Tag: Breaking Down Strongholds

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Release Them From Their Debt

14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. ~ Matthew 6:14-15

Jesus told us that if we don’t forgive, we will not be forgiven. What a difficult statement to fully grasp and follow. Especially when someone has done you wrong over and over again, yet you must continuously forgive them. This is by no means an easy thing to do, but it is a necessary one. Why? Our very eternity depends on it. That is a frightening thought in the light of eternity. So, let me break it down for you. If you refuse to forgive people, no matter what they have done to you, God will refuse to forgive you, no matter how much you ask.

And let me just add this also. Nothing that has been done against you is worth holding someone up for it and then spending eternity in Hell. Here is another truth, the person who you feel that you are just not able to forgive, well, they themselves may have repented and received forgiveness from God.

And you know what? They will spend eternity with Him while you hold on to your hurts, valid hurts indeed that they may be, but you will still spend eternity in the Lake of Fire because you refuse to honor and forgive them.

That is not me just saying that. That is the giver of life, the Master Who said that. So, for further clarification, or for more info, please see Matthew 6:15. So, the bottom line is this, if Jesus, who is Holy and Just and Righteous, can and did do that for us because He chose to do it, then we have no excuse.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Release Them From Their Debt.

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Take The Wrong

7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers! ~ 1 Corinthians 6:7-8

Paul was correcting a prominent, widespread wrong that was being practiced in the church there in Corinth. They were taking each other to court over big things and over little things. Instead of solving personal disputes, they were using a secular court with a secular judge to solve their problems. Paul said, “Look, just the mere fact that there are lawsuits between you people is proof that you have been defeated by your enemy, the adversary.”

Nowadays, we don’t have lawsuits amongst ourselves in today’s church, but what we do have are feelings being hurt, anger and outbursts of anger, pride and jealousy. We have disunity and division. Just the mere fact that we have these things is living proof that we have been defeated by our mortal enemy, the devil. For Jesus said in John 10:10 that ‘the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.’ Therefore, when anger reigns, and quick-temperedness takes center stage, there is proof that the enemy has come in and has stolen your peace, killed your joy, and destroyed your love.

For love is patient and kind, not easily angered, and never keeps a record of wrongs. So then, when arguments and bickering over little things and over big things become prevalent, it is time to take an evaluation of your love, your shalom peace, and your commitment to follow Jesus and His teaching wholeheartedly.

The Scriptures tell us that we are not our own; we are bought at a price. Therefore, we must honor our owner, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, with our bodies, our thoughts, our actions, and our motives. Instead of getting upset and angry and having a big pop-down row, be the bigger person and take the wrong, and in so doing, you will fulfill the law to love one another, which is the greatest law after loving the LORD our God, with all of our heart, and soul, and mind, and with all of our strength.

So, the next time you are offended, or the next time you are taken advantage of, do what Jesus taught and what the Scriptures teach, take the wrong, even if you are in the right, and love the LORD your God and love your brother.

Father, it is easier said than done, but help us to fulfill the law of love. Help us to honor You with all of our heart, soul, and strength. Be first in our lives, in our speech, and in our actions so that we do not offend Your Spirit with our temperament. In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.

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The Hate of A Lying Tongue

24 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; 25 when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; 26 though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling. 28 A lying tongue hates its victims, and a flattering mouth works ruin. ~ Proverbs 26:24-28

King Solomon wrote, a lying tongue hates its victims. If you hate, you will lie. If you lie, you are harboring hate in your heart. It does not matter who that person is. Whether it is supposed to be a friend or a family member, it does not matter whether it is a stranger or a politician. If that person is lying, he or she is filled with hate. But they will disguise their true feelings. They will pretend to be doing what is best for you and to have your best interest at heart, but they will lead you to a bitter end.

Solomon said, even when he or she speaks to you graciously, don’t believe them because seven abominations are in their heart. They will try to cover their hatred with deception, but God will expose their wickedness. Because God is just and true, He will give those people enough rope to hang themselves.

But as for us, we are to believe God and trust His Word. We must not believe everything that is told to us but measure it against the Word of God and use His Word as our standard. And may the God of truth open our eyes to see and our ears to hear.

