation. This demise of society is prophesized and will spiral more out of control until we are raptured. I can’t wait for that day.  In a way, I welcome the demise of society and the falling of the world because it just means we are getting closer and closer to being taken up with Jesus. 

 

The world is full of temptations. Look at television again. How many shows out there glamorize sex and portray sexuality that is free and without consequence. The women are seducing in their dress and flaunt their body. This makes people think that is okay to dress skimpy and sexuality is not something to cherish with a spouse.  It disgusts me and I will turn the channel or turn my eyes away from the TV when commercials come on that are selling products with sex.

 

Greed is another big part in the demise of our world. Money, money, money. This is what people want.  There are preachers out there that try to tell people that by faith they can be rich. They tell people they are poor because they don’t have faith in God.  They tell people if they give [them] money then tenfold will be given back to them.  They try to use God for greedy desires. This is not godly behavior.  I have not found anywhere in the Bible where it says that God wants us to be wealthy. God wants our hearts, souls, and minds.  Many people have been convinced that blessings from God should be of money or material goods.  My blessings are that I have a job, can support my family within my means. Most of all, my blessings are spiritual with spiritual growth and advancement in my walk with Christ. 

 

The world also glamorizes the abuse of drugs and alcohol.  Advertisers not only use sex to sell alcohol but you ever notice that the people in commercials are always having fun? I would like to see a commercial that shows the drunk on the street with a bottle of Mad Dog in a paper bag, throwing up with slurred speech and disheveled clothes. Nope, won’t ever see that reality of addiction in a commercial or TV show.  Drugs and alcohol are always tied to good times by society. When I was a police officer, ever single incident I was called out to involved alcohol and/or drugs in the incident I responded to.  Really, I’m serious.  But the world says it is okay. 

 

We are surrounded by these temptations and the failing society. We have to survive though. We have to endure to the end.  We must not cave into the world or the wiles it tosses at us on a daily basis.  If you are truly saved, you won’t fall for the ills of the world or be swayed by the world to accept those things contrary to what Christ taught.  We are in the middle of a battlefield. We are in the midst of evil. Be strong my fellow warriors. We will be victorious. 

 

I’m angry at the world but feel bad for the unsaved.  There are so many out there that are blinded to the truth. They don’t see past their outstretched hand and only live day to day for pleasure and ultimate demise.  It’s no wonder we Christians have such a hard time talking to people about God.  Godlessness is so ingrained into the unsaved minds that we almost need a sledge hammer to get through to them.

 

I question the validity of some people who call themselves Christians. I call them worldly Christians. They live in the world Monday through Saturday.  Then on Sunday they are “Christians.”  They come to church to feel good about themselves. They come to get forgiveness for their actions during the week and start right over again Sunday night.  If you saw them on the street, you would never know they went to church because, again, they are worldly Christians. 

 

Don’t get me wrong. We Christians are not perfect by far. We mess up sometimes, fall into the world and take steps backwards in our walk. We at times fall off the path. We are not worldly Christians though because we get back up, ask for forgiveness and then get back on track with Jesus. We learn from our mistakes. We don’t repeat them day after day. We make mistakes, get convicted by the Holy Spirit for our wrong, and learn our lesson to not repeat it again.  Worldly Christians mess up and mess up and mess up, never learning from their mistakes but continue repeating them over and over again. They take two steps back and stand there, waiting for the next Sunday so they can feel good about themselves and then go home and start messing up again.

 

These worldly Christians give us real Christians a bad name.  I would say that there are a lot a people out there that say they are Christian because they go to church sometimes, maybe Christmas and Easter. They say they believe in a god, but it isn’t the God I believe in.  They want their cake and want to eat it too. They want to have the benefits of salvation but want to enjoy the sins of the world too.  They think that as long as they are good people, believe in God, and are not affiliated with other religions then by default they are Christians.  Wrong! And it makes me angry.

 

True Christians don’t fall for the world. They know they are in a godless society and live around godless people.  The true Christian recognizes the situation they are in: surrounded by evil.  They are always looking up, not around for the next feel good thing fad. If you are a Christian, you should feel uncomfortable in this world because it is not where we belong. 

