Get Your Hopes Up

Get Your Hopes Up

How many of you grew up being told “don’t get your hopes up”? You had been planning, asking, and or hoping for something you really wanted. Maybe it was a trip to summer camp, or a new bicycle. Maybe you wanted to go to a Christian school or play in the band. Maybe you just wanted to have more time with your dad. How often, after expressing your desire for things such as these, were you told, “don’t get your hopes up”?

I was. I was told that many, many times. I believe that these negations proved to play a major role in some of the problems I faced as a young adult. Why do I believe that? It’s because all that I had been dreaming of or hoping for had been smudged out, instantly.

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Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)

Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

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Late in my early thirties, after being married for ten years, having three children, and owning my own business, my life took a serious turn for the worse. I found myself poured into a mold that did not line up with what I had hoped for in life. My life had been deferred down the broad and common road.

Divorce, alcoholism, loss of business, cocaine addiction, crack addiction, homelessness and hopelessness led me straight into an eight month Christian rehab. Christ changed my life during those eight months, and I praise him for that. But that’s not exactly what I am here to talk about today. What I want to talk about are the effects I witnessed as a result of hopes deferred. Mine were quite obvious.

During these eight months I lived in a huge Victorian home with thirty other addicts, victims of abuse, drunkards, criminals, and the like. Sounds like a rough bunch, I know. Many times they would not stay through the entire program and others would come in their place. For many, the call of the world was too great for them to endure. But many others did endure. During this period I got to know, personally, many different types of people, from many different walks of life. And you know what I discovered? Each and every one of them had hidden gifts and talents. They were not addicts. They were people. They were people who's hopes had been deferred.

As I got to know each of them better, and eventually did some one-on-one counseling, I was able to glimpse into a portion of their childhood and recognize a hope once had. That hope, tragically, had been buried deep with layers upon layers of rejection, disappointment, and resentment. Hope deferred.

But as with myself, once these people sat under the Word long enough to realize the amazing love God has for them, and once they understood who they were in Christ, a majority of those childhood hopes were brought back into a foreseeable vision. Hope restored.

In preparing for this little lesson, I searched through the New Living Translation and found 189 verses which contain the word hope. Certainly I am not going to list all of those here. But I have got to tell you how encouraging it was reading through those verses. If you have found some pain buried deep within your heart, perhaps it is directly related to some lost hope. I exhort you to look up some verses that pertain to hope. God’s Word is health and healing to our souls.

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PUT YOUR HOPE IN JESUS

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I could not list each and every verse that spoke to me this morning, but here are a few that I really want to share:

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Psalm 10:17

Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.

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Psalm 25:5
Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me.
All day long I put my hope in you.

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Psalm 42:11
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!

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Psalm 78:7
So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

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Proverbs 24:14

In the same way, wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short.

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Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

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Acts 2:26
No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises!
My body rests in hope.

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Romans 5:5

And this hope will not lead to disappointment.
For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the
Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

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Romans 15:13

I pray that God, the source of hope,
will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him.
Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Hebrews 6:19

This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.

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Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm,
for God can be trusted to keep his promise.

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Hebrews 11:1
Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen;
it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

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Your parents loved you. And maybe they did tell you not to get your hopes up on occasion. But our parents could not teach us what they did not know.

Jesus not only knows the answer, He is the answer.
And today Jesus has something that he’s been dying to tell you, literally:

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GET YOUR HOPES UP

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I love you brothers and sisters,

Michael

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Life Threw Me a Curve

Life Threw Me a Curve

Standing at the plate of life, I glance out at the stands
The tool to make my fans all cheer, gripped tightly in my hands
The hurler looked me in the eye, ball held as to deceive
I’ll bring my fans straight to their feet, if only I believe

He draws way back, his leg kicked high, anticipation great
I’ll drive this ball straight to the wall, this one’s fast and straight
From the side his arm swung wide, the ball began to swerve
I was thinking fastball, but life threw me a curve

With all my might I swung that bat, to my surprise I missed
Strike one, I heard the umpire yell, while thousands sighed and hissed
That’s only one, I said inside. That will not happen twice
Keep your eye upon that ball, they yelled to me advice

I stepped back up, then tapped my cleats and spit upon the ground
With shame I looked out towards the stands, the crowd without a sound
Once again he drew way back, again his leg kicked high
Thinking low and straight and fast, it curved and slid right by

Strike two, I heard the umpire yell, one more and this game’s through
I backed away, head bowed to pray, Oh Lord, what should I do?
His voice rose up within me, and I clearly heard Him say
Step back up and set your sights, you will not lose today

With Jesus’ words inside me, I stepped back to the plate
I looked that hurler in the eye, my confidence was great
From the side his arm swung wide, the ball began to swerve
Man I need a fastball, but here’s another curve

I waited a bit longer, I loosened up my grip
Anticipation killing me, while biting on my lip
I swung the bat more slowly, my eyes without a blink
I’ll hit this ball straight to that wall as long as I don’t think

Crack! - I heard that sound so loud, the ball it took a flight
Over the wall and then the stands, that ball was out of sight
My fans jumped straight up to their feet, the wave went round and round
The hurler was defeated, his curve had let him down

I trotted through the bases, tipped my hat and waved
They handed me a microphone but all that I could say
was; Jesus was the batter, cause I can't hit the swerve
If you prefer a fastball, let Jesus hit that curve!

