Tag: Breaking Down Strongholds

Posted on

The Arguments

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do His will. ~ 2 Timothy 2:22-26NIV

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a Bible Study for the ministry. So, I attempted to do a very basic teaching (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) that I felt wouldn’t stir up any issues, but apparently, I was extremely wrong. Whenever you post a video online, people have the right to comment and have an opinion. That’s just a part of the internet. The biggest issue I have isn’t people disagreeing. It’s people so busy trying to disagree or argue that they actually don’t listen to what is being said.

Paul instructs us not to get into stupid arguments. I’d even take it a step further with “Don’t interact with people that will take your peace.” When we first started posting on YouTube, I would respond to each comment, whether good or bad. This actually took a toll on me. Not because I couldn’t defend my beliefs but because people are rude, insulting, and will twist anything you say, as well as twist anything God has said in His Word. So, I leave them to themselves. Why? Because I avoid those kinds of arguments. I don’t engage with it; instead, I do as Jesus and King Solomon tell me and judge the fruit of the person to determine whether or not I should respond.

The enemy can’t just enter into our lives and destroy. If he could, there would be no Christians on this earth. So, he uses those around us, those who come in contact with us, and even those who are just passing by to try to get us to open a door in our life for him to enter in and cause destruction. So, what are we to do, no longer communicate with the outside world? While part of me would like to say yes, the other part knows better.

We aren’t to cut off the world, lest they be left to their own devices and perish. No. We are to engage with the world and spread the Gospel. When we share the Gospel, we don’t continuously try to force it down someone’s throat. Jesus told His disciples that if they went somewhere and the people didn’t want to listen, they were to kick the dust off their sandals, move on, and take their peace with them. We don’t try to force someone to believe or to even listen. We give them the opportunity, but if they are unwilling to listen, we move on. We don’t stand there and argue, allowing ourselves to get angry, frustrated, or even distraught. We move on. Jesus said the fields are white onto harvest.

There’s many people in the world who want to hear the good news of Christ and have a willing heart to do so. Therefore, we can’t allow those who have a hardened heart and closed ears to take up all of our time and consume our energy. We have to judge the fruit of those that we are witnessing or correcting and decide, “Is this person closed off to the Truth? Do they just want to argue, or are they truly seeking the Truth? Are they asking a genuine question?”

Dear LORD, please forgive me for all the time I have wasted arguing in pointless arguments. Please forgive me for allowing the need to correct and show others why I’m right to blind me from those you have placed in my path to help. Thank You that You have not abandoned me, but that You prune me so that I might grow in You. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I might be guided by You. Please give me a spirit of discernment so that I might be able to discern who is from the enemy to distract me and who is from You. Help me not to exhaust myself with trivial matters but instead to train myself to not grow weary but to run the race You have set before me with endurance. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Remain Sméagol

7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. ~ Genesis 4:7

One of my favorite characters in The Lord of the Rings series (that’s including The Hobbit) is Gollum. Now, to many people, including my mother, that’s insane. She sees him as a horrible, creepy character, but honestly, I see him as a character that represents the majority of humanity. Gollum, for those of you who don’t know who he is, is the original owner of the ring; well, he’s the owner that Bilbo got the ring from. Anyways, Gollum is deformed and crazy, all because of this ring. So, this ring has created a dual personality within him. One of almost innocence, like a child, and one of pure evil and wickedness.

This ring gives anyone who wears it the ability to turn invisible to all. Now, the ring also causes the owner to be driven mad; the more you use it, the more you lose yourself to the ring. This is much like the world today. The more we give into sin, the more we lose ourselves to sin. The more we are deformed and driven farther and farther away from the person God created us to be. When we just look at the outside, it’s easy to dislike and want judgment for the wicked. It’s easy to look at Gollum and hate him, but if we take a moment to actually look at Gollum, we’d see he’s nothing more than a lost soul who has been corrupted by the thing he loves most. And because it corrupts him, he also hates it.