 

I get more and more uncomfortable in this world as I see it going down the drain into the sewer. I see more demise of the world as I gain knowledge of Christ and His teachings. I am able to better see evil and avoid evil things in this world as my walk with Christ moves forward.  I can discern better what is right and wrong through the eyes of Christ. 

 

Where do you stand? Are you a worldly Christian or a real Christian? Do you love the world more than you love Christ? Do you seek out pleasures first and before seeking Christ? Do you skip your bible study to watch that football game on Sundays?  Where do you fit, with God or the world? If you are the latter, then it is time for you to reevaluate your standing with your faith.  You need to reorganize your priorities and get in line with Christ.  Go back in your mind to when you were first saved. The zeal you had, the love you had for Christ. The desire to do His will. Get reenergized again.  Pull yourself out of the world and get with Christ again. 

 

If you are the former and fit in with God, great! Then you know and are assured where you are going when the rapture occurs.  You are defeating the world one battle at a time.  You are staying on the path of salvation and are not swayed by the world to bend in your faith. 

 

The world is a horrible place to live right now.  It is full of evil. It is Satan’s playground and base of operations to keep people from Christ and to try to yank us from our faith in God.  I hate the world and I hate Satan. You should too.  Take heart though that Christ conquered the world and will come back soon to take us away leaving those unsaved to fend for themselves. We can survive and not be swayed by the demise of society or the messages spewed out by the media to try to change us from where we stand on the Rock of our faith.   Stay strong in your faith and we will overcome.  God Bless you all.

Overcome

“for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith,” 1 John 5:4 (NIV).

 

Oh boy, do we face obstacles and challenges in our life from the world.  I mean, every day, isn’t there something that you have to face:  A decision, a challenge, a temptation, and some obstacle that you have to overcome? We can do this because we ARE born of God, rejuvenated through Christ, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ, in our heart and minds.  Simple in concept, right? Yes, but to practice this is a challenge faced each day we live our lives. I think the only time I don’t face challenges is when I’m asleep (I jest), any other time, it is obstacle after obstacle, challenge after challenge. Really, I mean, doesn’t this get exhausting to anyone else?  I get exhausted from it and yes, fail, but get back up like a boxer knocked down, and come back to win the battle with the world.

 

We all have challenges that we face individually, but across the board, I think you can deduce that we all face similar challenges though they may be disguised as such to each of us individually.  Take for example… hmmm… temptations, as a general item we all face this. You may be tempted by lust, or by alcohol abuse, or something else, but in the end we are all tempted, however it manifests itself to us individually.  It’s the world that tries to lure us into its grip. Tries to hold us down and tries to make us slip up, all with the goal to take us away from Christ through sin and the guilt we feel after we commit sin.

 

Is it just me or do we face more challenges and obstacles in our lives as we grow with Christ? I wonder sometimes if that as we grow, we notice those things contrary to Christ and the bible.  Or, is it that the world and Satan are trying harder to pull us away from our God by giving large and little temptations, each tailored for each of our weaknesses? I guess after pondering it, it is both.   We grow and we recognize more sin in our lives and as we grow, Satan uses the world to try to overwhelm us with sinful thoughts and temptations. 

 

How do we overcome the obstacles in our lives, the challenges we face daily? Duh, Christ of course! If you’re like me though, sometimes I try to fight the battles by myself, leaving Christ out the picture because I think I am strong enough to face challenges on my own, without the need for Christ. This misadventure of action will always result in a slap in the face, or shall I say failure, on my behalf to look to Christ for help.  It is a lesson I seem to fail at sometimes, but when I finally come to my senses, I reorganize my thoughts, and look up and trust that Christ is the advocate for me and will be the lead soldier in my fight to overcome.  When I do remember to ask for direction from the Holy Spirit, things turn out okay and it is much easier to overcome the challenges I face.

