Archive for the ‘Battle of the Mind’ Category

Distractions from the Word of God The Love of Money is the Route of all evil.

Posted: August 31, 2020 in atonement, Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, distractions, enticement, Money, Money Issue, Motivated, Uncategorized
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Distractions from the Word of God
The Love of Money is the Route of all evil.

When we have or get a lot of money, we think we do not need God or not has hungry for Him any longer and we tend to forget God. Nor is our hunger and thirst for his word is as important anymore. Be careful not to drift away. Satan will give unbelievers money to keep them right where they are at. He knows exactly how to keep people away from following Jesus, and money is a big distraction. If He cannot get you with addiction to Alcohol and drugs, money is the next best distraction to keep you from God. Riches lead to self-confidence and security, which cause a man to forget the LORD.
When the Lottery or Mega Million is ridiculously high, people run to those stores, some do not even have much money, but they will put this last on a chance in the Millions they are trying to win. Some people are so eager for money, that they broken off from following the Lord, and have turn to sinful acts to get rich. For believers, I am asking where is your trust? For the Bible says, For the LOVE of money is the root of all evil. We need to be content in all situations. Sometimes it might be God, who knows your heart, and knows that if you ran into a lot of money, that will be the end of you.

People get into their heads that Rich people should have no problem getting into heaven, they show up to Church with their fine clothes and fancy cars. Some look at them as if they were really blessed by God, so know doubt they are going straight into Heaven. Remember, they can only enter Heaven if God lets them in, not their wealth. There is not going to be an offering plate at the Gates of Heaven. God already gave the offering for that one.
Faith in Christ, not in self or riches, is what counts. On what are you counting for salvation?

Matthew 19:23
Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you; it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

1 Timothy 6:10
For the LOVE of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pieced themselves with many griefs.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the LOVE of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you,

Proverbs 30:07-09 “Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
Having too much money can be dangerous, but so can having to little. Being poor can, in fact, be hazardous to spiritual as well as physical health. On the other hand, being rich is not the answer. Both rich and poor people can be preoccupied with money. As Jesus pointed out, rich people have trouble getting into God’s Kingdom.

Proverbs 17:16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it.

We see here a person who is trying to buy himself an education. This is really a good example of our society today. Many people cost their parents an awful lot of money trying to get them a degree from college.

These same people will not put out any effort to learn and have no business going to college. It is a waste of time and money because they have no desire to learn, only to get the degree. Even wealth cannot buy wisdom for those who do not love it.
Luke 12:15-21
Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” 16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ‘ 20 “But God said to him,

‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Jesus says that in his kingdom the good life has nothing to do with being wealthy, so we should be on guard against every kind of greed (the desire for what we do not have). Society usually says the exact opposite. Advertisers spend millions of dollars to entice us to think that if we buy more and more of their products, we will be happier, more fulfilled, or more comfortable.

How do you respond to the constant pressure to have more? Learn to tune out the constant enticement to have more and concentrate instead on the only way to lasting satisfaction discovering great abundance in a relationship with God, who supplies blessings and fulfillment beyond our wildest expectations.

The rich man in Jesus’ story died before he could enjoy what was stored in his big barns. Planning for retirement—preparing for life before death—is wise but neglecting life after death is disastrous. If you accumulate wealth only to enrich yourself, with no concern for helping others, you will enter eternity empty-handed.

Bible Study by
Rob Henry

My Gratitude Determines My Altitude

Posted: August 19, 2020 in atonement, Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Bible Study, Eli, Uncategorized
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Rob Henry Notes on the Sermon Sunday. My notes do not do this message any justice. This is just a slice of the message that was dropped Sunday.