By: Michael E. Moore

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Keep Yourself in God’s Love

Keep Yourself in God’s Love

How does the title of this blog strike you? Keep yourself in God’s love. For most of my saved life, I have always prayed that God would continue to pour out His love on me. Sounds like a reasonable prayer. But the point I would like to bring out today is, that we can keep ourselves in God’s love. Meaning, it’s our responsibility. I know, you are probably thinking, “No, not more responsibility!” . Trust me, it’s not that difficult to do.

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GOD DOES NOT WITHHOLD HIS LOVE, EVER

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Look at the following two verses:

1 John 4:8 (New Living Translation)

But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1 John 4:16

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

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GOD IS LOVE

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John 4:24 (New Living Translation)
For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

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AND GOD IS SPIRIT

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God, who is Love, and who is Spirit, is omnipresent. He’s everywhere, all the time. If we are feeling separated from His love, it’s not because he is holding it back. He’s not sitting up on his throne with his arms crossed waiting until you pray just the right words, or pay your tithes, or live a perfectly Holy life.

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GOD IS ALWAYS TRANSMITTING

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God is always transmitting. Think about radio signals. They are surrounding you right this very moment. You cannot see them, and unless your radio is on, you cannot even hear them. But they are there. If you have a radio, and you go turn it on, and it is tuned into a station, you will hear whatever the station is broadcasting. Now did they start broadcasting at the moment you turned on the radio? Of course not. They were broadcasting the entire time. It is your responsibility to turn on your receiver. As soon as you do, you pick up the signal that was there the whole time.

And so it is with God. His love is all around you, and in you, right this very second. If you are not experiencing that love, you might consider changing the station.

So, how, you might ask, do I do that?

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BY PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT

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A controversial topic for many, I know. But I am here today to tell you that it works! There are many, many verses in scripture that relate to this subject. It is not my intention here today to cover all of those topics. I am not even here to debate whether speaking tongues is for today. Praying in tongues is a very powerful way to keep yourself strengthened and in the love of God.

Look at these verses:

1 Corinthians 14:4 (New Living Translation)
A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

Corinthians 14:14 (New Living Translation)
For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying.

Corinthians 14:39 (New Living Translation)

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and don’t forbid speaking in tongues.

We all want, need, desire, and were created to live in the presence of God’s love. Today, if you have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by speaking in tongues, I encourage you to receive this amazing gift. Jesus is the baptizer. If you ask him, he will baptize you with the fire. Receive it in the very same way you did your salvation, by faith!

Once you have this awesome gift then you will never have to feel separated from the love of God again. How so? Let’s let the Word speak for itself:

Jude 1:20-21
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith,
praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

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I LOVE YOU BROTHERS AND SISTERS, KEEP YOURSELF IN HIS LOVE

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Thank you.

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Thank God for Death

Thank God for Death

How many of you would agree that death can be a blessing? Think about it. Life isn't easy. Life can be very painful. Life, on this earth, is not God's greatest.

How many of you grew up believing that when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, God instantly became angry at them and banned them from the Garden? I did. I still hear that being taught and preached, even today.

Let's go back into the Garden for just a moment and take another look:

Genesis 3:22-24 (New Living Translation)

Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us,
knowing both good and evil.
What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it?
Then they will live forever!” 

So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden,
and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 
After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

I see this as a complete act of grace, mercy, and kindness.

He did not banish them because they disobeyed him. He banished them because God did not want man to have to live for eternity in a fallen state. At this time, there was no way for them to be born again. Had they been left to partake of the Tree of Life, all men would have lived forever. Can you imagine having to live forever?

Think about those that are born deformed, or with mental illnesses. Think about cruel, rotten people. Think about the Hitler's. Think about the fact that there would never be a way to escape from evil. You would just have to live with it, forever, and ever.

But God was not about to let that happen. He was, and is concerned for mankind. He took immediate action steps to prevent us from having to live for eternity.

It was an act of Grace!

Not only did he get them away from the tree, but he also made certain that it would be guarded, insuring that this tragic event would never happen. He knew that there was a better way coming. He knew that one day his Son would be sent and sacrificed as an atonement for our sin.

Did you also know that God continued to walk and talk with Adam and Eve after this. If you read further along in chapter 4 you see examples of this. God did not remove himself from mankind as an act of punishment for our sin. He didn't do it then, and he certainly doesn't do it today.

Our sins are not being imputed against us. Adam and Eve's sin was prior the the law being given. And hopefully you know that today, we are lo longer bound to the law. God is not counting our sins against us.

Romans 5:13

For until the law sin was in the world:
but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

I have to disagree with people that blame world's tragedies on God. It's just not God's nature to pour out his wrath on us. He poured out all of his wrath on Jesus.

GOD IS NOT ANGRY!