 

This is easy for those of us who know Christ and have the Holy Spirit in us.  The world will not overcome us, but we will overcome the world.  You will know this from the actions and attitude you have when challenges from the world face you nose to nose, foot to foot.  You ever see someone not saved face challenges? They get upset, they spin around trying to figure things out, they yell, they act out, etc.  It is like they throw a tantrum or something. It is quite comic for me to watch this, especially at work. There are lots of unsaved folks at work who get spun up for just the little things and can’t control their emotions for it.  Those of us that are saved, face adversity with a calmness and gracefulness that others can’t understand. They look at us like we are crazy because we are calm in the storm of life and they don’t understand why we are not spun up like they are. It confuses them. 

 

I have this calm demeanor about me at work and in life in general.  I don’t get angry, I don’t act out, and I stay calm in the storms that come my way at work and outside of work. I mention work because I spend most of my time there, and can see those that are saved and those that aren’t and so it is a good place for me to observe this.  A deadline is coming up and the product isn’t done? My coworker, who isn’t saved, gets upset, angry, and frustrated.  Me, I’m as calm and steady as a Sunday afternoon.  I have the attitude of Christ and know things will work out and I need not worry.  I know I can overcome the challenges I face at work and when I do this, it really confuses people, and even though they take my calmness as a “don’t care” attitude, I on the other hand, know that everything will be in control and I know I won’t slip into anger or disdain, which is contrary to the Word.  I personally get a kick out of watching unsaved people spin around till they are dizzy. If you work, take a look around and observe those around you and you will see what I see.

 

If you do face challenges that you WILL overcome, you know in your heart that Christ is with you. Seek Him and He will be there with you to fight those challenges.  With our faith in Him, we will overcome because we have the faith of God in us and we are warriors of faith that will win the battles and wars we face.

 

“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne,” Revelation 3:21 (NIV).

 

Our entire lives we have and will to continue to have challenges and obstacles. We faced them before we knew Christ, before we were saved, and now we face even greater ones that try to take us off track.  To be victorious, to sit with Christ in heaven, we have to continue to endure the things thrown at us by the world.  We have to overcome daily and weekly and yearly.  To be victorious, we must take it on challenge by challenge. On the battlefield of life, it is easier, for me at least, to take on skirmish at a time, one challenge at time. If I try to look forward to subsequent battles, I find that I get discouraged by thinking ahead. I mean, I do look at the finality of my endeavor, which is heaven, but here on this world, if I take the effort of anticipating the challenges I may face next week, next year, etc., I am discouraged for it is hard to fight each day. For me it is exhausting. Maybe you are blessed to not facing as many challenges as others, and that is great, but many of us do face great challenges in our lives that we have to fight daily. 

 

Let’s take for example, the lustful desire.  It can be lust for another or the lust for something material.  For some, it is sex, money, alcohol or drugs… you get the picture.   For some this is a daily battle for them. You fight, fight, and fight. You fail. We cannot expect to win each battle, for we are sinful creatures and give in and lose the fight, but ultimately, it is our choice and our strength in God that determines this.  I look at myself and see how weak I was in my walk with Christ in the beginning, failing and losing battles all the time. Yet as my faith has grown and my walk has continued, I find that I overcome more than I fail.  I am sure, with hopefulness, that as I continue to grow with Christ, I will continue to have more victories than failings and the tide of the battle will be on my side more than less. 

 

Philippians, 4:13 (NIV), says “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

 

With strength we will overcome. Why? Because God says that we will overcome with our faith and strength in Christ.  But how do I get more strength, you may be asking? For those of us that are saved, we know that we get strength through Christ. But how do I do that, you say?  Through prayer, through studying the bible, and by living a Christ like life.  Notice the verse says “through him who gives me strength.” It doesn’t say “through strength” for if it left out “through him” we would assume and expect that we could gain our strength through other means other than of God. 

 

We cannot get strength in Christ to overcome by our own devices, but we need Christ to give us the strength to overcome. Sometimes I believe people think they, on their own, have gotten more strength in Christ.  This type of thinking gives us the sin of pride.  The verse clearly states that Christ gives us our strength, not us giving ourselves strength.  If we didn’t need Christ to get strength, then what good is Christ in our lives? Christ freely gives this strength to overcome the world if we just ask Him to and believe that He can and that He will give us the strength to face the world. 