My Gratitude Determines My Altitude
Worship Life Center Church
Pastor Stanley Jay

You got to have an Attitude of Gratitude. If you are asking God for a breakthrough, you got to start thanking Him before the breakthrough. You must have an Attitude of Gratitude. There is no middle ground, either you are going to be hateful or Grateful. Gratitude moves the hand of God. Gratitude determines how high you go. Most of us do not mind doing for folks that appreciate us. But their others that you will not give the time of day for their ungratefulness. Sometime Gods form of elevation do not look like what we imagine. Gods answers at times does not look like our request, but we need to have faith that what God gave us is what we need. When we are not grateful, we open ourselves up to a demonic form of attitude and influence. Once you start to complain, the devil releases the demonic forces, and everything look at becomes a complaint. Busted and Disgusted. Gratitude will keep you elevating. An Attitude of Gratitude will transform your mind.

Ephesians 5:20 Always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father.

When it does not look right, we still must give thanks. Stop trying to make it happen and use the word of God to make it happen.

Four levels of living.
1. The lowest level: Folks constantly complain. Never Grateful, always finding wrong in everything.
Never giving thanks for nothing:
2. Do not do much complaining: Just do not give thanks. Take everything for granted.
3. The people who only thank God for the obvious blessing: They thank Him for things everyone can see. Not worry about giving God the glory, they are worried about being seen. They thank God only when things are going good.
4. Highest Level: Giving God thanks all the time: No matter what is going on they thank Him anyway. In all situations they give him the glory and thank Him. We understand that things could have been worse.

Biblical Principles that will keep you on the highest level of living

1. Know that your Gratitude is Biblical and its Proper. Everything good comes from God.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

2. Gratitude must be perpetual: It means never ending. If it were not for God on your side, it could have been worst. He blesses you daily, so we need to thank Him daily. He blesses us already before we even get up in the morning to face any situation. Psalm 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

3. Attitude of pervasiveness: Influence of a positive effect that spreads widely over a group of people. You got to have Gratitude so your positive influence will spread throughout the group. Gratitude is contagious.

Gratitude for all things good and bad. Everything works together for the good for those that love the Lord. Thanking God according to your faith and not your feelings.

Luke 17:11-19 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; 13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. 15 Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, 16 and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine-where are they? 18 Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”

When you give God all the glory with an attitude of gratitude, that will determine your Altitude.

 

Treading Water

Posted: January 13, 2019 in Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, Bible, Book of Matthew, Personal Growth, Uncategorized
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2019, Time to Stop Treading and Flapping in the water waves of difficult circumstances.
I know we all know the story of Jesus walking on the water and telling Peter to come out the boat and join him, but let’s look at it again.
Matthew 14:22-33 22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
29“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?”
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Peter ask Jesus to tell him to come to him as he wants all of us to come to Him. Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, but when he took his eyes off of Him and focused on the waves around him, he started to sink. As soon as he started to sink, he cried out, Lord save me, and Jesus Hand was right there. Now remember, when Jesus pulled him out of the water, He said “You of little faith”. Now remember, what I said in a Facebook post. If Jesus told Peter he had little faith, but with that little faith allowed him to walk on water, why are some of us still treading and flapping in the water?

I had to tread water for a certain period of time when I took the Swim Test in the Army. Some of you can relate. I was sweating in the pool, and when I got tired, I sank to get some rest and came back up and start treading and flapping in the water again. How long have some of us been flapping and treading water with the waves of difficult circumstances around us without looking to Jesus for help. Take the little faith, big faith or whatever level of faith you have and keep that focus on the Power of Jesus rather than on our own inadequacies. Stop using that flimsy excuse, “I need to have more faith”. Sometimes I hear Christians tell other, that you need more faith.

As soon as the storms of life take our focus on the Lord, cry out to Him like Peter. JESUS SAVE ME! And his hand will be right there for you. The only thing we need to do is take his hand. Do we doubt, yes, does our faith falter, yes and your lying if you say it don’t.

Lets Bring Home: Although we start out with good intentions, sometimes our faith falters. This doesn’t necessarily mean we have failed. When Peter’s faith faltered, he reached out to Christ, the only one who could help. He was afraid, but he still looked to Christ. When you are apprehensive about the troubles around you and doubt Christ’s presence or ability to help, remember that he is always with you and is the only one who can really help, so take the hand of God like Peter did and don’t try to work it out on your own. STOP TREADING AND FLAPPING IN THE WATER AND TAKE THE HAND OF GOD WHO IS THERE TO SAVE YOU.