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Hell Is Not That Hot

Hell Is Not That Hot

Pop pills, seek thrills, lusting for the fame
God who? Screw you. Don’t bow to any name.
Snort coke, drink beer, smoke a little pot
Who’s God? Where’s God? Hell is not that hot.

Livin large, me in charge, all about the game
I am great, no debate, don’t believe in shame
Running wild with flower child, Makin’ love, not war
Get high, get by, that’s what life is for.

No hope, need dope, cannot stand the pain
Always high, wanna die, come on acid rain
Snort coke, drink beer, smoke a little pot
Who’s God? Where’s God? Hell is not that hot.

Lifeless, unemployed, livin' on the street
Ruthless, careless, starting to feel heat.
No friends, no ends, beggin' for a meal
Need a hit, can’t get it, gotta cheat and steal.

Locked up, facing time, bouncing off this cell
Cryin out, without a doubt, I’m going straight to hell
20 years, I’m in tears, can’t believe the deal
Need God. Where’s God? God are you for real?

Found the Word, flipped a page, lookin for a verse
Jesus lived, then he died, freed me from the curse
Bowed a knee, cried a plea, searchin' for some love
Somethin' broke, ain’t no joke, presence of a dove

Set free, new me, brand new chance at life
Out of jail, free from hell, givin’ you advice
Seek the Lord, all your heart, no need to understand
Seek Him, serve Him, reach out and take His hand.

No pills, simple thrills, free from guilt and shame
God you came through. Name above all names!
Diet coke, root beer, shrimp boiling in the pot
What a God! An Awesome God! My past he has forgot!

By: Michael E. Moore

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One Thin Dime

One Thin Dime

There comes a time in each mans life when self is not enough.
We wake one day, hopes gone astray, and look upon our stuff.

Unsatisfied, we cry inside, we’ve wasted so much time.
The things we have are meaningless, worth less than one thin dime.

Yesterday we had a dream; we’d make it to the top.
From others we’d gain envy, the cream of all the crop.

But from the top we gain a view of things we’ve never seen.
We see the toes we’ve stepped upon while chasing down this dream.

In looking down upon their frowns the thought to us occurs,
That reflective frown you’re seeing friend, I’m afraid that frown is yours.

Success is not about ourselves, not something to be gained.
For what success can be achieved from causing others pain?

Come down from that high pedestal, down from your high plateau.
Come down and build relationships, the seeds of love to sew.

From seeds of love comes true success, from seeds of love life grows.
You'll find that frown turned upside down, now washing those hurt toes.

I’m thankful for the things I’ve had, from them this lessoned learned;
Material things within this world are destined to be burned.

But love endures forever. Love stands the test of time.
I would not trade one ounce of love for ten million one thin dimes!

By: Michael E. Moore

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The Pain of Jabez

The Pain of Jabez

Pain is deep within my heart, it’s been there quite some time.
I used to try to kill this pain with cocaine, weed, and wine.
But temporary fixes, just leave me high and dry,
I feel the pain that Jabez felt in decades since gone by.

My pain is not within my bones, for there it could be healed,
But yet my pain is deep within, not yet to be revealed.
It is this pain that keeps me sane, paradoxically,
For if I did not feel this pain, I just might not be me.

This pain is not about myself, but ones that I have loved.
I took them all for granted, not gifts from up above.
Now alone I find myself, with heart blood pouring out
It seeps from every thought I think, of this I have no doubt.

I cry to live life over.  I want another chance.
I want to learn to live my life; I want to learn to dance.
To dance with those who’ve loved me; with those that I’ve made cry,
If I could have just one more chance, I'd dance until I die.

But wait! I have an option. There is a special way.
I could turn my heart towards Jesus, kneel down to him and say;
Lord, will you forgive me? Lord, please take me in.
Lord, how I have needed you, please forgive my sin.

The moment that I do this, I will be born again.
He’ll look at me with loving eyes, and tell me I’m his friend.
He’ll show me things I’ve never thought, He’ll teach me about life.
He’ll heal that pain I’m holding, removing all the strife.

Oh Lord, how much I thank you! Oh Lord, you are my King!
My brand new life has now begun, Oh death where is your sting?
And now I live with purpose, not prey to circumstance,
Oh Lord, how much I praise you! May I please have this dance?

By: Michael E. Moore

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Hope for the Homosexual

I wanted to share a very powerful testimony from a friend of mine. You can read the original version here

October 19, 1996:    "My curiosity builds in the area of having a relationship with a female.  I want to be with one…"

December 3,1996:  "I've been contemplating telling my parents about my sexuality.  What would I say?  I know them pretty well, and I know christianity would be more than mentioned…"

December 17, 1996:  "I also want to "come out of the closet" to my parents, or at least my mom.  I had my heart set on doing it this Xmas, but talking to different people, I'm hesitant.   Should I?  Is it for the better, for the worse?  Is it worth it?  I don't know.  I hate to hurt them so badly.  I even called Kid's Help Phone.  The counselor really didn't help though.  I guess I was groping for unanswerable questions.  I expected too much from one man on the other end of the line…I guess I want a wise man to tell me the "right" thing to do.  This is really bothering me.  It isn't an easy thing to tell your parents.  What do you say?  "Hey Mom and Dad, I'm bisexual—I like girls as well as guys!"  Arrghh!  I 've gotta just go with what feels right.  I don't want to hide it anymore.  I can't.

