Tag: Breaking Down Strongholds

⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6

We often take this verse as just what we need to do for our children, but this verse is for all of us. Why? Because how we spend our free time as young people or as young Christians in our faith will be how we spend our free time as grown-ups, never maturing into meat-eating Christians as the author of the book of Hebrews condemns.

We have to make sure that we are continuously putting our bodies into subjection. We can’t allow our flesh to dictate our lives because if we do, we miss all that the LORD has in store for us. These are the days of preparation. Today is the day of Salvation. What is done in the dark will be brought to light. What we do in our youth will be what we do as we age because the habits and strongholds become stronger and stronger.

LORD God, help us to break the strongholds of our past that have kept us enslaved to our flesh. That has stopped us from growing in our relationship with You. Soften our hearts that we may love You more than I love my own flesh. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.

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¹³As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. ¹⁴If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. ¹⁵Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. ~ 2 Thessalonians 3:13-15

Paul tells us to not grow weary of doing good multiple times. He not only tells us to do good, but he also tells us we need to help others remain in the love of Christ. Many of us take this as Paul telling us we need to correct others, which we need to, but Paul is also telling us we need to learn to take correction when we are in the wrong. We’re quick to correct others, but we don’t always accept correct from others. Why? Why don’t we like to take correction from others?

When we take offense from others correcting us, what does that mean for us? Are we filled with pride? Selfishness? Man-pleasing? If we are, what does that mean for us? None of those things get you closer to God. It doesn’t build up the Church. It doesn’t strengthen the spirit, so what does it do?

It brings division… and what does division bring…? well, Mark 3:25 says, “If a house is divided against itself, that house Cannot stand.” If the house cannot stand, then the house will fall; when that house falls, then we are without protection, without defense. As the Church, the body of Christ, we have to learn to give correction with love, but we also have to learn to take correction with love. Without correction, we can’t learn or grow. And if we stay where we are, never moving forward, we will become like stagnant water dirty and stink. We have to continuously grow so that we can grow closer to God. So that we can become more like Him.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Take Correction With Love.

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¹⁶ He said, “They have raised their fist against the Lord’s throne, so now the Lord will be at war with Amalek generation after generation.” ~ Exodus 17:16^NLT

We don’t always realize the decisions that we make not only affect the people around us but also our decisions affect the generations to come. Because David was a man after God’s own heart, his generations were blessed. Because Abraham was a man of faith, his generations were blessed. What we do today affects our children, even if we don’t have any yet.

Because of God’s relationship with David, God didn’t remove the throne from King Solomon. God remembers what we do and what we say. He remembers the relationship that we either tried to build with Him or the relationship that we threw away.

Even though God remembers the past, He also looks at our present. We don’t have to suffer in the chains that our ancestors formed for us; we can break those chains through Christ Jesus.

¹³ 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. ¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

Colossians 2:13-15

When we give our past to Jesus, He takes it from us. Why? Because He already paid our debt. He paid the debt of our ancestors. We don’t have to carry the past. We don’t have to carry the sins of our ancestors; we can start new. Let Jesus’ blood wash you clean.

Every action you make will affect the future. It will your future and the future of the ones you love and will one day love.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Protect The Generations To Come.

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“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” ~ Proverbs 15:1

Pride is a stronghold that can only be broken by humility. Humility can only come through the Holy Spirit, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Pride causes you to feel small, weak, stupid, taken advantage of, etc. But is all of that true? Pride causes unnecessary arguments and strife, which in turn causes stress. Stress can take years off of your life, for what reason? Feeling the need to defend yourself? What good is defending yourself if it makes you sick?

Pride isn’t a problem, just because Jesus wanted us to be weak. He knew the heavy burden that comes with pride. Turning the other cheek isn’t easy, but it will help you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Don’t allow pride to control your life. Take the first step towards a pride free life.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Turn The Other Cheek.

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“When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.” ~ 2 Chronicles 12:1

Throughout the Bible, it is evident that when people were weak and down-trodden, they called and depended upon God and obeyed His commands. But as soon as He blessed them with strength and prosperity for keeping His commands, they abandoned Him, His commands, and His people. That is just like us today; nothing has changed.

The sad part is, we know that our strength and prosperity come from Him, but we choose to abandon Him because, after a while, we somehow become delusional, thinking we, the man/woman, had accomplished all these things on our own. We become spiritually asleep.

We close our eyes to the things of the LORD and awaken our flesh and pride. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Our pride will lead us straight to destruction because it wasn’t us who got us all that we have. It wasn’t our strength. It wasn’t our wisdom; it was the blessings of God. And when we try to remove God from the equation and do it on our own, we destroy all that God built. Affecting those around us, those that work with/for us, our families. When the stronghold of pride takes over, there’s only one thing that can save you from destruction, submitting entirely to Jesus.

