Our enemy is pragmatic.
He won't tempt you with something you are not interested in. He tempts you subtly...and the desires he caters to often are in our human nature...he doesn't always come big and bold and obvious...just as he tempted Jesus.
He tempted him with food, riches and power. He is also clever with timing. He came to Jesus when he was physically weak because he had been fasting. He comes when we are weak and tries to beat us down.
Those of us with the Holy Spirit have a helper to aid us. I call it the super tutor. The Holy Spirit doesn't make us choose to do or not do anything. It does not take the test for us. Yet He does fully equip us with everything we need to ace the test.
"No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Each and every time I have fallen during my walk and I was in contact with God before I made my choice I would feel Spirit tell me to flee. I chose not to. But I didn't have to fall.
I have found in my life that my greatest weakness is not innately wrong. Yet because it is a weakness for me I have to be pragmatic to protect myself from temptations in a very real and practical way for my everyday life just as I seek God's help spiritually. It is God who will keep me and as I become mature and wise in my walk I learn to safeguard myself based on what I do know. It is wisdom.
Think.
Let’s put on our spiritual critical thinking caps.
Let's not get caught up over and over by the same things. We can win. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God...
We have to be just as pragmatic with our temptations as our enemy is pragmatic in presenting and creating them. Know your weakness and then go to God and be fortified against them. Any wise leader in battle identifies not only the weakness of their enemy, but also their own weaknesses. Then they strengthen the weak points. That is wisdom.
Strengthen yourself today with his word. Prayer and then reading Proverbs is a spectacular start.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
The Strength of Transparency
Psalms: Some call it insight on spiritual things and the reality of raw human emotion of the man after God's own heart. Can't beat that with a stick. We can be okay with having feelings because after all the man after God's own heart had some very desperate, anxious and fearful ones. We can learn from the book of Psalms that feelings and emotions are inevitable. We can process them with God and then come out in faith knowing that He is Sovereign and never ceases to be in control.
The author shares his heartbreak, fear, anxiety and tears he says "But as for me, I trust in you" to God. What more valuable lesson can be learned. We acknowledge where we are and then turn ourselves and our lives over to the care of God.
There is no pretense.
No overly spiritual "God is in control and will make a way" attitude to negate and discount or avoid the reality of his humanity.
No....
When I read the book I see the author saying "This is where I am God. This is what I am feeling. And I still trust you". I think that is a sign of spiritual maturity.
We see Jesus do something very similar in his most trying time in the Garden of Gethsemane. He cries out overwhelmed with the pain of what was going to happen. The following passage shares Jesus' transparency he prepares for the crucifixion as taken by Matthew 26:36-38
"Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
I remember clearly going through some very difficult and emotionally painful times during my walk with Christ when life got very lifey. I studied His word looking for comfort. I told God I was tired of crying. He directed me to read about the Garden of Gethsemane. I saw Jesus, God in the flesh struggle with His very raw and painful emotions. Each time he came to the same conclusion...Not my will by thine be done. He didn't stop after saying it once. I believe he was processing through his grief. For him, 3 was the number. Nonetheless he was real with himself and could present himself in a transparent manner to God and ask for His help.
If Jesus, who is God could be transparent and receive strength from above could it not be for me also, being a joint heir? I have learned to be real with myself. I have learned to be transparent before God and ask for his Divine help. He will never fail me. He said when we seek for Him we will find him.
Learning to be real with myself has helped me develop a heart of compassion for others. I think compassion and empathy are essential tools to help minster to God's people. I can back that up with Scripture and will in time. People are broken and they need a Savior.
I am thankful for those who have the compassionate heart of God when dealing with His people. I am extremely thankful for a very good spiritual Shepard and his wife. They are exemplifying God's love in action by the way they treat the flock. I also have a host of friends who operate this way as well.
I have come to believe that God can restore and long ago and will for each and every day of my life make a decision to turn my will and life over into the CARE of God.
He always has had the best intent for me:) That I can rest in.