  The last week's been a mixture of depression, boredom and thought.  I just wish I could find someone to lean on that could empathize and care.  Is that too much to ask for?  I dunno.  Sometimes I feel old for my age, but then I feel so young.  What to do.  Who is there to turn to?  God, probably, but I've drifted so far, and gone my own way…"

 

  This came from my own, personal diary.  I was 18 years old.  I share this because I want to offer hope to parents of homosexual kids, and to those who are struggling with homosexuality.

  Although some churches now condone it, the practice is clearly forbidden by God's word (Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26+27, 1 Timothy 9+10, 1 Corinthians 6:9+10).  More bluntly put, it's an abomination and a sin.  However, just telling someone caught up in it isn't enough.  If anything, it just makes them feel more condemned, hopeless and angry with God.

  I don't believe people are "born" gay (we'll use this term because it's much shorter than 'homosexual'.  Please bear with me).  You will see men who seem quite feminine in mannerisms who "turn out" gay.  They may have more of certain hormones  present as research has shown, but that isn't what makes them gay.  I've never done the stats, but I'd say most of the men who are gay, were molested by another male, lacked a male leader in the home (or the one they had was rarely home) and were raised mostly by females.  As for the feminine qualities, people notice those things.  Next thing you know, they're calling him a "faggot" or a "fruit".  Then that sly devil comes in and starts whispering in his ear, "Maybe it's true.  Maybe you are gay."  So the lie; the deception, begins.  Same with molestation.  The boy is naturally physically aroused, so the devil tells him, because it felt good, he must be gay.  It's just like when you tell a child they're stupid all the time.  After a while, the majority will start to believe it, and even act it.  Words are powerful!

  I was molested by relatives for a huge part of my childhood.  I recall, for as long as I can remember, being attracted to women.  As I grew older, I was used and abused by men to the point of which, for a while, I wasn't very attracted to men at all; more so women.  Oft times, lesbians have been women abused by men.  Or they lack female influence or are "tomboyish" as I was with two older brothers and no sisters.

  What happens with many of these homosexuals who grew up in a Christian home and know what the Bible truly says about homosexuality, is they are hurt and confused.  They are caught in a lie, and angry with God, declaring, "Why did You create me into what You hate?  That's not fair!"  They are deceived into thinking they were created gay.

   When I got born again, I thought that I should be "instantly delivered" of this.  When I still found myself fighting the attraction, I lied to people out of shame.  Some people are instantly delivered; I wasn't. 

  So am I denying the feelings are real?  No.  They are as real as the air we breathe.  But this is what it comes down to: "…Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fufill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish." –Romans 5:16,17 (NKJV).  Your flesh desires what is contrary to God's Spirit; practicing homosexuality is one such thing.  When we surrender to the Lord, and walk in the Spirit, this is a choice.

  No, we were not born gay.  Yes, the attraction, the feelings are real, but they are sin.  And yes, you can choose to repent of it.

  Parents of homosexuals; love them, don't nag them.  Chances are, if they know the Word, they already know they're sinning.  Don't brush it off.  When I told a Christian woman who was counseling me when I was 16, that I thought I was bisexual, she said, "Oh, don't be silly!".  Case closed.  Don't sugar coat either.  They need to choose between their lifestyle and God's lifestyle.

  For those of you who may be practicing this or struggling with it, there is hope.  His name is Jesus, and He loves you.  By His Spirit, you can turn from it, and He will fulfill any emptiness you may have.  He will heal the wounds.  Rest assured.  But you must call it what it is: Sin.  You aren't alone.  I promise you God didn't create you to be gay, He created you to be in a relationship with Him.  And He's waiting with arms of love for you….He's got something so much better!!  Believe me; I know!!!

Spiritual Mirror

James 1:22-25 (New Living Translation)

But don’t just listen to God’s word.

You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

For if you listen to the word and don’t obey,
it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free,
and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard,
then God will bless you for doing it.

In the natural, the spirit realm can’t be seen or felt, the only way to accurately perceive spiritual truth is through the Bible. Simply take God’s Word and believe it!

Jesus said in John 6:63,

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

God’s Word reveals spiritual reality. If you want to know what your spirit is like, you must find out from the Word, not relying on emotions or other perceptions. God’s Word is spirit and life! It’s the reflection of who you really are.

When you look at your face in a mirror, you aren’t really seeing yourself, you’re viewing a reflection. Even though it’s only a reflection, you have learned to trust it and act on what you see. God’s Word is just like that mirror; it reflects perfectly who you are in the spirit.

You must look into God’s mirror and trust the spiritual reality you see! It reflects your new born-again spirit, your innermost part.


The context of this message was taken from a teaching by: Andrew Wommack
To read the entire article, Click Here

This article is part of a series entitled "Spirit, Soul, and Body". It is an excellent series and I highly recommend it. Following are links to the audio lessons of that series.

