Category: Breaking Down Strongholds

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. ⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. ⁸ It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. ~ Proverbs 3:5-8

Something I’ve noticed and been thinking more and more about recently, is that the more book smart someone is, the more they seem to struggle with understanding the Bible and who God is. I guess sometimes God doesn’t fit our logic. Well, I think a lot of the time, He doesn’t. God does things that we just don’t understand. He does things we disagree with. And what I’ve been really noticing is the smarter someone is, the harder it is for them to fully trust God at His Word, so they use their own logic and their own understanding.

Learning and growing intellectually is important but never let that get to your head. Never let it blind you from seeing the Truth of who God is. Never let it create your own truth. It’s very easy to put your own ideas in the Bible. Here’s what I mean. It’s very easy to twist Scripture to make it say what you want, especially when you are very smart. It’s also very easy to believe that what you have twisted and misinterpreted is correct and truth.

So, what should we do? Stop seeking intellectualism? No. We should always seek to become more knowledgeable, but we should always make sure that our source for understanding is God and not our own wisdom. For the foolishness of God is greater than the wisdom of man. So, don’t think more of yourself than you ought, always humble yourself before God seeking His Truth and not your own. Seeking His wisdom and not your own. That is the only way we can walk a straight path back to Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Watch Your Intellect.

[14]  Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? [15] What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? [16] What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [17] Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, [18]  and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” ~ 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

I had a dream last night that I was walking from the living room to the stairs and the front door was wide open. I slowly walked to it and looked out. There was no one outside. Just a plastic bag blowing in the wind as it rained, yet I got this scared eerie feeling come over me. So I closed the door and crept up the stairs where I saw one other person in my home. He was keeping very low to the ground and told me he was the only one. He then handed me a box of tissues as a weapon. I thought immediately, no I need the BB gun in my side dresser. As I walked back down the stairs to find a better weapon, I woke up.

My home was in danger because the door was left unlocked and there were no defensive weapons in the home to get to. Each and every one of us is a home. A spiritual home. It’s where the Spirit of the LORD, God Himself wants to dwell, but He will never break in and force you. However, the enemy will always find a foothold.

We have to be on guard at all times. What we watch, listen to, thoughts we entertain, words that come out of our mouths, and the actions we make when we think no one’s watching. The enemy doesn’t need a formal invitation or any invitation for that matter in order to enter into your life and cause havoc. He just needs you to forget to lock the door or window. Forget to bring in the key. Forget to have your spiritual weapons on you at all times so that you might fight off his attacks.

We are to be on guard. Our enemy is not defeated to us. He is a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Seeking someone to overcome. To destroy. To enslave. We, as Christians, are not immune to his attacks. On the contrary. His attacks are aimed at us with such force, that the majority of us are bound up.

The Church has just as much divorce, depression, adultery, fornication, lust, sexual immorality, hatred, and anger as the world. In fact, we can no longer even differentiate between the world and the Church. How can we say our enemy is defeated? We are under attack and the only weapon we’ve grabbed is a box of tissues. We need to pick up our Sword of the Spirit. We need to pick up our Shield of Faith and fight back against the enemy, instead of living our lives in a false security based on the lie that because I am saved, the enemy cannot do anything to me.

We can be saved and still open doors for the enemy to attack. We can be saved and still have our lives taken from us too soon, before our time. We can be saved and still have strongholds in our lives. These are not conflicting statements, that’s why the Church looks just like the world. Because we don’t address or tear down strongholds that open doors in our lives for the enemy to wreak havoc on us, in us, and through us.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be Armed.

[19]  Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, [20] but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. [21] For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:19-21

Recently saw an interview with an older gentleman who explained that back in the day, when he would get a paycheck, he’d pay rent 6 or more months in advance. Why? Just in case if he couldn’t book the same amount of jobs, and his money was low, he at least had a place to sleep. He wasn’t looking to spend his money on frivolous things, but on the essentials. He was looking ahead in life, making sure he always had a place to stay.