That is the same with us and sin. We love and hate it all at the same time. We struggle back and forth with it, yet ultimately give in the majority of the time. It becomes a never-ending struggle that we will be unable to overcome on our own. I think J.R.R. Tolkien (the author of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit) said it best:

He [Gollum] will never be rid of his need for it. He hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. Sméagol’s [Gollum’s original name before he found the ring] life is a sad story. Yes, Sméagol he was once called. Before the Ring found him. Before it drove him mad.

Gollum was never intended to be a character to be despised but a character to be pitied, for he represents the dangers of giving into sin’s desires and not ruling over it. This will be a never-ending battle for the rest of our lives unless we submit to a new master. Unless we fully submit to Christ, we will all lose ourselves, just as Sméagol did.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Remain Sméagol.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Uproot It

15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. ~ Hebrews 12:15

The Israelites, whom Moses and Aaron brought up out of the land of Egypt, their tracks were supposed to lead to the Promised Land. It should have been an eleven- or twelve-day journey, but instead, it took them forty years.

Why? Because they let their circumstances dictate where their tracks would lead them.

When you lean too much to one side, you start getting off course. If you lean too much on the bad circumstances, you will become bitter and cynical, and that is what happened to those Israelites.

They let cynicism creep in, and a distrust of God rose up in them because of the root of bitterness that sprouted, and they let it grow.

The root of bitterness sprung up in the hearts of those Israelites, and they did not deal with it; rather, they became cynical and began to doubt God, which not only defiled them but also disqualified them from entering the Promised Land.

It’s not “Que Sera, Sera.” Just because God has something for you doesn’t mean you will get to enjoy it. Each and every one of our actions determines the outcome of our lives. They determine whether or not we will reach the end of the plans the LORD has for us or not. Therefore, doubt and unbelief will disqualify you from the promises of God.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Uproot It.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Control The Inner Words

[5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. ~ 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

As I continue this journey of growth and self-awareness, I found that words aren’t as important as I once held them to be. Let me explain. See, I felt like if I just kept my mouth shut and didn’t speak, then that was enough. But you know what I didn’t take into account? My thoughts. See, our thoughts are direct connector between our words/actions and our hearts. Out of our hearts come all things. So, even though my words were being kept in check, my thoughts weren’t being as regulated.

My thoughts allowed for bitterness, resentment, rejection, anger, depression, and anxiety to not only dwell inside of me, but to grow. Why? Because I allowed the thoughts that I’ve been wronged to continue. Thoughts aren’t just insignificant, as Daddy puts it thoughts are words you say to yourself. And he’s right. We’re quicker to check the words coming out of our mouths, rather than the ones coming into our minds. In fact, the thoughts of mankind was the reason for the flood. Now, I know it’s popular to believe that the flood was because of the angels and women having children and the Nephilim, but the Bible never once says that. In fact, it specifically tells us why the LORD flooded the earth.

[5]  The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. [6] The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. [7] So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”

Genesis 6:5-7 ESV/NIV

It was the thoughts that come out of the heart. It wasn’t the actions. It wasn’t the words. It was the thoughts. Your thoughts are a direct reflection of your heart. Why? Because it’s more honest than your mouth. Our words can be good sounding, but they have no meaning behind them, so they are meaningless.

[8] These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [9]  They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.

Matthew 15:8-9 NIV

Our thoughts are more of a reflection of who we are than our words, because our words people can hear and judge, so we will filter. Our thoughts, however, aren’t as filtered because we know no one else hears them, but us. But this is a false feeling of security because even though no one else can hear our thoughts, our soul and our spirit hear our thoughts. And those words directly impact them for either good or evil. For either building up or destruction. So, we must take Paul’s words to heart and put them into action because

[37] … in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Romans 8:37 NIV

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Control The Inner Words.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Let God Live

20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20NIV

Lately, I’ve been trying a new approach at life. I’ve been letting go of me, and welcoming in more of God. In other words, I’ve been putting up more of a fight to allow Christ to live through me, instead of allowing my flesh, feelings, emotions, etc. to dictate my life. Now, this is much easier said than done, but it has been working significantly in my life.