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027a_basics.mp3

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027b_redemption.mp3

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027c_faith.mp3

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027d_spirit.mp3

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A God of Second Chances

I am so grateful that we serve a God of second chances. The Word is full of examples of how God gave people another chance. It is full of examples of how God used, in a powerful way, people who were once far from him.

I too was once far from the Lord. My life was filled with deception, lies, addictions, self-centeredness, selfishness, depression, low self-esteem, anger, bitterness, drunkenness; the list goes on and on and on. But praise God; on December 24, 2004 I was born again!

Over the summer I spent a great deal of time studying the book of Romans. Romans is a very powerful book full of truths about the nature of God and the freedom that comes from being redeemed from the curse of the law. It is a book which reveals God’s amazing love, grace, and mercy.

In context with the topic of second chances, I wanted to share something that God personally spoke to me while I was meditating on a portion of Chapter 9. Let’s take a look at a few of these verses:


Romans 9:6-13 (New Living Translation)

Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God’s people! 7 Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, “Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,” though Abraham had other children, too. 8 This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children. 9 For God had promised, “I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”
10 This son was our ancestor Isaac. When he married Rebekah, she gave birth to twins. 11 But before they were born, before they had done anything good or bad, she received a message from God. (This message shows that God chooses people according to his own purposes; 12 he calls people, but not according to their good or bad works.) She was told, “Your older son will serve your younger son.” 13 In the words of the Scriptures, “I loved Jacob, but I rejected Esau.”

Look closely at the line found in verse 12. ““Your older son will serve your younger son.”. When I read that verse God immediately spoke to me and said this:

“Michael, so it is with you. You have been born again. You are now the younger son. That means that the older son, the old you, has to serve the younger son, the new you!”

Wow! As simple as that may sound, it was and is a very powerful revelation. It means that no longer do I have to obey my old habits. No longer do I have to fall prey to old patterns of behavior. No longer do I have to be dragged around by my emotions. The new me, the born-again me, is in control.

So now I can boss the old me around. I can say, “Body” you will get healthy. The Word of God says that you are a temple of the Holy Spirit and I command you to get in line with the Word. It has to obey!

I can say, “Depression, The Word of God says that I am to rejoice always and be full of joy”. I command you to praise God and be thankful” It has to obey!

I can say, “Limited thinking, The Word of God says that ALL things are possible with God”. I command you to stop putting limits on what can be accomplished in me through Christ. It has to obey!

My friends, if you are born-again the same Spirit that raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwells within you. As we know from 2 Corinthians 5:17, you are a new creature. All things have become new and everything that is old in your life has passed away. You have been given the authority to take control of yourself.


Romans 6:16 says this:
Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.

Make your old self obey the new, born-again you, which is indwelt with the very Sprit of God. Speak to those mountains. Cast those doubts into the sea. Resist the enemy and he will flee!

I pray that this simple little message will help you overcome some of the obstacles in your life that are hindering you from experiencing the fullness of the abundant life that Jesus came to bring us.

Take Control!

(See also Genesis 18:10, 14; and Genesis 25:23)

How far is the East from the West?

Psalm 103 (New Living Translation)
A psalm of David.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Sidebar:
How far is the east from the west?

Picture the globe. If you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a northerly direction, eventually you would round the north pole and then be traveling south. Likewise, if you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a southerly direction, eventually you would round the south pole and then be traveling north.

However, if you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a westerly direction, you could continue in that westerly direction for infinity. At no point in that journey would you be traveling east. Likewise, if you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a easterly direction, you could continue in that easterly direction for infinity. At no point in that journey would you be traveling west.

East does not meet West and West does not meet East!

And so it is with our sin. No matter where you are on the globe, once you accept Jesus Christ as being the Son of God and confess him to be the Lord, you can leave your sin right there, head in the opposite direction, and never have to cross that path of sin again!

Now back to the passage:

The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.

The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.

But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

The LORD has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.
Praise the LORD, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the LORD, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!

Praise the LORD, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the LORD.

Christ Is Supreme

Colossians 1:15-23 (New Living Translation)


Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.


Paul was one sold out dude. I just love his passion for spreading the news. The Good News. The Almost-Too-Good-To-Be-True-News. Here Paul is further educating us as to just who Jesus is. He tells us here that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before all of creation. It was through Christ and for Christ that all things were created. He holds all things together.

Notice that Paul is not speaking in the past tense here. Jesus is still and will always be supreme over all creation. He is the beginning and the end. How does Jesus operate today? Through the Word! You see, the bible clearly tells us that Jesus IS the Word. I wrote a blog a few days ago on this very topic. Included in it was this passage found in John Chapter 1. Verses 1 through 5 tell us this:

“In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

Then in verse 14 we learn this:
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son”

This is taught to us again in 1 John Chapter 1. I love this passage from Verses 1 through 4:

“We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.”

So then we know that it is only through Christ (The Word) that we can be reconciled to God. That means that no matter how far you may have strayed along the wrong path, no matter what crime you may have committed, no matter how bad you think your life is, through faith in Christ you can be made whole again in the eyes of God himself. Notice in the passage where it says this:

“This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.”