 

Just knowing Christ is not the end to all adversity.  We get strength in Him to overcome the world and Satan.  If we leave Christ out of the formula, then the sum will be wrong. If we let God give us the strength to overcome, we will.  One of the hard parts is letting Him give us the strength.  It isn’t an overarching strength that will give you tools by which you can defeat the enemy, but is strength for each situation and each obstacle you will face.  For each challenge, we must ask for strength to overcome. For each obstacle we can get the strength Christ to overcome.  We can gain this strength by continually seeking and asking for it each day.

 

“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always,” 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NIV).

 

This verse adds to the Philippians verse above by adding to “seek his face always.”  Always have Christ on your mind, always mediate on Him.  What does this mean to you? For me, it is always thinking and keeping my heart open to Him throughout the day. I’m always thinking of Him and talking to Him in my thoughts and actions.  I pray, I study the word, and I talk about Him as much as I can to those that listen. 

 

In facing obstacles then, I seek Him even more, so that my thoughts and actions are focused on Christ like mindedness, not my mind.  I fail sometimes, but it’s a lot less than I used too.  I find that focusing on Him in my thoughts all the time gives me a sense of peace and joy and gives me a positive attitude throughout the day. 

 

Those of the world don’t understand and therefore they flap in the wind, going this way and that way trying to solve problems.  If they had Jesus, then this would be easier for them to overcome.  Unsaved folks just don’t understand how we think and act and just don’t get it: that through Christ we get strength and we overcome. They continue in a vicious cycle that they can’t get out of. Yet we with Christ have escaped that cycle and can move on in life with a hopeful expectation of being able to overcome the world and everything it will through at us with the end result being in eternity in heaven with fellow believers and Christ. 

 

The world will continue to throw things at us regardless of what we do and where we stand with Christ. We will overcome though.  We will win battles in our life that the adversary throws at us daily.  I’ve got Jesus and I overcome.  When I forget to seek His strength, I fail.  When I seek his strength, nothing can hold me down. Nothing will keep me away from my God. Nothing.

 

If you are reading this and aren’t saved, there is hope for you.  Christ can give you the strength to overcome challenges and obstacles that you’re facing. He will give you the tools to overcome. All you need to do is accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. This is a huge step, but if you want to overcome the battles going in your life and get to heaven, He is the only way to conquer the world and get to heaven.  If you want to go to go to heaven you must not be overtaken by the world.  You need to accept Him in your heart as your Lord and Savior. 

 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world,” John 16:33 (NIV).

Hard Pressed

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10).

You ever feel pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down by people? I have.  It’s hard. It seems like some days are just too hard, too much working against us in our walk with Jesus.  Satan attacks us from every possible angle you can imagine. He is always there waiting to pounce on us, to tear us away from Jesus. He is always there to keep people away from Jesus using every trick he has in his handbag to keep people from coming to Christ and being part of the plan of Salvation. 

We are pressed on all sides. We must be strong in these times. The enemy is working harder than ever to keep people from Christ. The world is pressing on us in every possible way. Satan is using the world and worldly people against us to keep us from our calling; to be with Jesus. Satan uses the world to entice us away through media, through unsaved people, and anti-Christ’s that twist the word of the Lord to try to make us think that the Word is irrelevant and useless in today’s world. 

We are pressed but not crushed. We can overcome the wiles of Satan by being strong in Lord Jesus. Through our faith we can overcome the pressing of evil that is upon us. We can overcome anything that Satan throws in our path. To do this we need to pray always, seek the Lord daily, and renew our relationship with Jesus every day, every hour, every minute of our lives.  By doing this, keeping Jesus and his commands in the forefront of our minds, we can overcome and not be swayed by the tricks and turns that Satan throws at us. Jesus is stronger than Satan and His promises of overcoming the world and Satan are true. We need to just put our trust in Christ and hold on to our faith.

We face persecution. It may be subtle, or it may be obvious, but we are all facing persecution of the Church today. We are being marginalized by the world as a fringe group of fanatics that won’t conform to what the world is saying is now normal: gay marriage, abortion, worshiping other god’s (entertainment industry, hobbies, etc.).  When things are happening in our country, in our communities, in our churches that are contrary to what the Lord has written in His Word; that is subtle persecution of us true believers and followers of Jesus Christ. When the government says that gay marriage is now the law of the land, we are being persecuted. When late term abortions are part of the norm, we are being persecuted. This is because when we disagree with these types of government policies and law, we are considered in a negative way and are told we are bigots or hateful.