When things would become difficult and overwhelming the screams of “give up” “you can’t do it” “you’ll never succeed” used to blare so loud I could only panic and give up. Or when I was hurt shouts of “you’re never good enough” “no one cares about you” “you’ll never be enough” “no one really loves you” would get so loud depression would begin to sink in. Now, I simply pause.

I take a moment no matter where I’m at. No matter what I’m doing and I just pause. In that pause, I refuse to listen to any voice, and I just pray. I lift up that exact situation and my exact feelings to God and pray for peace. Throughout my day, I sing worship songs to keep me in a state of worship. When I feel anger or resentment begin to try to grab a hold of me I pause, breathe, and remind myself that this life isn’t mine. I was bought by a price. It’s no longer I who live, but Christ who lives through me. Therefore, if I have been wronged, Christ will defend me. Christ will vindicate me. My role is to simply forgive and keep going.

This hasn’t been an easy journey to get to a place where I feel genuine joy, even in stressful and overwhelming situations, but it has been a journey that is worth it. Each day, I wake up laying my whole life in the hands of God. I lift up things I’m stressed about before Him, and I leave it there at His feet. When it wants to try to stress me out because it hasn’t happened yet, I tell myself, no, God hasn’t failed me yet, so He won’t fail me now. And I keep moving. Every night, I thank Him for His mercies and His grace. I thank Him for all that He has done for me. Then I lay each and everything weighing me down, and I lay it at His feet. And then I just allow His love and His peace to consume me as I drift off into sleep.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Let God Live.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Forgive A Pawn

11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. 13 For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. ~ Ephesians 6:11-13CSB

I heard someone say that we can’t live our lives being right because the more right you are, the more miserable you’ll be. Now, on its own out of context, that sounds crazy, but once in context, it’s quite profound. See, he explained that when we focus on the physical person hurting us and causing us pain, we begin to blame that person and bitterness, anger, resentment build up inside of us, Now, not only are we carrying the heavy load of pain, now we’re also carrying around the chains of anger, resentment, rejection, bitterness, etc. All of these things weigh us down and cause us more pain as well as cause us to the cause of someone else’s pain. This can cause a domino effect, which often leads to generational curses. So, what can we do?

This wise man said we had to look past the physical person causing us pain, and see the spiritual being behind it, Satan. Yes, you’re right in saying this person has done this to me and that to me, They’ve treated me like this and treated me like that. Yes, you’re right, but the more right you are the more hold them to that debt) the more pain you’ll feel inside, So, the more right you are, the more miserable you’ll be, So, what do we do?

We look past the physical and into the spiritual. When we do that, we’ll realize something, each and every human soul on this earth is a pawn for one of two kingdoms: Jesus’ kingdom or Satan’s kingdom, Each move we make is influenced by one of the other, If we were to look beyond the physical and into the spiritual, we would see the person causing us the pain is being influenced and ultimately moved by Satan. When we truly understand, believe, and accept this truth, we will be able to forgive the person who has wronged us. This will allow us to heal, take off our heavy oppressive chains, and find peace as we dwell in love.

Dear LORD, You see the hurt in my soul and oppression that keeps me enchained in the past. Please, LORD, open my eyes that I might see and my mind that I might understand the true being behind my pain isn’t the physical person who has hurt me, but Satan, who came down in great wrath and now prowls seeking some to devour. Please heal my heart as I forgive the person who has been used by Satan. Please be with me always guiding my every move so I won’t be devoured by the enemy. In Jesus’ name,
I pray, amen.

Please repeat this declaration after prayer:

I forgive you [insert name here] for [insert wrong doing here]. I release you from this debt and choose to cancel it just as Christ canceled mine. I forgive you. I know and understand you are being used by the enemy, but I no longer will be. I forgive you.

Now this won’t be the last time you battle thoughts about this. The enemy will try to attack your mind with these thoughts until you have fully forgiven the person who has wronged you and completely let go of the hurt.

