May 29, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.” Proverbs 10:17.
Daily we live in a “who did what to whom” world. This type of thinking changes our own thoughts and we go through life looking to see “who did what to me”.
When a problem arises we throw out any notion that we may have a contribution to the problem in order to place blame on where we think it lies.
For Christians this is a constant battle. Many people will blame others and some will blame God. In turn, the person gets wrapped up in blame and forgets that a lesson is being taught that will prevent this type of problem in the future.
God is a self-responsibility God. He wants us all to see that we all have a contribution to a problem, no matter how much we like to convince ourselves that someone else is solely to blame. When we realize this we tend to turn and blame God instead of ourselves, and the problem escalates. We blame God normally because we feel as though we are being punished. He is all powerful and can stop anything, so why is this happening to us?
God controls the entire universe, and can see everything that is going on underneath it. He operates in a system of checks and balances that we do not seem to understand. However, looking at our society it is not hard to see that we desire what He does for the most part. We want consequences for child molesters, we want justice, and when needed we want mercy. God is the author of both justice and mercy, and He wants them too.
If we did not bear consequences for our actions then we would all run around looking out for ourselves with no mind to others. Things cannot run smoothly that way, and God knows that. He must be able to have “checks” on people’s behavior and choices.
With that in mind, take a look at what it means to sin. Why is it so horrible if we sin? Because God knows that consequences must follow, and the main consequence of our sin is that it gives the enemy a foothold. "In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27.
The second you sin, you allow the devil to view a weakness that he will use against you time and again. If you are the type to feel guilty about sinning and beat yourself up, then expect him to make you feel horrible for what you have done. If you are the type to worry about what you said to someone and allow anxiety to build, then he will try to make you worry. Those feelings are consequences of your sin because you gave the enemy a foothold.
Why blame God? Because He could stop the bad thoughts if He wanted to? That does not work. If He did that for everyone, life would be chaos and we all know that.
Your enemy seeks to punish you to cause you to blame God for your punishment. Meanwhile, God isn’t punishing anyone. He is sitting by you watching you struggle with your consequence and holding your hand saying, “See how this feels? Do not do this again.” Sounds like a parent and child relationship to me. “My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” Proverbs 3:11-12.
God is not punishing you; He is disciplining you because He loves you just as we discipline the children we love. The sooner you learn that lesson, examine your own contribution to the problem, come to Him and ask for help, the sooner the discipline will end. Meanwhile, we drag it out by not doing these things and instead we look for someone else to blame. Even the people who walk the straight line find it hard not to blame someone, somewhere. They walk such a tight rope and do everything right, so what contribution could they possibly have? Once I talked to a guy who was having horrible problems with a girlfriend who was cheating on him. He told me that it was all her fault and that he did nothing but sit home and wait for her. I told him that he had a contribution to the problem and he became more defensive. Then I asked him how many times he confronted her about cheating and then took her back in. He told me he had done it many times. I let him know he was enabling her behavior by not taking a stand. See? We all have a contribution.
When you sin do the consequences of the sin go away after the discipline is finished? Not always. When you chose to sin, you chose to disobey God, and that can have effects that last for a lifetime. Take a divorced couple with two children who both committed adultery and decided to divorce later. Will they bear the consequence of not being able to trust future husbands or wives because of their past? Possibly. And who will also share in the enemy’s desire to keep the consequences going? Unfortunately, the children.
Does that mean God is punishing the children for something they did not do? No. However, later if those children come to Him, He can show them not to commit such an act because they are aware of the pain it causes.
The good news is that God can strengthen us to handle the burden of bearing the consequence of our sin. But first we have to go to God to learn the lesson. All of us, everywhere. If we do not then the pain is all for nothing.
God never tempts us to do anything; He is not in the temptation business. We do it all on our own. “When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” James 1:13-18.
If we come to God during those temping times, He still rescues us. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13. Key point: you have to go to Him for help first.