Then there are the obvious persecutions we face. When we are treated differently (negatively) because of our faith, such as when we proclaim to others what we believe and are put down because of what we believe, we are being persecuted. It isn’t so bad in this country because we are not being killed or sent to prison for our faith, yet.  Nonetheless, when we are being treated negatively or marginalized for our faith, we are still being persecuted, just not to the level that some face in other countries. How long will it be until us true believers are marginalized in this country to the extent that we face imprisonment or bodily harm. Just look at the military and how they now say us Christians are a threat to the military’s good order and disciple and expressing Christian beliefs to others can lead to prosecution in the military. How long until that spreads to mainstream America?

Know though that we are not abandoned. Christ is with us always, even in the face of persecution, whether subtle or obvious. Christ is our rock that we can stand on to be assured that we are saved with Salvation through Grace to eternity.  Christ in you works with you to help you through the persecutions you face. Regardless of if it is a bigoted attitude towards Christians, or being killed or imprisoned for our faith, Christ is with us and we are assured of our Salvation. There is nothing to fear then because He is with us always and will be the blanket wrapped around us to protect and be with us in times of trouble. We will face trouble, but be assured Christ is with us during those times.

Being struck down is tough. I think we have all had a situation where, because of our faith, we have been knocked down emotionally and spiritually. This is especially true when we try to share our faith with an unbeliever. It is not our job to change their hearts, but we are called to introduce Jesus to the unsaved. The vileness of some people can be very hurtful and disheartening.  Most people not interested in Jesus are nice about it to me, but I have heard the vileness of some people that curse the name of Jesus because of their cold hearts. We are human and we hurt when we are turned away or shunned because of our faith.  God is with us though, even in these situations.

Don’t lose heart because even if you feel you are struck down, beat down, or set apart because of your faith; we cannot be destroyed if we are in Christ. People cannot destroy us, nor can Satan working through the world and unbelievers destroy us. They may hurt our feelings but they cannot destroy our faith and hope in Christ Jesus.  Jesus is stronger and more powerful than any evil force in the universe. We should not lose heart because we are struck down at times by others, but we should be made stronger in our faith when we face adversity.

Adversity is part of being a Christian. This is something we should embrace, for it will make us stronger in Christ Jesus. For the unbeliever, if you are not for Christ then you are against us. If you are against us, then you are of the world and support the works of Satan. You can switch teams, so to speak, and be on the side of Jesus and eternity with Him in heaven.

To be with Jesus is not easy in the world we live in, but the troubles we face are minimal as compared to the trouble you will have if you choose the world (and Satan) and spend eternity in hell instead of heaven with Jesus.

Jesus is the promise of Salvation through Grace. Believe in Him, commit yourself to Him, and follow Him, and your eternity will be heaven, not hell.  What you, as an unbeliever, may not know is that God sent His only Son, Jesus, into the world to be the sacrifice for all humanity’s sins. That means He was sacrificed to cover my sins, your sins, and everyone else’s sin for those that believe He is the Son of God that died on a cross for us.  This may be hard to grasp, but it is truth and can be counted on as truth. If you believe in Jesus and put your trust in Him (heart, soul, mind) then when judgment comes, you can be assured that your sins are already forgiven and heaven awaits your soul.

If you choose not to believe in Jesus, you will die, just like everyone else, but the difference is that you will be accountable for your sins and will not have an advocate for you when you face the judgment seat of God. You will go to hell. This may sound harsh to you, but it is truth: Jesus equals eternal life in heaven, and no Jesus means eternal damnation in hell.

Choose Jesus my friends. If you are playing church and don’t really believe in Jesus, it is time to choose. If you don’t go to church but want eternal life in heaven, now is the time to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. You cannot earn heaven, for it is a gift of God that was given by Grace through the sacrifice of Christ if you believe on His name, His life, His death, and His resurrection.