Dodging The Ambushes of the devil

Posted: January 13, 2019 in Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, Uncategorized
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Ambush – A surprise attack (Element of Surprise) by people lying in wait in a concealed position
The one-person lying-in wait in a concealed position is the devil.

Not being prepared for an Ambush can knock you off the path of righteousness and godliness

Ambushes have always been one of the most effective tactics of war. When I was in the Army and some of you can related to this. “The best way to survive an ambush is not to encounter them.” Your Patrol movement must not be at a constant speed and direction, the patrol should vary these, with occasional stops to observe both the route ahead, and changes behind. Units should move in such a way that they are close enough together for mutual support, but far enough apart so that one burst of automatic fire wouldn’t take out the entire unit. When on foot, if possible, the patrol should move in such a way as to maximize their firepower. We were trained to move in a wedge formation not allowing ourselves to be skylined. While on foot, we always had a point man way ahead of the main body, and, if possible, a rearguard as well. The whole point of this instruction was for the soldier to expect the unexpected.

There are two kinds of ambushes: Near and Far.
• Near ambushes happen right in front of us and causes us at that moment to act out of the will of God.
• Far ambushes hit us in areas that sneak into our lives and comes from a distance like drug addiction and alcoholism. These Far Ambushes can ruin marriages, break relationships with friends and family, and anything else that you can think of.

Our battle is similar, but with spiritual forces of evil. First thing to remember is
the Lord is the Supreme Commander of the hosts of heaven who has at his disposal all of the “firepower” of the universe.

During the course of the day we come across a lot of situations that triggers a negative emotional response and sometime starts to take us down the wrong route. It could be bad customer service, someone cutting you off on the road or anything that brings you out of your normal state of mind. That negative response can be giving someone the finger, having wondering eyes with lustful thinking, cussing someone out, displaying a total lack of patience, raising your voice at someone due to poor customer service or anything else you experience during this time. These are all near ambushes that catches us off guard. Far ambushes come from a distance and sneak their way into our lives and eventually destroys.

These are all Ambushes to bring you out of your peaceful state of mind and get you to go down the wrong path. Our bodies go through all kinds of things when we get upset about something. Our blood pressure goes up, we start looking for things to calm us down, and some people even had Strokes and heart attacks, these are ambushes of the enemy to get to act out of the will out God.

Let’s say you know about all the Ambushes for the day. You already knew that guy was going to cut you off, you already knew your spouse was going to get on your nerves (LOL but true), you knew about the bad customer service you were going to receive, and you just knew about all the other ambushes that were planned for that day. When all these things happen, you don’t get upset because you already knew they were going to happen.

Of course, knowing things like this ahead of time is not possible, but we still can prepare for these ambushes of life.

How? Follow the instructions below. God even provides Spiritual Equipment to fight, and its more than a bullet proof and a M-16.

Ephesians 6-10-18
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Step up and received your Standard Issue equipment in which we must become experts in the use of.

13 Therefore put on you’re the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.
15 And with your feet fitted with the readiness hat comes from the gospel of peace
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

After receiving the Equipment and Instructions we must:
1. Realize that God is the Supreme Commander and has given the Son all the Firepower that is needed.
2. Remember we spoke about the Point Man who is way out there ahead of the Patrol. So first we need to make Jesus our Point Man who is already schooled in the tactics of the enemy. With Jesus leading, you will not get lost or misoriented.
3. Stay on Guard. The devil does not fight fair and most of the time does not tell us when he is going to attack. He lies in wait looking for an opportunity to catch us off guard and unprepared.
4. Not deliberately enter into areas that will open yourself up to a surprise attack. For example. You go out the house down The Path called Negative Attitude or the Path of Angryness about something. The devil will take that and try to escalate into more.
5. Align ourselves with fellow soldiers of Christ for mutual support and pray for one another as instructed by God.
6. Practice self-control and we must stay alert to every movement on the battle field to avoid the Ambush. Surprise is the enemy’s favorite tactic.
7. Pray for wisdom and insight to anticipate and avoid the ambushes that lie ahead. Then when it comes, you can say, already prepared for that.