Sometimes it takes us continually sinning and bearing consequences until the world strips us of everything in order to come to God. If you allow yourself to live in a way that requires that much be taken before you give in, then that is exactly what will happen. When you are that broken and weak, you are more likely to realize you cannot go forward on your own anymore and you will seek God. It is not until you are willing to stop taking the law into your own hands that you will realize that you cannot rely on yourself anymore. At that moment, you have one need and that is God. “Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:9.
Remember God is not punishing you, He is strengthening you. God is not tempting you, He is disciplining you. Strength and discipline make us better equipped and ready to face the future. “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:10-11. In our society, we only want to hire those with the proper training for the job. God wants us properly trained to handle life.
The main lesson? Go to Him with everything: past, present, and future. The sooner He is involved, the easier the course will be.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Decoding the Code...
May 28, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.
The desire to impress others is a scar that is deeply engrained in our culture. We worry constantly about what others think and what we look like and that leads us in one inevitable direction: we do what is popular.
In our society we thrive on television. I am not going to lie and say that I sit around with my kids all the time reading to them and that they do not watch television. They do watch television, but lately I have felt the need to make sure that what my children are watching is more uplifting than depressing. To illustrate this I could tell the story of the commercials showing previews of the new movie “Drag Me to Hell” that are being shown on children’s cartoon networks and scaring my six-year-old son to the point where he is staying up at night scared to death, but I won’t bother. For now, I will just say that he is reassured in our faith and feels fine.
Still somehow I cannot escape what all is being shown and what all people decide to flock to. I choose to watch what I consider educated channels only to find never ending specials called “The Da Vinci Code Decoded” or “Angels and Demons Decoded”. At first I avoided finding out what all the fuss was about, but quickly gave in order to understand all the hype.
I like to live in the “unseen” as I have had to learn to do. Nevertheless, the never ending barrage of information makes living in the “unseen” hard in our culture. So I watch trying to make sense of it only to arrive at the conclusion that you cannot make sense out of nonsense.
“The Da Vinci Code”, one of the bestselling books that people are grabbing like crazy off the shelves is just that: nonsense. As someone who has studied extensively how not to argue a point until there is evidence to back it up, I am completely confused as to why others allow their own arguments to come forward with little to absolutely no evidence to prove their truth. Put simply, why bother?
Unfortunately, my curiously was peaked and I decided to research the issue only to discover that the main sources of information to which the book relied on have claimed that they themselves are fiction and there is no evidence to support their conclusion. As an attorney, I can work all day long to sway a jury to believe in the DNA evidence supporting my side, but if they go home and find out the guy who discovered DNA was a nutcase who made it all up they will not buy my argument. Why build a house made of cards? Put your money where your mouth is.
People want to know so much. I prefer the logic that humans are humans and prone to mistake. I do not consider myself to be God and to understand everything about everything. I never will. That doesn’t stop the rush through our society of wanting to come up with some new bizarre theory. What is ironic though is the fact that those challenging the basic foundations of Christianity never bothered to learn the basic foundations before they looked to attack them. Always learn both sides to prepare for an argument, and a good rule of thumb is to start with your own. In other words, if you are a Christian do not read “The Da Vinci Code” before you bother to read the Bible.
When you read the Bible you become amazed at how much information is discussed. I can hardly think of a single subject that is not addressed. Still, there is an impression that God did not intend for us to know everything. Save some “Ah Ha” moments for when you meet Him one day. That does not in any way prove the false allegations in “The Da Vinci Code”, but it shows how some with jump through the hoops of what is not discussed in order to make themselves fabulously wealthy.
More ironic is the argument that “The Da Vinci Code” is contrary to Christian beliefs. Yes, the arguments the book presents are contrary to the belief system of Christians absolutely, but the books existence is hardly contrary to what Christians know to be true. If you need further explanation read the Bible. God has predicted books such as this and false premises that would attack Christianity for thousands of years. It is all in there, trust me. God knew what was coming and warned us accordingly. Moreover, He warned us not to pay attention and become swayed by it.
However, today we can look at television and see what people think is important. Clearly, few people, aside from the religious stations, are talking about what God predicted or wants. The focus is on what is popular. If the book is popular and wonderful to people, that is fine. I have read both the Bible and that book. As hard as it was to digest the idea of the book at all, and no I did not pay money for the book, I knew that what God warned us of was present in the writing, a false premise, and I prepared myself to debate the arguments it presents all day long.