We are told to live like this man. To live with our eyes focused on storing up treasure in heaven so that we might have a home for us in eternity. Jesus tells us that how we spend our time on this earth will determine where we spend eternity. If we spend our lives storing up pointless treasures on this earth that we cannot take with us, then we will miss out on eternity with Christ. But when we spend our lives on this earth building up treasure in heaven, then we will spend eternity with Christ.

It’s about our heart. It’s about our desires and what is important to us. When our focus is eternity, we build the Kingdom of God. We win souls. We disciple souls. We make sure our loved ones know about Christ, that they’re ready. We spend time with Christ. We worship. We pray. We read our Bibles. We change. We become more Christ-like and put the things of God above the things of this world.

The Egyptians buried their Pharaohs with their treasures, even mummifying their animals in hopes of them being able to take their earthly treasures with them to the afterlife. But here’s the thing, these temporary treasures will never last. This world and this earth will pass away. If our main goal is money, we will perish with our money. If our main goal is Christ, we will live with Him forever and ever.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Decide Which Treasure You Want.

Matthew 24:27-31,

[27] For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. [28] Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. [29]  “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. [30] Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. [31] And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Today the Rapture is supposed to take place. Israel has officially blown the trumpet and Yom Teruah has begun. People are quitting their jobs, giving away their homes, cars, emptying their bank accounts all in preparation of the Rapture. They’re making videos on tips and tricks of how to go up in the Rapture, such as not holding on to anything or not looking down. It’s become more than just a few people, but thousands upon thousands of people believing this. Why? Because we no longer read our Bibles. We no longer know what the Word of God says.

Yes, we won’t know the day nor the hour of Christ’s return, but He said we will know when to look up because we will know His return is near.

²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Luke 21:28

We’ve traded in the signs of Christ’s return for the ideologies of man. We’ve refused to even give ear to what the Word of God says that contradicts our beliefs. Why? Pride? Arrogance? The fear of being wrong? The fear of facing the Truth? I don’t believe one size fits all, but I do believe these are some reasons. When we refuse to even hear what the other side has to say, then it’s not them that has the issue, but us. It means that we not only don’t believe our beliefs can’t hold up to scrutiny, but we know that the other’s beliefs will only prove to be true. And if that is the case, why continue to believe what cannot be found in Scripture?

Never allow pride, arrogance, or fear keep you from the Truth of God. Never give the excuse that “Well, we’ll never truly know,” or “Well, one day we’ll see” because you don’t want to see the Truth now. Tomorrow is promised to no man. If we can’t put aside our pride, arrogance, or fear for something that isn’t a life or death situation can we believe God will trust us to put those things aside for something more important?

Don’t put your trust in man. Put your trust in God. In His Word. In His promises. In His prophecies. That is the only way we will truly see His face and see His promises fulfilled.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Be Deceived By Man.

Matthew 5:43-48,

[43]  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ [44] But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [45] so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? [47] And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [48] You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Hatred is a dangerous root. It blinds you from the Truth, allows you to stumble over obstacles, holds you back, and eventually, hatred consumes you. See, hatred doesn’t always come in a form we expect. Sometimes, it’s subtle. A slight annoyance whenever someone’s name is mentioned or you see them. Overly harsh towards them. Falsely accusing them and refusing to acknowledge evidence.

We, as Christians, are held to a higher standard. It’s not always easy. In fact, most of the time it’s hard. It’s an uphill battle. It’s having overcome the world while you also have to fight your flesh. See, the enemy will subtly plant seeds of hatred within you by sending you excuses that don’t sound and at all. He’ll tell you, “You don’t hate them. You just don’t like them.” “Even God hated Esau.” When we begin to make excuses and try to justify our hate, roots of anger, bitterness, rage, defensiveness, and pride begin to dig into us.

So, what are we to do? Start with the determination to change. The determination to love my brother and my enemy. To love all people. And remind oneself that we are to be Christ to the world. That we are now the light of the world.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Begin To Uproot It.