Heavenly Father, give us discernment that we will not be fooled or taken advantage of. Be our shield and our protection. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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Be That Light

19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. 20 For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should. ~ Ephesians 6:19-20CSB

So many times when we think about Paul, we just think about how great of a hero of the faith he was. We think about all the great miracles, the powerful signs and wonders that followed him, and the marvelous mysteries he revealed, but rarely do we ever think about the weakness of Paul. We almost elevate him as more than a man because we find it almost impossible to see him as struggling the same way we do today. Even though Paul did great things, he was still a man with flesh that he had to crucify daily, and spiritual warfare he had to fight daily.

When Paul struggled, he didn’t keep it to himself. He requested prayer for those things. He didn’t try to battle them alone. He understood the importance of prayer. So, he requested that they pray for his boldness. Imagine that Paul, the greatest Apostle to ever live, has to ask other people to pray for him to speak boldly. That doesn’t seem like the Paul we’re taught about, but it was the actions of the Paul of the Bible.

Paul never once tried to portray himself as perfect or without struggle. He constantly spoke about his weaknesses. He boasted in them. Something he struggled with was speaking boldly, but he didn’t let that stop him. He prayed about it and then asked others to pray about it for him., but he didn’t stop there. Paul, after praying, went out and spoke boldly. He put that prayer request into action.

James explained that prayer without action is useless. Therefore, what did Paul do? He did the very thing that he prayed about. He went out and spoke to the people and didn’t stop until his last breath. Paul didn’t preach because it was easy. Paul preached because that is the call. He understood it was better to speak and face the wrath of the world than to be silent and face the wrath of God.

Paul was a man just like us; the difference was that he was a man of prayer and action. We each have the call to tell others of the Good News of Christ, regardless of backlash, offense, or the wrath of the world. Our main general call is to be the light of the world while Christ is on His throne.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Be That Light.

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Don’t Wait Til It’s You

7 The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. ~ Proverbs 29:7

17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. ~ James 4:17

In the show Avatar, there’s a main character by the name of Uncle Iroh. Now, Uncle Iroh was a military hero. He led siege after siege, taking over other tribes for the Fire Nation until he came to one particular city, Ba Sing Se. The siege lasted for 600 days but ended when Iroh lost his son, Lu Ten, in battle. After he lost his son, he no longer saw the necessity of the war, and he brought his men home. The rest of his life he spent trying to help others. We later find out that he lives his life trying to help others because he was unable to help his son.

He never saw a problem with leading the sieges, taking homes or lives, burning down cities until he lost what mattered most to him, his son. He simply bought into the lie that was told to him because he didn’t want to see the truth until the truth directly affected him in a traumatic way. So many of us in the Church are exactly the same way.

We don’t want to open our lives to the truth because we’re benefiting from the lie. Or we’re apathetic because the lie isn’t directly affecting us. But see, that’s how the enemy gets us. He doesn’t directly hit us at first. He allows us to get comfortable. To put our feet up. To turn a blind eye to little things until we’ve completely gone blind, and we don’t even realize it. Then, when we’re completely disarmed, he takes away all security and comfort we once had and suddenly the lie is no longer a big deal, it’s now directly negatively affecting us.

So, how do we combat this? We refuse to listen to apathy’s lullaby and by refusing to turn a blind eye to things, even if they seem minor. When someone else is done wrong, we stand up for them because if it could happen to them, it could happen to us. We can’t wait for the mob to be at our front door before we want to fight back. We need to fight back before they even enter our city. We need to wake up and pay attention to what’s going on in our world before it’s too late to do anything about it.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Don’t Wait Til It’s You.

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Cast Your Cares

7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7

God loves us. Jesus loves us and invites us to cast all of our cares, concerns, and worries on Him, for He is able to bear it all. He is able to keep that which we have committed unto Him against that day.

Worries and concerns stem from a place of mistrust and will always give root to doubt, but the Scriptures say to

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

The LORD is good, His mercies are everlasting, and He will never mislead you, nor do you wrong, for His love endures forever. Therefore, put your trust in the LORD. He will guide you. He will uphold you with His righteous right hand.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Cast Your Cares.