So, every time Satan tries to remind you of the wrong doing, stop the thought immediately and remind yourself who the true enemy is behind it all, forgiveness and peace may not come overnight, but they will come to those who are faithful.

Peace. Love. Go forth and Forgive A Pawn.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

An Anxious Struggle

7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. ~ 1 Peter 5:7NIV

Anxiety caused by overwhelming thoughts or feelings is a weird kind of fear. Let’s break it down. In my case, I’ve been getting a paralyzing anxiety from overwhelming tasks that feel impossible to tackle. My heart begins to aggressively beat out of my chest; it feels like I can’t move. Then, the stress begins to cause my body to feel like it’s shutting down, leaving me with no other option but to pause and take a nap, hoping my body will relax a bit. This kind of stress, anxiety, and overwhelming feeling isn’t in God’s plan for my life. So where does it come from?

I’m sure there are deep-rooted issues that I need to work on that are the main source, but let’s look at what I know now. I’m a perfectionist. I want everything done the right way, done at the right time, and the way I expect it to be. Sometimes, my expectations for myself aren’t achievable, and this causes me great stress and anxiety. Sometimes, what I need to get done is so many daunting tasks that I feel stressed, overwhelmed, and paralyzed, unable to even attempt the task.

I suppose at the end of the day, my standard for myself is to be a perfectionist, but because I’m not a perfect person, I fall short every day. Because I fall short every day, this then adds to my stress by planting a seed in my subconscious that I’m not good enough. This then causes me to panic and stress. At least, this is seemingly one issue in the puzzle.

I know this is an issue because every time a mistake, problem, or issue is brought up about me, it causes me great stress, anxiety, and overwhelmness, and then, after a little while of these feelings, depression begins to sink in. It’s this continuous cycle that I’ve been stuck in for years. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’ve been chipping away at it, but until I can truly figure out the source of the issue, I’ll only be able to chop down the tree every time it shoots up.

While we don’t all struggle with anxiety and depression, we all struggle with something that pulls us back continuously. Something that we constantly have to battle and fight to overcome so that we can be free from it. This was never the plan, but it is the reality. So, what can we do? We bring it to God. We chip away at it until we get to the root of the issue.

Dear LORD, search me. Show me the source of my struggle. Show me the source of what is holding me back. Then please, LORD, show me how to uproot that source of my struggle and help me to remove it from my life forever so that nothing can keep me from the life You’ve planned for me. Please wrap me in Your love. Please fill me with Your peace. Please help me to overcome through You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

Live For Today And Look For Eternity

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. ~ 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

When you lose people you love, the holidays become bittersweet. It’s almost as if you can’t wait to enjoy the holidays, but as you do, you just want it to end. Almost like it’s too painful or wrong to enjoy the holidays without them. All of those emotions and feelings you’ve been bottling up all year long seem to come crashing down during the holidays, and it’s easy to feel crushed underneath it all. But even in a dark place, there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel.

I’ve noticed a trend in movies and TV shows that when someone dies, those mourning that person will end their conversation with them with, “wherever you are.” What could be a sadder statement? I miss my loved ones dearly. It’s been almost a decade, and there are still those moments when, just for a second, I go to pick up my phone to call them and tell them what just happened, and then it hits me, they’re no longer there.

A lot of pain fills our hearts in the holiday season, but one thing that we have as an ease of the heart is this: we don’t mourn like those without hope because we know that this time without them is just a short time compared to the eternity we will share with them one day. It can be difficult sometimes, but when we focus on today and look to eternity instead of focusing on the past and what could be, we’ll be able to cherish every moment we have with the loved ones we still have with us.

Dear LORD, please ease the pain in the hearts of all who are mourning the loss of loved ones. We know that grief and pain only last for the night, for Your joy comes in the morning. LORD, please let Your sun rise in each and every heart and let Your peace and love surround them always. Please teach each of us to focus on today and to live for the hope of eternity. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

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.

Like and Share This:
Posted on

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.

Like and Share This:
Proudly powered by WordPress