"I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens." Psalm 71:1
The author shares his heartbreak, fear, anxiety and tears he says "But as for me, I trust in you" to God. What more valuable lesson can be learned. We acknowledge where we are and then turn ourselves and our lives over to the care of God.
There is no pretense.
No overly spiritual "God is in control and will make a way" attitude to negate and discount or avoid the reality of his humanity.
No....
When I read the book I see the author saying "This is where I am God. This is what I am feeling. And I still trust you". I think that is a sign of spiritual maturity.
We see Jesus do something very similar in his most trying time in the Garden of Gethsemane. He cries out overwhelmed with the pain of what was going to happen. The following passage shares Jesus' transparency he prepares for the crucifixion as taken by Matthew 26:36-38
"Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."
I remember clearly going through some very difficult and emotionally painful times during my walk with Christ when life got very lifey. I studied His word looking for comfort. I told God I was tired of crying. He directed me to read about the Garden of Gethsemane. I saw Jesus, God in the flesh struggle with His very raw and painful emotions. Each time he came to the same conclusion...Not my will by thine be done. He didn't stop after saying it once. I believe he was processing through his grief. For him, 3 was the number. Nonetheless he was real with himself and could present himself in a transparent manner to God and ask for His help.
If Jesus, who is God could be transparent and receive strength from above could it not be for me also, being a joint heir? I have learned to be real with myself. I have learned to be transparent before God and ask for his Divine help. He will never fail me. He said when we seek for Him we will find him.
Learning to be real with myself has helped me develop a heart of compassion for others. I think compassion and empathy are essential tools to help minster to God's people. I can back that up with Scripture and will in time. People are broken and they need a Savior.
I am thankful for those who have the compassionate heart of God when dealing with His people. I am extremely thankful for a very good spiritual Shepard and his wife. They are exemplifying God's love in action by the way they treat the flock. I also have a host of friends who operate this way as well.
I have come to believe that God can restore and long ago and will for each and every day of my life make a decision to turn my will and life over into the CARE of God.
He always has had the best intent for me:) That I can rest in.
"I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might, I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens." Psalm 71:1
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
King of Desire: Wanting what God wants brings fulfillment every time.
“Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.” Psalms 37:4-5
Faith is like a muscle. You work out, your muscle gains mass and strength. The physiological term is hypertrophy. It never changes its capacity of use. It is the same muscle, it is just grown to accommodate its usage. If you don’t use the muscle it lacks strength and shrinks. The physiological term for this is atrophy. The muscle is the same muscle atrophied or hypertrophied. Yet its strength and ease of use is affected by how much it is used.
I start off talking about faith when it comes to God fulfilling our desires because to fully grasp and take hold of this requires faith. It takes faith in believe that he will grant us desires in addition to needs. It’s not what I think. It is what his word says. Jesus himself mentioned us having what we want on more than one occasion:
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing…But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!” John 15:5,7
“Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Have faith in God. I assure you that you can say to this mountain, 'May God lift you up and throw you into the sea,' and your command will be obeyed. All that's required is that you really believe and do not doubt in your heart. Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it.” Mark 11:22-24
So guess what??
We as believers have permission to ask God for something we want and expect it to happen when it is in line with His Divine plan.
If you are single, you may desire a life partner. That is completely within the will of God because He created marriage. If you believe it will happen for you in His perfect timing. Once you grab a hold of that any anxiety or fear about the future will disappear. You realize it is already done and you just sit back with your Faith shaded glasses on and wait for it's manifestation.
That being said don’t expect your desire to be fulfilled if it is a ungodly desire such as wanting another person’s spouse. That is NOT in line with God’s will. Adultery prayers are never answered by God. Yes, I have heard foolish, ungodly prayers like this before. That is an indicator of poor spiritual health within that person.
Know what God’s word says and you will know what is in His will. I pray for God’s love to flow freely to others through me. That is within His Divine will. I pray for the fruit of the spirit to grow. That is within His Divine will. I pray for a life partner. That is within his divine will.
When our desires are His expressly written desires or fall within His will we can rest assured that He will grant them.
That’s not what I think. That’s His word and is a part of the Spiritual Law of Causation.
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