History is fraught with atrocities committed in the name of religion and science. No one has to look further than the Salem Witch Trials or Hitler’s scientific experiments on Jewish people in concentration camps to figure that out.
Because of the horrible nature those atrocities pose, we align ourselves with the extreme. I refuse to. I do not want to be swayed by people; I want to be swayed by knowledge and research. Otherwise what will you do when a smooth talking serial killer like Ted Bundy manages to convince the jury that he did not kill your daughter even though the fingerprints say it was him?
People are constantly trying to add to what they consider the gaps of knowledge in the Bible. There are several problems with this. First, why are we concentrating on the gaps in the Bible and not the gaps in the books being written about the problems with the Bible? Second, unless your book tells me how you created the universe, how I should live, how I should handle problems, where to go when I need help, and what is to come, then I am not interested. At least God took the time to make sure we were told all of that. I can’t learn to live my life by a book written by a man about a supposed Holy bloodline that exists, sorry.
Put simply, it is hard enough to be me. I do not need to hear suspected theories or drama especially when I am aware that God told us thousands of years ago that many people would concentrate on matters such as these.
Why can’t people just watch soap operas anymore?
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.
The desire to impress others is a scar that is deeply engrained in our culture. We worry constantly about what others think and what we look like and that leads us in one inevitable direction: we do what is popular.
In our society we thrive on television. I am not going to lie and say that I sit around with my kids all the time reading to them and that they do not watch television. They do watch television, but lately I have felt the need to make sure that what my children are watching is more uplifting than depressing. To illustrate this I could tell the story of the commercials showing previews of the new movie “Drag Me to Hell” that are being shown on children’s cartoon networks and scaring my six-year-old son to the point where he is staying up at night scared to death, but I won’t bother. For now, I will just say that he is reassured in our faith and feels fine.
Still somehow I cannot escape what all is being shown and what all people decide to flock to. I choose to watch what I consider educated channels only to find never ending specials called “The Da Vinci Code Decoded” or “Angels and Demons Decoded”. At first I avoided finding out what all the fuss was about, but quickly gave in order to understand all the hype.
I like to live in the “unseen” as I have had to learn to do. Nevertheless, the never ending barrage of information makes living in the “unseen” hard in our culture. So I watch trying to make sense of it only to arrive at the conclusion that you cannot make sense out of nonsense.
“The Da Vinci Code”, one of the bestselling books that people are grabbing like crazy off the shelves is just that: nonsense. As someone who has studied extensively how not to argue a point until there is evidence to back it up, I am completely confused as to why others allow their own arguments to come forward with little to absolutely no evidence to prove their truth. Put simply, why bother?
Unfortunately, my curiously was peaked and I decided to research the issue only to discover that the main sources of information to which the book relied on have claimed that they themselves are fiction and there is no evidence to support their conclusion. As an attorney, I can work all day long to sway a jury to believe in the DNA evidence supporting my side, but if they go home and find out the guy who discovered DNA was a nutcase who made it all up they will not buy my argument. Why build a house made of cards? Put your money where your mouth is.
People want to know so much. I prefer the logic that humans are humans and prone to mistake. I do not consider myself to be God and to understand everything about everything. I never will. That doesn’t stop the rush through our society of wanting to come up with some new bizarre theory. What is ironic though is the fact that those challenging the basic foundations of Christianity never bothered to learn the basic foundations before they looked to attack them. Always learn both sides to prepare for an argument, and a good rule of thumb is to start with your own. In other words, if you are a Christian do not read “The Da Vinci Code” before you bother to read the Bible.
When you read the Bible you become amazed at how much information is discussed. I can hardly think of a single subject that is not addressed. Still, there is an impression that God did not intend for us to know everything. Save some “Ah Ha” moments for when you meet Him one day. That does not in any way prove the false allegations in “The Da Vinci Code”, but it shows how some with jump through the hoops of what is not discussed in order to make themselves fabulously wealthy.