Because of what Christ did for us, and because we believe in him, God not only brings us into his presence, but he sees us as “Holy” and “Blameless”, without a single fault! Isn’t that awesome? Without a single fault!

Colossians 2, verses 13 & 14 say it like this:

“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.”


He canceled the record of the charges against us! Do you have some things on your record my friend that you are ashamed of? I know I did. I had a 40-year trail of bad records. My testimony is proof of that. But thank God for His Word. Thank God that he sent his word to us in human form so that we could believe. I encourage each of you to spend more time with Jesus. Spend more time in the Word. It is life, health, and healing to all. It will accomplish what he sent it to do!

I am out of time again but want to thank you for stopping by. Please feel free to leave your comments.

Michael

Do Not Love This World

1 John 2:15-17 (New Living Translation)

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. "


This is a pretty simple lesson here. John tells us that one of the ways we can tell that we have the love of the Father in us, is by the lack of desire or love for the things that the world has to offer. Paradoxically, if you love the things that this world has to offer then you do not have the love of the Father in you.

This isn’t saying that God doesn’t love you. According to Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 35, nothing can separate us from the love of God. But what this verse is saying that if you are going after fancy cars, huge houses, constantly seeking physical pleasure, coveting the things that others have, trying to store up treasures here on this earth then you have not received the full portion of God’s love that he wants to give you. It’s just not in you. For when you are filled with the kind of love that comes only from God, giving that love to others is all that is important to you. The “things” of this world will no longer matter.

Friends, I can honestly say that I speak here from experience. I started making pretty good money back when I was 17. Then by the time I was 26 I owned my own business. I spent many years chasing after the things of the world and putting almost all of my attention on money. What I now know that I was lacking was love from the Father, therefore, love towards anyone else. This was a formula for disaster and this formula most definitely proved to be true. Here is a link to my testimony for any of you who care to see just how true that formula ended up being.

But now, Praise God, after seeking God diligently for a few years and renewing my mind to who I am in Christ, I can say that today I am filled with the love of the Father. I could care less about anything that this world has to offer. It’s all fading away, and in the long run, in the grand scheme of things, means absolutely nothing.

See, I have been at both ends of the spectrum. I have had much and I have had little. I have been miserable in both situations. But now that I let the love of God flow through me, I find that I can be quite content in either scenario. Paul said this same thing in Philippians chapter 4, verses 10-12. Check this out:

“How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little”. (NLT)


There are several other scriptures that come to mind and I feel like I could talk about this for hours. But here is my point: Are you tired of chasing after goals that seem impossible to reach? Have you reached certain steps on that company ladder only to find out that they are not nearly as fulfilling as you had hoped they would be? Are you happy running in the rat race that the world pressures you into? Did you know that whoever wins the rat race is just the greatest rat! Is that the title you are shooting for? My advice, spend some time with the Father. Begin to let his love flow into your heart. Renew your mind to his word and I believe you will find a brand new life for yourself. One that is filled with love, peace, joy, contentment, abundance, self-control, happiness and hope!

I am out of time but thanks for stopping by. Feel free to leave your comments!

Michael

The Wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 (New Living Translation)

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”


So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense. But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength. Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.”


What is the Power of God? Well, according to this passage it is” the message of the cross”. Paul states this emphatically in the Book of Romans. Check out these scriptures found in chapter 1, verse 16.

"For I am not ashamed of this “Good News about Christ”. It is the “power of God” at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. "

The good news about Christ is that he died for us but was raised from the dead. He now pleads with God on our behalf. It Seems foolish to most people. But to those of us who believe it is the “very power of God” at work within us. Jesus became wisdom for us. He is our wisdom. It is in Him and Him alone that we are made right with God.

I used to be the kind of person that always had to figure everything out. I could not believe in something unless I could see it, touch it, feel it and understand all the intricacies of how it worked. I used to be the guy saying “God, if you are real then send me a sign. Strike me with lightning. Let me hear audible answer to my prayers, anything! Well, according to this word, this train of thought is foolishness. How can we expect that an almighty, all-knowing, ever present God, the creator of everything we can and cannot see operate on the same level as us? That’s foolishness. Check out what he says in Isaiah 55, verses 8 & 9.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.”


Once I just let go of trying to operate in my own wisdom and opened my heart to the truth about the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, my need to understand everything turned to an attitude of trust, belief and faith. Once you do this, God begins to reveal things to you that you could have never concluded in your own thinking. The Spirit Himself will reveal to you things that are unknown and the great mysteries of life.

Friends, today I encourage you to put your trust in the Good News. The Gospel of Christ. It is Power! It is Wisdom! It is Life! Choose it Today!


Thank you for visiting and feel free to leave a comment!

How Do You Study The Bible?

During my first quarter of school one of my classes was "How To Study The Bible". There is a huge difference between reading the bible and studying the bible. The book we used as a guideline was entitle "Bible Study Methods" by Rick Warren. I highly recommend this book to all who are serious about growing in your knowledge of God. Perhaps I will blog at a later time about the different methods he describes and some of the ways to apply those to your everyday reading.