Find a church that teaches the foundations found in the bible. Study the bible and seek the Lord for yourself. More importantly, pray to God for revelation and assurance that Jesus is the real deal. Cry out to the Lord that you want eternity with Him in heaven and pray for Jesus to be part of your life, the main part of your being and life.

Being part of the world (and Satan) isn’t easy. With Jesus, you will face trouble in the world, but eternity with Him is worth it. I pray that those reading this that are not saved are touched by the Holy Spirit and gain a desire to seek the Lord and to learn about and accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Choosing Jesus is a journey worth the trip. You will be changed and will see the world differently as you do now.   You will see the world with Satan for what he is: a deceiver. With Jesus you will feel a love that is indescribable. Choose wisely, for your eternity is at stake.

The Enemy

The enemy is after me in a big way this week.  He is fighting hard and it is stemming from an experience I had at a new small church we went to on Sunday.  We’ve been looking for another church because our old church has drifted away from speaking the truth to “fluffy” messages aimed at feel good messages. The pastor there is more concerned with getting more people and even has a marketing strategy to do so. Part of it is doing series after series of feel good messages with a focus on trying to get people to come back to church each Sunday to feel good about themselves and not hear the truths from the Bible.

Anyway, we went to this small church, about 20 people, after being invited by a friend.  The pastor actually was teaching from the bible, which was surprising to me because I expected another “feel good” church. It was refreshing.  After the service was done there was the alter call. I didn’t go up to it for I didn’t think I needed prayer for anything.  Once the alter call was finished the pastors mom, who was helping pray for people, looked directly at me and waved me up. I didn’t move. She did it again and I reluctantly went up to the alter. She immediately stared at me in a concerned deep stare and began speaking in tongues at me.  Then she was speaking Spanish and my wife had to interpret it for me. She said I suffer from great depression (true) and the enemy is using it to keep me away from a full relationship with Jesus.  She said the Lord wants me to get past the depression for he has many plans for me. She said He needs me fully because my depression is a road block to my relationship with him.

She was so right. It is amazing and miraculous how God uses others to give us messages.  I felt my heart sink for she knew my inner weakness and my heart melted because that was something I needed to hear.

So here I am Monday morning.  The enemy is trying his hardest to overcome me, more so than ever before with my depression. He almost won twice in the last two years, but I sought through pray what I should do and twice in one year I was hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital for coming close to suicide. Right now my mind is filled with suicidal ideations and I know it is the enemy trying to take hold of me after my release of this burden yesterday. The thoughts are unending and are bombarding me with feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness of a future. In my heart I know this to be untrue and I keep praying and praying to get these feelings out of my head, but I’m having a real hard time with it. It seems that no matter what I do, these thoughts will creep back into my head.

I rebuked Satan and his intrusive thoughts. I rebuked him and his evil desires for me. I rebuked him in my mind and heart.  I received a prophetic word from a stranger and I hold fast to the words she gave me. I know I will overcome because God said so through her.  Since writing these words, my depression has vaporized and I feel alive again.  Being on the verge of tears and thoughts of harming myself are gone. Here it is Wednesday and I haven’t felt depressed since I battled with Satan on Monday. Glory to God!

I don’t think I’m alone in this.  From responses I get from people, Satan uses our weakness against us and the power of his suggestions can be overpowering.  The power of Satan is great, but the power of Christ is greater.  When faced with Satan and his attempts to lead you away from God, or in my case to harm myself, have strength in Christ to overcome. Take a moment here to rebuke and pray. Over and over again rebuking Satan and the thoughts he is putting in your mind. Knowing that I received the prophetic word on Sunday has caused Satan to try his hardest at getting me to give up. After rebuking him, I felt a peace in my heart and a confidence in my soul that yes, I am not controlled by Satan. I am the child of the Most High. 

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” Mark 11:24.

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you,” John 15:7.

I have asked God for a lifting of my depression and a rebuking of Satan, and His answer was immediate.  I’m also asking God what other plans He has for me and I’m patiently waiting for that answer. During the alter call, the prophetic word I got was that God has greater plans for me and greater works for Him. Right now, my ministry is writing these articles and getting into teaching bible studies now.  Yet I patently and excitedly wait the revealing of what God still has in store for me.  I eagerly wait.