More ironic is the argument that “The Da Vinci Code” is contrary to Christian beliefs. Yes, the arguments the book presents are contrary to the belief system of Christians absolutely, but the books existence is hardly contrary to what Christians know to be true. If you need further explanation read the Bible. God has predicted books such as this and false premises that would attack Christianity for thousands of years. It is all in there, trust me. God knew what was coming and warned us accordingly. Moreover, He warned us not to pay attention and become swayed by it.
However, today we can look at television and see what people think is important. Clearly, few people, aside from the religious stations, are talking about what God predicted or wants. The focus is on what is popular. If the book is popular and wonderful to people, that is fine. I have read both the Bible and that book. As hard as it was to digest the idea of the book at all, and no I did not pay money for the book, I knew that what God warned us of was present in the writing, a false premise, and I prepared myself to debate the arguments it presents all day long.
History is fraught with atrocities committed in the name of religion and science. No one has to look further than the Salem Witch Trials or Hitler’s scientific experiments on Jewish people in concentration camps to figure that out.
Because of the horrible nature those atrocities pose, we align ourselves with the extreme. I refuse to. I do not want to be swayed by people; I want to be swayed by knowledge and research. Otherwise what will you do when a smooth talking serial killer like Ted Bundy manages to convince the jury that he did not kill your daughter even though the fingerprints say it was him?
People are constantly trying to add to what they consider the gaps of knowledge in the Bible. There are several problems with this. First, why are we concentrating on the gaps in the Bible and not the gaps in the books being written about the problems with the Bible? Second, unless your book tells me how you created the universe, how I should live, how I should handle problems, where to go when I need help, and what is to come, then I am not interested. At least God took the time to make sure we were told all of that. I can’t learn to live my life by a book written by a man about a supposed Holy bloodline that exists, sorry.
Put simply, it is hard enough to be me. I do not need to hear suspected theories or drama especially when I am aware that God told us thousands of years ago that many people would concentrate on matters such as these.
Why can’t people just watch soap operas anymore?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
The Death Crawl...
May 27, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2.
If someone spends hours picking out a birthday present for you, and they believe they have picked the perfect gift, they have one expectation: use. They do not anticipate you leaving it in a box somewhere. And when you open it and see the instruction manual of how to put it together, they expect that you will complete the task and not give up on it. They paid the money, you put it together. How does that person feel when you tell yourself you cannot put it together because it is too hard and you throw it back in the box and shove it in the closet? What if they paid $700 for it? $200? $50? Regardless the expectation does not change: they expect use.
God has given all of us many gifts. For some it is looks, others personality, others knowledge, some all of the above. Regardless it is a gift He gave to you, and He expects use. Now stop and think about that for a minute. You have a gift, and you open it. You look at the instruction manual and start to put it together. Then you stop and tell yourself that you do not want to do this because it is too hard. You do not want to do this because someone beside you got looks and personality and you only got knowledge. Does that change the expectation? No, He expects use. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Ecclesiastes 9:10. One gift He has given to us all: His strength.
For those who have seen the movie, “Facing the Giants”, one scene stands out and grabs total attention. The Coach takes a player, whom he is having trouble with, and makes him do the “death crawl” where he has to get on his hands and knees with a player laying stomach side up on top of his back. He tells his player to make it to the 50 yard line crawling and will not let him open his eyes because he doesn’t want him “giving up at a certain point” when he can “go further”. By the end of the scene, although the player wanted to give up many times, he has crawled all the way to the end zone, way past where he thought he was going to end up on the 50 yard line.
It is an incredibly moving scene, and when I see it I think of everything surrounding me and how often I want to give up, but I know this time that God is my Coach, and He is on the ground with me yelling not to quit, not to give up, and to give him all I have. When I yell and argue with Him that I have nothing left and I cannot go any further, He is the one yelling “Yes, you can”. He knows I can because He is my source of strength, and He has an unlimited supply of it to give. For most of us, it is not until we are on the ground, out of breath, unable to stand, weak and feeling so helpless that we are willing to turn to Him for the strength. It is not until we have no strength left on our own that we turn to Him to provide it. Would you drill for oil in an area that you knew could only produce 100 barrels? Or would you drill for oil where you knew it would never stop coming? Lean on Him for your strength.