This quarter I am taking a class called Evangelism / Making Disciples. I can tell already that this is going to be my favorite class. On the first night of class we were introduced to an entirely new way of looking at scripture as it applies to evangelism. The method seeks to discover 5 major areas of each passage of scripture. Those areas are as follow:

The Master: The Father, The Son, and or The Holy Spirit - What part did they play in this passage?

The Masses: Who specifically was this message directed to?

The Messengers: Who was it that was actually delivering the message?

The Message: What was it exactly that was being communicated?

The Method: How was the message presented?

My first passage that I studied in this method was Luke 9:1-11. Below I have posted an outline of this study. Feel free to offer additions to this list. The Lord speaks to each of us in our own way and I would be interested to see what you pull from this passage. Feel free to utilize your own version and also to offer your comments.

And now for my study.........

Scripture Passage: Luke 9:1-11 (New Living Translation)

One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town. And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick. When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead. Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead. “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him. When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.


The Master – God and His part in evangelism?

• Jesus gave the twelve disciples power to cast out demons and heal all diseases
• God provided for all their physical needs along the way
• God’s Kingdom is the reason for them being sent

The Masses – The audience of evangelism?

• Everyone
• Those who needed healing
• Those who needed deliverance from demonic influences
• Towns and villages
• Town of Bethsaida

The Messengers – Believers and their role in evangelism?

• The twelve disciples were given power and authority to cast out demons and heal all diseases
• Must depend upon God to provide all of their needs
• Must show appreciation to those who welcomed them
• Must know that not everyone will be receptive to their message
• Jesus was a messenger himself in a sense because Herod Antipas “heard” about everything he was doing.
• The apostles told Jesus about everything they had done
• Jesus taught all the crowds that followed him


The Message – What is communicated?

• The Kingdom of God
• Healing (physical, emotional, and mental) - Spirit, soul, and body.

The Method – How is the message communicated?

• Telling everyone about The Kingdom of God
• Healing those that were sick
• Preaching the Good News
• Showing respect by not moving from house to house
• Shaking the dust off their feet when leaving towns that would not receive the message
• Welcoming followers

Personal Application – Which Truth in the passage seems most important to you?

• The Kingdom of God is not just a spiritual message that will happen “some day”.
• The Kingdom of God is also physical and provides for healing of all diseases.
• The Kingdom of God is available here and now in the hearts of all who will believe

What is a practical way to apply this truth in your life?

• The same power that Jesus gave to his disciples is available to me today.
• I want to be able to operate more fully in these powers and let people know that the Kingdom of God is available right now.
• I also want to grasp more fully that God will provide for me when he has asked me to do something.
• He always makes provisions to assure his mission gets completed.

What are you saying?

Did you know that words are the most powerful thing in the universe? Everything we see and the things we cannot see were created because God spoke them into existence. Words are seeds that produce after their own kind. Every word that comes out of your mouth is a seed. It will produce life or death. You are sowing seed every time you speak and as we know from the truth of God's word, we reap what we sow!

As I mentioned in my previous posts I have been through a period of isolation during the last couple of weeks. I have been feeling lonely and depleted. I even blamed this attack on the devil. But as I was in prayer last night God reminded me that I have the power to create and the loneliness that I was experiencing was really just the result of me saying the wrong things about myself.

God's Word is full of scripture that teaches us about the power of the tongue. Proverbs says the tongue has the power to bring life or death. In Mark we are told that we can have whatsoever we say, as long as it lines up with the will of God*. In James we are told that, the like a rudder turns a huge ship, so it is with the tongue.

I am so short on time today that I don't have time to write all that I want to on this subject. I hope to be able to write a more complete blog entry this weekend. School just started back however and I have a considerable amount of reading to do. In the meantime, I encourage you to keep a close watch on your lips. Begin to speak the things that the Word says about you. There is so much power in the Word and it becomes creative power when you begin to speak it.

Remember that if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior; You are more than a conqueror! You are a royal priesthood! You are welcomed in the beloved! You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you! You are the apple of God's eye! You are without spot or blemish! Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world! You are a member of God's family! You are a friend of God!

Today I say Thank you Jesus!
In you I find my true identity!

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my blog!

*Please see commentrary

Satan is a Liar!

Thanks to all who have visited and left comments. I really appreciate you!

It's been quite a battle for me over the last couple of weeks. As I mentioned in my previous post Satan has been trying to keep me in isolation. He knows that I am a threat to his kingdom. He's trying to use his trickery to keep me from persevering unto God! What a liar he is!




James 4:7 tells us this:

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you!

Did you know that resist means more than just ignoring Satan's temptations. Resist is an action word. It means that we have to literally fight against him. It means that we have to use all of our God-given weaponry and take affirmative action against him.

I almost fell pray to his latest attack. I have been spending much time alone, avoiding church activities, not studying the Word, not spending time in worship, dodging phone calls, etc. That's exactly where the devil wants me to be. He desires for us to feel alone. He desires for us to feel defeated. His sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy.