The best way to survive an ambush is not to encounter them. We must take occasional stops to observe our behavior and remember to walk in the Spirit and not Flesh. Taking and following orders from the Point Man Jesus Christ who is a true veteran of war and peace who has never been defeated. We are called to do battle. We know what to do. And when we are surrounded, we need to get on that wireless walkie talkie and call for help so God can dispatch more reinforcements.

“Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me Ps 50:15

When you are home, get instructions from your Point Man who is Jesus before starting the day, He will be prepared for the Ambushes for the day that lie ahead.
References:
The Bible
Light Infantry Handbook
Ranger Handbook
Wisdom from God

Spiritual Training 21 October 2014

Posted: October 20, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, better than life, Bible Study, Daily Motivation, Inspiration, Special gifts, Spiritual Gifts, Spiritual Training
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Under Gods Command

1 Corinthians 12:7-11 7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

All Christians have faith. Some, however, have the spiritual gift of faith, which is an unusual measure of trust in the Holy Spirit’s power.

“Prophecy” does not just refer to predicting the future; it can also mean giving a message received from God to the community of believers: “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort” (14:3). The prophet Joel had written the words of the Lord, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Joel 2:28). As with the gift of faith, the ability to share one’s faith with power is available to everyone (see 14:1–5), but to some the Spirit gives a special measure of this gift. Paul wrote in Romans, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith” (Romans 12:6). Some have interpreted “prophecy” to be fulfilled in various sermons throughout church history. Others, however, say that prophecy is not a sermon, but a spontaneous, Spirit-inspired message that is orally delivered in the congregation for the edification and encouragement of the body of Christ.

Opinions differ over exactly what Paul meant by “tongues.” Some believe that this refers to speaking in earthly languages that a person did not say that this refers to an “ecstatic” language, a “heavenly” language. Most likely the second view is correct. Probably the only time that the word “tongues” refers to other earthly languages is when describing Pentecost. The rest of the time in the New Testament, the word refers to ecstatic languages unknown to anyone—languages of angels (13:1). Speaking in tongues is a legitimate gift of the Spirit. The exercise of the gift demands some guidelines (as noted in chapter 14) so that the purpose of the gift—to help the body of Christ—is not lost. Those who speak in tongues should follow the guidelines; those who do not speak in tongues ought not seek the gift as a sign of salvation or of special closeness with God, for it is neither. It is a gift of God, given only to whomever God chooses. If a person has not experienced the gift of tongues, he or she ought not seek it but seek what gifts God has given. For more, see the notes in chapter 14.

Lets Bring it Home: No matter what gift(s) a person has, all spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit decides which gifts each believer should have. We are responsible to use and sharpen our gifts, but we can take no credit for what God has freely given us. Note that discussions about spiritual gifts usually create difficulties when two central points are overlooked: (1) Properly used, spiritual gifts are not self-serving but serve the whole body of Christ (12:7); (2) each gift becomes practically useless when used without love (chapter 13). As you seek to identify and utilize the gifts God has given you, make loving God and loving fellow Christians your highest motives.

Proverbs 21:18 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: October 20, 2014 in After you get saved., Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, better than life, Bible Study, Encourgement, evil men, Faith, Fear, Fear of rejection, fools, Happiness, Healing, Human Suffering, Inspiration, Justice, Security, and Happiness, Lord fighting for you, Proverbs 21, Sudden disaster, Suffering, trust in the Lord with all your heart, winning
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 21:18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous, and the unfaithful for the upright.