All of us want to give up, but we must press on. We must show that we are faithful in using His gifts and relying on Him for our strength. There is a simple point to it really: He wants us to do this because He will never let us down. He will never let us fail. People around you may fail, your circumstances may fail you, but He never will. The person on top of your back causing the crawl to be more difficult is not the one screaming for you not to give up. But God is. "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn." Psalm 18:32-36.
Still I get bogged down in my problems and yell to Him that this has to end soon, and beg Him to show me when it will end. However, like the Coach in “Facing the Giants”, He won’t let me open my eyes because He does not want me to look up and get overwhelmed at how far the end seems and give up. He wants me to hear His voice and keep moving forward step by step. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8.
And even though we keep giving up on Him, He never gives up on us. He is on the ground right beside us telling us not to give up and to give it all we have. He does not show us the end and allow us to dwell on how far we have to go, He takes us minute by minute “one more step”.
Most important of all, He knows the bigger picture that we cannot see through our pain: the end zone is better than the 50 yard line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrSzXTa4OFU
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” 1 Corinthians 4:2.
If someone spends hours picking out a birthday present for you, and they believe they have picked the perfect gift, they have one expectation: use. They do not anticipate you leaving it in a box somewhere. And when you open it and see the instruction manual of how to put it together, they expect that you will complete the task and not give up on it. They paid the money, you put it together. How does that person feel when you tell yourself you cannot put it together because it is too hard and you throw it back in the box and shove it in the closet? What if they paid $700 for it? $200? $50? Regardless the expectation does not change: they expect use.
God has given all of us many gifts. For some it is looks, others personality, others knowledge, some all of the above. Regardless it is a gift He gave to you, and He expects use. Now stop and think about that for a minute. You have a gift, and you open it. You look at the instruction manual and start to put it together. Then you stop and tell yourself that you do not want to do this because it is too hard. You do not want to do this because someone beside you got looks and personality and you only got knowledge. Does that change the expectation? No, He expects use. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.” Ecclesiastes 9:10. One gift He has given to us all: His strength.
For those who have seen the movie, “Facing the Giants”, one scene stands out and grabs total attention. The Coach takes a player, whom he is having trouble with, and makes him do the “death crawl” where he has to get on his hands and knees with a player laying stomach side up on top of his back. He tells his player to make it to the 50 yard line crawling and will not let him open his eyes because he doesn’t want him “giving up at a certain point” when he can “go further”. By the end of the scene, although the player wanted to give up many times, he has crawled all the way to the end zone, way past where he thought he was going to end up on the 50 yard line.
It is an incredibly moving scene, and when I see it I think of everything surrounding me and how often I want to give up, but I know this time that God is my Coach, and He is on the ground with me yelling not to quit, not to give up, and to give him all I have. When I yell and argue with Him that I have nothing left and I cannot go any further, He is the one yelling “Yes, you can”. He knows I can because He is my source of strength, and He has an unlimited supply of it to give. For most of us, it is not until we are on the ground, out of breath, unable to stand, weak and feeling so helpless that we are willing to turn to Him for the strength. It is not until we have no strength left on our own that we turn to Him to provide it. Would you drill for oil in an area that you knew could only produce 100 barrels? Or would you drill for oil where you knew it would never stop coming? Lean on Him for your strength.
All of us want to give up, but we must press on. We must show that we are faithful in using His gifts and relying on Him for our strength. There is a simple point to it really: He wants us to do this because He will never let us down. He will never let us fail. People around you may fail, your circumstances may fail you, but He never will. The person on top of your back causing the crawl to be more difficult is not the one screaming for you not to give up. But God is. "It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn." Psalm 18:32-36.
Still I get bogged down in my problems and yell to Him that this has to end soon, and beg Him to show me when it will end. However, like the Coach in “Facing the Giants”, He won’t let me open my eyes because He does not want me to look up and get overwhelmed at how far the end seems and give up. He wants me to hear His voice and keep moving forward step by step. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8.