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“²⁶ If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” ~ James 1:26

Our tongues often can get us into much trouble. Whether it’s because of anger, sadness, hatred, hurt feelings, pride, our tongue can easily and quickly start a fire; all it takes is a few words. Why does what we say matter? Proverbs says, “life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Words matter.

The entire universe and everything in it were created with words. Next time you get angry and your tongue wants to cut loose, keep your mouth closed. Don’t speak until you’re calm because you can’t always take back your words.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Hold Your Tongue.

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“⁸ But if we have food and clothing, with these, we will be content. ⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” ~ 1 Timothy 6:8-10

One of the worst strongholds a person can have is the stronghold of greed. The love of money will destroy not only the person it is affecting but also those around them. Paul isn’t telling Timothy it’s bad to have money but to only strive for money. He’s saying even if we aren’t rich, but we’re going to sleep with full bellies and comfortable PJs, then we should be content. We don’t need more, but it’s okay to have more. Placing money on a high mantle will ruin friendships, relationships, marriages, even jobs. Because money easily becomes a god, replacing the one true God.

So, don’t feel bad if you have money, but don’t let it control you. If we allow God to use us and place Him above everything else, making Him our one and only God, He will bless us. He will bring us to the next level. He will take us out of poverty, but first, we must lay everything down and place Him above all.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Love Not Money.

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“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” ~ James 3:16

The driving factor for all quarreling, envy, and strife is the fact that we think more of ourselves than we ought. According to Paul, we should try to seek the good of others rather than always trying to be first (see 1 Cor 10:24). Think about what angers us when we get on the road. Someone cuts us off or hesitates a little too long at the light, and our anger flares. We get all bent out of shape because we had to wait a few extra seconds; if you notice, that doesn’t really set us back that far.

I remember several years ago, we had just moved to a new city, and I was still figuring out where everything was and how to get there. One morning I was taking my mother-in-law to the clinic for medical treatment – for a sickness to which she eventually succumbed to a few days later. We came to a light, and I was unsure where to go; because of unfamiliarity with the area, coupled with the fact that I was concerned for my mother-in-law, I hesitated a little too long.

A very impatient driver sat on their horn as they sped past. Needless to say, rushed, we took the wrong turn. I believe if the driver of the other car knew the circumstance, they would have acted differently. We should try to treat others with more respect than we think they deserve and stop all the unnecessary anger. Be willing to accept the wrong, even if it is not ours to bear (1 Cor 6:7). Then we will begin to light our dark corner of the world.

Heavenly Father, please help us to make a difference in our communities that are filled with so much hate and anger. Let us not be caught up in that spirit of anger but to operate in the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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God sent me ahead of you to establish you as a remnant within the land and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.  Therefore it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh, Lord of his entire household, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. “Return quickly to my father and say to him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: “God has made me Lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay. You can settle in the land of Goshen and be near me — you, your children, and grandchildren, your sheep, cattle, and all you have.

There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.”’ Look! Your eyes and my brother Benjamin’s eyes can see that it is I, Joseph, who am speaking to you. Tell my father about all my glory in Egypt and about all you have seen. And bring my father here quickly.” Then Joseph threw his arms around Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. Joseph kissed each of his brothers as he wept, and afterward his brothers talked with him. ~ Genesis 45:7-15 (HCSB)

Joseph did not hold his brothers’ sins against them because he understood his being sold into slavery was used by God to save his family. If it was us, would we still feel a grudge against them because we would hang onto the pain? Or would we see the Supernatural Hand of God at work? A lot of times, after something happens, that may cause us great pain, we learn that God used that specific incident to move us Supernaturally for the better, but yet, we still hold on to the pain. We blame them. We hate them.

But surprisingly, in this case, Joseph forgave, embraced, loved, and provided for the same brothers who had caused him such harm and pain. In our lives, the situation may have been used to shift the supernatural to bring us deliverance or to separate us from the same ones that caused us great offense. Even though the relationship is not meant to be restored, forgiveness is still required.

Always remember that if we don’t forgive, we won’t be forgiven. Be obedient to the sweet voice of the Holy Spirit as He shows you those people you need to forgive. Don’t let anything or anyone hold up your blessings or cause you not to walk right before God.

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“²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, ²² for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.” ~ Proverbs 25:21-22

Many times when we are wronged, we want to get even and show the person that wronged us the same harshness they showed us. But Scripture tells us to help them when they need help because it would be like heaping burning coals on their head. The best revenge you can get is to forgive and move forward.

Forgiveness is probably one of the hardest things for us to do as humans, but it is the best thing we can do. Forgiveness isn’t for the other person; it’s for you. It’s the only way you will be able to move forward. And once you forgive, you will be able to help them in their time of need, even if they didn’t help you in yours. In doing so, God will reward you and lift you higher than before.

Peace. Love. Go Forth and Heap Burning Coals.

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