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Let The Message Change You

51 “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. 53 You received the law under the direction of angels and yet have not kept it.”  54 When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. ~ Acts 7:51-54CSB

The people stayed silent and listened to Stephen’s message. He started with Abraham and made his way to Moses. The people didn’t contest anything he said, but when Stephen mentioned that they were the problem. That they killed the Messiah. That they were in the wrong, they were enraged. They were angered. Stephen had struck a nerve.

See, people are okay with hearing the historical references of the Bible. They’re even okay with hearing a moral story from the Bible. People only have a problem when you personalize the Bible. When the Scriptures are used to convict the conscience and change lives, that’s when people have a problem. That’s when people become angry because they’ve become attached to their flesh. The flesh becomes addictive. It becomes a stronghold that keeps you bound.

The message of Christ isn’t just to feel good and tickle our ears. The message of Christ is to lighten the darkness and change the lives of those who hear it. It’s not to make you feel comfortable in your sin; it’s to convict you of your past sins and change your life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let The Message Change You.

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Learn The Word

33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. ~ Proverbs 24:33

Please understand that poverty is a state or condition of lacking what is needed, below what is normal in society. When you lack what is needed, you are rendered powerless, lacking the condition or the state to fight the good fight at AI.

I’m talking about spiritual poverty. And a lot of people suffer from spiritual poverty. Temptation is always deceptive, but Jesus said you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.

Therefore, cling to the Scriptures. Learn the Word of God. Allow the Spirit of the LORD to guide you and lead you so that you might dwell in the Truth of God. So that no temptation or deception can lead you astray.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Learn The Word.

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No Bounds

6 Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 7 All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. ~ Daniel 6:6-9

The Scriptures said that it pleased King Darius to set over the whole kingdom, 120 satraps. A satrap was a governor of a province or a ruler. So, the kingdom was probably divided into 120 provinces, and each province had a governor, or some high-ranking official called a satrap over each one.

Then the king was pleased to set three top officials over the 120 satraps Daniel 6:1-2. Everything was working out just fine until envy set in. You see, Daniel began to distinguish himself from the others by his work ethic and his honesty. So, the king was further pleased to set Daniel over them all.

That’s when they had enough of Mr. Goody Two Shoes, and that green-eyed giant of envy raised his nasty head. And they began to plot. They tried to find some kind of dirt on Daniel, anything, anything at all.  But try as they may, they could not find anything because Daniel was an honest, hardworking, squeaky-clean man. Righteous in all of his ways.

They came to the conclusion that they would never find anything illegal against him. So, they would have to invent something. But that is nothing new; it still happens today.

Envy is a terrible slave master. It will make you do some despicable things, not excluding lying with the intent to cause murder, as these men did.

It knows no bounds. It knows no limits. It has no friends. It has no loyalty. Envy is a cunning emotion, and these men were caught in its vice grip.

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Tear ‘Em Down

28 Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel, 29 but he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit — worshiping the gold calves that were in Bethel and Dan. 30 Nevertheless, the Lord said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in carrying out what is right in my sight and have done to the house of Ahab all that was in my heart, four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.” 31 Yet Jehu was not careful to follow the instruction of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart. He did not turn from the sins that Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit. 32 In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel. Hazael defeated the Israelites throughout their territory 33 from the Jordan eastward: the whole land of Gilead — the Gadites, the Reubenites, and the Manassites — from Aroer which is by the Arnon Valley through Gilead to Bashan. ~ 2 Kings 10:28-33CSB

Jehu did good in certain areas but not in all. He removed the house of Ahab and the high places, but he allowed for other idolatry to remain. Jehu, though he corrected one aspect of his kingdom, didn’t clean his full house. The LORD honored the good job he did when he obeyed the LORD and removed the house of Ahab, but he continued in sin, forcing the LORD to punish him.

Many of us believe that we can live our lives however we want as long as we go to church, give thanks for our food and day, and occasionally read our Bibles, but that’s not the desire of the LORD. He desires us to remove all sin from our lives. We are expected to be perfect like God is perfect. We have to tear down all strongholds, not just the ones written out blatantly for us but the ones we have to seek God to find. The ones deep within us that we don’t even realize.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Tear ‘Em Down.

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