And even though we keep giving up on Him, He never gives up on us. He is on the ground right beside us telling us not to give up and to give it all we have. He does not show us the end and allow us to dwell on how far we have to go, He takes us minute by minute “one more step”.
Most important of all, He knows the bigger picture that we cannot see through our pain: the end zone is better than the 50 yard line.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrSzXTa4OFU
Monday, May 25, 2009
Honor and Sacrifice...
May 25, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15.
Spiritual health blossoms when a person looks past their own needs to thank someone who has done something for them. In America, we have certain days marked throughout the year to celebrate this act, and we call them holidays. In truth we do not need a holiday to celebrate the selfless and sacrificial acts that others have done for our benefit. Those acts do not change when the holiday ends, instead they remain alive minute by minute, year by year.
Christians celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the biggest sacrifice ever paid for their own souls. Undoubtedly, it was just that: the biggest sacrifice. On Christmas and Easter, we celebrate this sacrifice. Still throughout the year, God’s commands to us remain the same, and God never changes. "I the LORD do not change.” Malachi 3:6. Every day of the year we should celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus paid to save us all. We should walk in it, live it, model that behavior, and give ourselves over to something greater.
Some of us do, minute by minute, year by year. Our military, law enforcement, and so many others on the front line of danger sacrifice themselves every minute to protect others. In turn, those people model the behavior the greatest Teacher the Earth has ever known demonstrated throughout His life, and even in His death. “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40. Whether known or not, those individuals live out God’s commands in the most impressive way: sacrifice. A sacrifice is something done for someone who never asked for it. These individuals do not merely do us a favor, as a favor is something that is done when we ask them to. Their decision to commit their lives to protecting our own is not a favor, it is a sacrifice.
In a society where much is taken for granted, we stop to remember those individuals. Every minute of every day there are individuals stationed overseas, fighting wars, training, fighting fires, responding to 911 calls for help and spending time away from their own lives in order to protect yours. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10.
In a world like the one we live in today, peace is not something that happens upon us by chance. Peace must be actively sought, and these individuals have committed their lives to seeking it, and you reap the benefit of their work. They follow God’s command to “seek peace and pursue it”. “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14.
Just as God sent His Son to die for us and save us, we did nothing to earn it. God’s grace and love for you made it all possible. Likewise, we have done nothing to cause a person to want to fight for our country or to take up a dangerous occupation in order to provide peace. That is a choice made that in turn benefits us all.
In our society, we live under the privilege the First Amendment provides, and frequently we hear others speak out against war and battles we are fighting abroad. This is the moment where you stop to realize who protects that First Amendment right, and who fights to make it all possible. Regardless of how some of us feel, there are individuals across the world willing to die for that right and forgo their own lives in order to protect your right to speak. This type of sacrifice is hard for many to wrap their minds around. That is because it is the greatest love possible, and the love God has for all of us. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13.
Their desire to seek peace, and sacrifice themselves is something that God is not only proud of, but He will reward beyond any expectation we could possibly have. “When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7.
Yes, wars will be fought in the name of peace. One opposite brings another. The death of Jesus brought life to us all. God wants peace to reign. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33. Jesus gave His life for us all to have life, and our armed forces do the same in order to provide us with security, peace, and protection. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
They do not discriminate against those they are fighting for, and are willing to die at any moment for those who argue against their cause and those who support it. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18.
They humble themselves and risk all they have, while leaving families behind, for a cause greater than their own lives and leave families behind. At every turn they place others ahead of themselves. “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4.
Through their efforts they create an example of selflessness that we should strive to emulate at every point in our lives. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Such selflessness is deserving of our undying gratitude, and Praise to God. “True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.” Malachi 2:6.
As I stop to remember who has provided me the protection to write this, I thank them with all of my heart. Their sacrifice and willingness provides a blanket of peace for us to sleep under, and a path of peace for us to walk in. This much I know, God is watching, and proud of their example. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8.
Let us all remember the blood that is shed in order to save our own.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15.