But thank God that we have Jesus who never leaves us or forsakes us. Jesus came to give us an abundant life! And today I do resist the enemy! I do submit myself unto God! I do cast all my cares unto the Lord! I do receive the abundant life that he came to give me! It flows through every organ and every tissue of my being! I am like a tree that's planted by the rivers of water. I bring forth fruit in my season and my leaf shall not wither! Praise God!

I give God praise right now by saying publicly that I take Victory over the enemy in this battle! He is under my feet! I have taken the shield of faith and resisted all of his fiery darts!

Are you going through a similar battle today my friend? I encourage you to dig into the word of God with all you have. Even if it seems like you have to force yourself to do it. That force you feel coming against you is the enemy. But he cannot stand up against the Word. He never could and he never will! He is a defeated foe!

1 John 5:3-5

Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Bloggers Block!

Do you ever have times when there are 100 things on your heart to share but you cannot get your fingers to relay what's on your mind? Well, that's exactly where I am. I finished first quarter of Bible School last week. I aced my final exams, I know I did. I have so many messages that I want to share but just cannot express them. Satan knows I am a threat. He's trying real hard to come against me this week. I rebuke him! He's a liar and a thief! Pray for me, please! He's trying to keep me locked up in loneliness and isolation. He's trying to tell me to leave my church. He's trying to tell me that no one is interested in what I have to say. I take authority over him in the name of Jesus!

Loneliness. What can you share with me about loneliness? I know that Jesus never leaves me or forsakes me! So why am I feeling lonely? I welcome your comments.

I will be posting a couple of very strong messages very soon. They are on my heart. They were spoken to me by God himself. They are on the tip of my tongue and fingers.

Satan I want to remind you of your future according to Revelation 20:10

"Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I'll be back with my message. You can count on it!

Your Spouse is Not the Enemy

A message from my pastor. Dennis Rouse is the pastor over Victory World Church in Norcross, Georgia

A man and his wife are arguing. She is upset because he comes home from work every evening and plops down on the sofa with the remote control. He seems completely oblivious to her plight as she struggles to keep their two children from killing each other while simultaneously trying to keep dinner from burning on the stove. She shoots him dirty looks, but he is so focused on the football game that he doesn't even notice, and she says nothing.........

Later on, when they are all sitting at the dinner table eating, he chuckles and says, "Chicken again, honey?" Suddenly, she explodes at him. "You're always criticizing me! You don't like it? Maybe you should cook dinner for the rest of the week!" The husband is genuinely taken aback. "I didn't mean anything by it, honey. What's wrong?" She rolls her eyes and mutters, "Nothing." Annoyed, the husband does not press the issue, and for the rest of the meal, both husband and wife are brooding, speaking only to the children and not to one another. They continue to ignore each other for the rest of the evening. The wife gets more and more irritated as she corrals the kids and fights to get them bathed and ready for bed while her husband works on the computer to complete an unfinished task for his job. At bedtime, husband and wife exchange a terse "Good night" and collapse on opposite sides of the bed, still irritated with one another.

If you have been married for any significant period of time, you can relate to this couple. So what went wrong?

Both husband and wife allowed the devil to influence them in this situation, turning them against each other and causing unnecessary exasperation. Satan used a spirit of offense to drive a wedge between them, and a fight that could have easily been averted ended up ruining the entire evening. The first problem was that the wife did not ask her husband for help with the children while she made dinner. Instead, she stewed silently, getting angrier and angrier while he relaxed on the sofa after a long, hard day at work. Had she let him know that she needed his help, he may well have gotten up to help her. This was the first open door that Satan took advantage of. Obviously, we see her frustration finally come out at the dinner table when her husband makes what she perceives to be an antagonistic remark. This is the result of allowing offense to build up inside of you without making any effort to resolve the situation.

Now before you husbands get too smug, let's look at where the husband went wrong! Although he may have had a hard day at work, it is obvious that he did not make the effort to communicate with his wife when he got home. He could have told her just how long a day he'd had, and she may have been more understanding of his need to relax. At the same time, as the father and head of the household, he should have made the effort to help his wife with the children without her necessarily having to ask for help. Whether he simply kept them out of the kitchen while she was cooking, helped them with their school work, or went outside to play with them, he should have taken a proactive role in helping his wife and further developing his relationship with his children.

As we ultimately see, the situation escalates outrageously, with more and more offense being sown by the enemy as the evening goes on. Eventually, husband and wife go to sleep, still angry with one another.

How can we avoid situations like this? The key is to communicate. I cannot stress enough the importance of communicating with your spouse. By communicating honestly and being transparent with one another, you will be much more successful at avoiding Satan's trap of offense in your marriage. When you are irritated or angry with your spouse, tell them! Don't let it build up inside of you to the point where you explode.

This week as you seek to build and improve upon your marriage, make it a point to communicate your feelings to one another, keeping in mind that your spouse is not the enemy, and that Satan is the one attempting to sow strife and offense into your marriage. As you become more and more accustomed to communicating and being open with one another, you will find yourselves arguing less and less, and you'll also discover an intimacy with your spouse that is beyond anything you have ever experienced together.