I want to talk to you about your stumbling blocks in your life that may be similar to my situation. What road blocks have Satan put in your path preventing you from being fully committed to Christ?  What is it in your life that is holding you back? Is guilt leading to depression? Mine is. Is it a sin you committed that you think you can never be forgiven of? You can be forgiven.  Is it lust for something? You can overcome that.

I had a gentleman write me and said that he is trying to overcome lustful desires. So bad are his actions that he says he can’t look up to the Lord for the shame he is feeling for always giving in to his lustful desires. He feels there is no hope for him or his salvation anymore. This thinking was similar to mine with depression, but like me, he needs to pray and pray and rebuke Satan in that aspect of his weakness and ask forgiveness and then endure. We are to endure this world. We are to endure the hardships and the things Satan uses against us to keep us separated from Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Regardless of what Satan tries to do. Regardless of how he tries to snatch you away from the Lord, know that God does have plans for each and every one of us. This is a promise made to us in Jeremiah. God’s plan for us is to not be defeated by Satan, but to overcome Satan and the world. By doing this we may prosper in the Lord and walk with Him into eternity. 

We may not know what these plans are but part of it is to not harm us but to give us hope. Satan will get you, through your weaknesses, to think otherwise: you aren’t good enough, shame, guilt, hate of self, etc. The Lord, though, has plans to prosper you in your life. This prospering is not material goods, but is spiritual in nature. He wants us to grow in Him. He wants us to seek Him for guidance and truth to live our lives here on this earth in righteousness while seeking eternity with Christ.  So when you think of prosper, don’t think of a bigger house or more material things, but think of your spirit, soul, and the growth you can achieve by seeking and having hope in the Lord.

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes,” Ephesians 6:10-11.

Satan is always scheming against us. He never stops. He never ceases. He never sleeps. His goal is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He wants to destroy our walk with Jesus. For me, this is through depression.  He has come close but I have endured through prayer and guidance of God to seek help with the right people for treatment.  He didn’t win and won’t win. 

Satan wants you. He wants to destroy you. He wants to steal you from Christ. He wants to kill you and your relationship with Christ.  Don’t give in. Every time thoughts enter your head that you know are trying to sway you away from Christ, remember Satan’s mission to kill, steal, and destroy. Rebuke Satan. Rebuke him to leave you alone. Pray for the strength of Christ to overcome. Overcome Satan and though he will try harder and harder, your strength and hope in Jesus will ensure you overcome him. 

Jesus was tempted with everything we are, will be tempted with, and He overcame. We too can overcome all troubles we face because Christ did.  If we are faced with the schemes of Satan, we can rest assured that Christ already overcame Satan and we can too. What we go through He experienced and if He overcame, so can we.  Christ through his defeating the devil knows what we go through and what we face in the world and He is our advocate and our rest from Satan.

When Satan fights with us, it is a spiritual battle between him and you.  Put on the full armor of God in your battle with him. Ephesians tells us this in Ephesians 6:10-17:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With the full armor of God, wear it snugly on your heart and mind, knowing that with this armor, you can defeat the principalities that are after you and confront you:  Temptations, trials, hopelessness, depression, etc. With the armor of God you will overcome.  Lean on God’s strength to help you fight and win.  With God all things are possible and He will not allow you to lose if you have faith that He can help you win. With faith and hope in the Lord, all things are possible and defeating Satan is a sure win.

After writing this, I no longer fear my depression, for it has lifted. I no longer fear that Satan is winning in my life for I have the armor of God with me.  I know all things are possible with the Lord and with Christ as my Savior.  Will Satan come after me again? Yes, for he never quits, but I have won this battle and eagerly await the next. I eagerly await the next challenge Satan has for me because every one of my victories brings me closer to Jesus and strengthens my faith in Him and my future.

Those of you that feel like you are losing the battle, don’t lose hope, but get strength from Christ to overcome. Don’t give in to Satan. Once he can crack you, he will do his best to wedge a chasm between you and Christ with his ultimate goal of keeping you from Salvation.  Rebuke him and he will flee. Pray for strength to overcome Satan. Always look up when Satan begins to attack you.

All verses are from the NIV.