The God of heaven loves the righteous, and He gladly sacrifices the wicked for them. The ransom price to purchase and bless the righteous is the lives of wicked transgressors. He will save the righteous by sacrificing their wicked enemies, and He will return their wicked designs against the righteous upon their own heads. Consider Psalm 7:10-17!

Are you envious at the prosperity of the wicked? Are you troubled by their hatred for the righteous? Are you afraid of their proud waves? They shall foam out their shame in everlasting darkness! But before they get to that dark place, they shall be sold to trouble. There is a righteous God, and He makes differences in how He treats men (Ps 58:10-11 The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked. Then men will say, “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.”)

The best example to illustrate this lesson is the ransom of Egypt for Israel. The LORD loved His people Israel, and He heard their cry by reason of the hard bondage the Egyptians put upon them (Ex 1:13-14; 2:23-25). He had respect for them, but He did not have respect for Egypt. They were about to become the ransom for His righteous nation.

He sent ten plagues and horribly destroyed them before drowning Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea. Pharaoh’s counselors admitted the plagues had destroyed the nation (Ex 10:7). With the firstborn dead in every home, the Egyptians begged for Israel to leave, so Israel “borrowed” the wealth of the whole nation to never return it. And the Lord joyfully directed Israel to spoil the Egyptians this way (Ex 12:35-36). Give God the glory!

The LORD declares of this transaction, “For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life” (Isaiah 43:3-4). This is the lesson.

God directed Joshua to stone Achan and his family to save Israel (Josh 7:1-26). Saul’s seven sons were hanged to ransom Israel from a famine from the LORD (II Sam 21:1-14). And Haman and his ten sons were hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai and the Jews (Esther 7:10). There is a God that treats men differently (Ps 58:10-11).

Consider the words in another proverb, “The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead” (Pr 11:8). The Lord will pluck the righteous out of trouble and put the wicked in his place! The Lord will punish the wicked instead of the righteous.

God used Assyria as his tool to chasten Israel; then He turned and crushed Assyria for their actions and attitude (Is 10:5-19). And He did the same to Babylon, whom He used to punish Israel and other nations for seventy years before punishing them (Jer 25:8-14).

The servant that did not earn a return on his single talent was punished severely, and his talent was taken and given to the man with ten. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer; yes, the poor are sacrificed for the rich in this spiritual parable (Matt 25:14-30).

Dear reader, if you fear the Lord and seek to live righteously, the Lord loves you and will gladly sacrifice the wicked for you. There is no need to fear them at all. The Lord is in His holy temple, and He will never let the wicked have their way with you. Your lesson in this proverb is the glorious providence of Almighty God in disposing of events in this life for the benefit of His people. He will sacrifice others for the benefit of His children.

The day is coming when Christians will judge the world and angels (I Cor 6:2-3). The devils and sinners have persecuted them for thousands of years, but the day of vengeance is coming, when the martyrs under the altar of God shall have their great desire fulfilled (Rev 6:9-11). Both wicked men and angels shall be sacrificed in place of His children.

Let this lesson drive away any fear or intimidation of the wicked, and let it replace that fear with a humble desire to be the honourable and beloved people of the most High. For “no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper” (Is 54:11-17). And “he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye” (Zech 2:8-9). Thank you, Lord, for defending and saving the upright in heart. Consider Psalm 7:10-17 again. Glory!

Spiritual Training 14 August 2014

Posted: August 14, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, After you get saved., Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, clean break, distractions, Encourgement, Faith, Fear of rejection, Fellowship, fools, laziness, Personal Growth, Sex
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Under Gods Command

1 Corinthians 9:24-25 (24) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. (25) Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

 Whatever happened to self-discipline? Many books and speakers guide wandering souls to self-fulfillment, self-satisfaction, and self-awareness. Not many tackle self-discipline. Self-discipline requires an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on the latter. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside you screams yes. For example, when you have self-discipline, you can

(1) say no to friends or situations that will lead you away from Christ

(2) say no to casual sex, saving intimacy for marriage, and

(3) say no to laziness in favor of “can do” and “will do.”

 Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally, and channeling natural appetites toward God’s purposes.

Lets Bring it Home: Where are your weak points? Pray with a friend for God’s help to redirect weakness into strength.

Proverbs 14:15 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: August 14, 2014 in 1 Corinthians, Battle Focus, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, distractions, Encourgement, Faith, Inspiration, laziness, Money, Money Issue, Motivated, Proverbs 14
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 14:15 A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his ways.

Skepticism is a virtue. Caution is a sign of nobility. Demanding proof is wisdom. Only the foolish and stupid believe all they hear or read. A wise and successful man will examine things carefully, before he makes his decision. He understands the risks and rewards before he chooses a course of action. He does nothing by chance or mere hope.

The proverb is for safety and success. It is one of the best. Memorize it. It will save you often (Pr 22:3). You live in bad times. Men trust sound bites instead of sound reasoning. The information explosion bombards you with new data every day. Telemarketers, mail order catalogs, advertisements, infomercials, pop-up ads, and the Internet throw opinions, suggestions, and products at you. God inspired Solomon to save you by this pithy saying.

The simple are gullible. They are not bright. They do not have conviction or ability to question and criticize new information. If it sounds good, and something they want to be true, they believe it. If others are enthusiastic about it, they get excited. If it is in print, they believe it true. If a perceived authority says it, they trust it completely, even without evidence. If strangers say it worked for them, that is good enough evidence to buy it.

The prudent are wise. They have discretion. They are not gullible. They are skeptical of anything sounding too good, too easy, too neat. Too good to be true is their motto. They are not impressed by things in print, words by authority, or testimonials from strangers. They want evidence, and it must be valid. If the simple are excited, they conclude it must be wrong. The majority opinion, in this ignorant and perverse society, scares them away.

Learn to reject anything without proof, and learn the rudiments of evaluating proof. A testimonial is not proof of anything; a drawing of the evolution of the horse is fantasy. The public education system neglects logic and rhetoric: they want you gullible to trust their authorities, which are educators, the media, and entertainers. None of whom, in this Bible-rejecting day, have a clue about truth and error. See the comments on Pr 13:16.

Men are vulnerable to fraud in different areas. The old crave a cure for aging and disease, so they buy magazines filled with health speculations, fraudulent advertising, and testimonials of miracles. Young men want to look like Hercules, so they ingest gargantuan amounts of the latest weight-gain powder from the same store that granny visited! Of course, in twenty years they will try a new powder to take that weight off!

Some men fall for financial fraud, because they want to make millions, easily! Others obsess about conspiracies and avoid the electronic cashier at the grocery store, for fear of receiving the mark of the beast! Safety freaks stop flying, because their flight, out of 100,000 each day, might have a passenger with a shoe bomb! And doting mothers play subliminal ocean sounds to their sleeping children to help them learn to swim!

Many hold evolution to be science, though it violates key parts of the scientific method. Many buy lottery tickets thinking they have a chance because they saw a winner on television. Many worship Joel Osteen for his constant repetition they all can be grinning millionaires like him. Many cremate dead relatives because the funeral home said it is better than burial. Many are vegetarians because an emaciated guru said it leads to god.

How could the Tulip mania of Holland occur in 1637? Or the dot.com bubble of 1997-2000? How did America turn its opinion of sodomy upside down in one generation? Why blame banks for the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2009, when they loaned the money? How could anyone buy a ticket for the Heaven Is for Real movie? How can network marketing still exist when 98% lose money buying overpriced stuff for the 2%?

Many Christians practice infant baptism, though not even hinted at in the Bible. Charismatics in many places claim to be apostles, though Paul was the last one. Seventh-Day Adventists’ claim to fame is their false prophecy of the Lord’s coming in 1844, yet they have millions of followers still. Catholics at Mass eat a wafer they claim is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ without any Bible or scientific evidence at all.

Parent, teach your children to be skeptics. It can be enjoyable. Show them the false advertisement you get about the free family cruise to Tahiti. Show them the fine print requiring you to get to Mexico City for departure and the contract to rent expensive condos on four continents over the next four years. Teach them to look for the fine print, and teach them to look around in a full circle, which is circumspection (Eph 5:15).

Teach your children one of life’s greatest lessons – there is no free lunch. Teach them another – no stranger loves them. The salesman and infomercial have one goal, to take their money from their pockets for themselves. Teach them the Bible is the only book to believe absolutely. Teach them that God is the only Being they can totally trust. Remind them that only God and the godly are truly looking out for them and their future success.

Watch the Evening News together, and point out the blather of the anchor, no matter who it is. Watch a Benny Hinn crusade. Tell them he has never healed anyone and screens every sick person several times before they ever reach the platform. Read The Emperor’s New Clothes to them, and explain how often they will need to say, “But the emperor doesn’t have any clothes on!” in this twisted world of peer-pressured perversity.

You live in the perilous times of the last days (II Tim 3:1). Information is the rage. Schools and degrees, books and other media, multiply ridiculously. Men are gorged on information, but there is no truth! Paul warned, “Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (II Tim 3:7). And it will not get better, for he said, “Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Tim 3:13).

Husband, protect your wife. Satan stole Eve’s mind in about ten seconds in Eden, and Paul warned religious creeps would seek to capture silly – weak and vulnerable – women (II Tim 3:6). Protect your weaker vessel (I Cor 14:34-35; I Pet 3:7). What is the cure? Confidence and knowledge in the Bible and a pastor that will preach mainly to you and provide encouragement and doctrine to lead your family (Ps 119:128; II Tim 3:14 – 4:4)!

Here is valuable wisdom. In life, there is truth and error. A wise man will prove all things, reject the error, and tightly hold the truth. Paul taught this rule when he wrote, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (I Thess 5:21). The Bereans were noble for searching the Scriptures to prove even Paul (Acts 17:11). They were not simple. They did not believe impulsively; they proved him out. Believe not every spirit (I John 4:1-6)!

God is absolute truth, and His word is absolute truth (Deut 32:4; John 17:17). Satan is a liar and the father of lies; he has no truth in him (John 8:44). And all men follow one or the other. There is no neutral ground (Gal 1:8-9; Eph 2:1-3; I Tim 6:3-5). By your first birth, you love lies (John 8:45). But as the children of God, you can follow the truth, if you will prove it and pursue it (Jn 8:47; I Cor 2:15; Jude 1:3). Let God be true (Rom 3:4)!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). He is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11). You can trust Him completely, for your future today and for eternity. 

Proverbs 23:13-14 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: July 23, 2012 in Acceptance, Battle of the Mind, Bible Study, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 23, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 23:13,14 – Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.  Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death. 

The stern tone of discipline here is offset by the affection expressed in verse 15.  However, many parents are reluctant to discipline their children at all.  Some fear they will forfeit their relationship, that their children will resent them, or that they will stifle their children’s development.  But correction won’t kill children, and it may prevent them from foolish moves that will.

Proverbs 19:20 Wisdom for the Soul

Posted: July 19, 2012 in Acceptance, Battle of the Mind, Beliefs, better than life, Bible Study, Book of Matthew, business pratices, Encourgement, Inspiration, Personal Growth, Proverbs, Proverbs 20, Spiritual Training, trust in the Lord with all your heart, Uncategorized, Under Gods Command
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Under Gods Command

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. 

Are you wiser today than last year? Than ten years ago? These are important questions to answer. How wise will you be later in life? A godly person will greatly desire to grow in wisdom. And the way to increase wisdom is easy – you need to hear the counsel of wise people and accept their teaching. You need to appreciate and apply instruction from others.

Today is your opportunity to change your latter end. Will you be an older wise man or women, sought by family and others for wise advice? Or will you be an old fool, more a burden than a blessing? What you do today determines what you are tomorrow! You are not too young, and you are not too old. Consider your latter end, and receive instruction today!

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