Spiritual health blossoms when a person looks past their own needs to thank someone who has done something for them. In America, we have certain days marked throughout the year to celebrate this act, and we call them holidays. In truth we do not need a holiday to celebrate the selfless and sacrificial acts that others have done for our benefit. Those acts do not change when the holiday ends, instead they remain alive minute by minute, year by year.
Christians celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the biggest sacrifice ever paid for their own souls. Undoubtedly, it was just that: the biggest sacrifice. On Christmas and Easter, we celebrate this sacrifice. Still throughout the year, God’s commands to us remain the same, and God never changes. "I the LORD do not change.” Malachi 3:6. Every day of the year we should celebrate the sacrifice that Jesus paid to save us all. We should walk in it, live it, model that behavior, and give ourselves over to something greater.
Some of us do, minute by minute, year by year. Our military, law enforcement, and so many others on the front line of danger sacrifice themselves every minute to protect others. In turn, those people model the behavior the greatest Teacher the Earth has ever known demonstrated throughout His life, and even in His death. “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40. Whether known or not, those individuals live out God’s commands in the most impressive way: sacrifice. A sacrifice is something done for someone who never asked for it. These individuals do not merely do us a favor, as a favor is something that is done when we ask them to. Their decision to commit their lives to protecting our own is not a favor, it is a sacrifice.
In a society where much is taken for granted, we stop to remember those individuals. Every minute of every day there are individuals stationed overseas, fighting wars, training, fighting fires, responding to 911 calls for help and spending time away from their own lives in order to protect yours. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Romans 12:10.
In a world like the one we live in today, peace is not something that happens upon us by chance. Peace must be actively sought, and these individuals have committed their lives to seeking it, and you reap the benefit of their work. They follow God’s command to “seek peace and pursue it”. “Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14.
Just as God sent His Son to die for us and save us, we did nothing to earn it. God’s grace and love for you made it all possible. Likewise, we have done nothing to cause a person to want to fight for our country or to take up a dangerous occupation in order to provide peace. That is a choice made that in turn benefits us all.
In our society, we live under the privilege the First Amendment provides, and frequently we hear others speak out against war and battles we are fighting abroad. This is the moment where you stop to realize who protects that First Amendment right, and who fights to make it all possible. Regardless of how some of us feel, there are individuals across the world willing to die for that right and forgo their own lives in order to protect your right to speak. This type of sacrifice is hard for many to wrap their minds around. That is because it is the greatest love possible, and the love God has for all of us. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13.
Their desire to seek peace, and sacrifice themselves is something that God is not only proud of, but He will reward beyond any expectation we could possibly have. “When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.” Proverbs 16:7.
Yes, wars will be fought in the name of peace. One opposite brings another. The death of Jesus brought life to us all. God wants peace to reign. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33. Jesus gave His life for us all to have life, and our armed forces do the same in order to provide us with security, peace, and protection. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8.
They do not discriminate against those they are fighting for, and are willing to die at any moment for those who argue against their cause and those who support it. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17-18.
They humble themselves and risk all they have, while leaving families behind, for a cause greater than their own lives and leave families behind. At every turn they place others ahead of themselves. “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Philippians 2:1-4.
Through their efforts they create an example of selflessness that we should strive to emulate at every point in our lives. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11.
Such selflessness is deserving of our undying gratitude, and Praise to God. “True instruction was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and turned many from sin.” Malachi 2:6.
As I stop to remember who has provided me the protection to write this, I thank them with all of my heart. Their sacrifice and willingness provides a blanket of peace for us to sleep under, and a path of peace for us to walk in. This much I know, God is watching, and proud of their example. "And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8.
Let us all remember the blood that is shed in order to save our own.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Great Debate...
May 22, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.” Genesis 2:1.
For anyone following the debate of science versus religion, a barrier appears in the arguments. People walk away from the debate with the feeling that Science and Christianity are mutually exclusive, that is, one cannot exist because of the other.
However, a barrier’s purpose is to divide, and humans are prone to jump on one side or another to eliminate confusion. People want to be clear about their position, and when you can see both sides you are labeled as someone who cannot make a decision.
In our society, this is seen over and over. There is Pro-Life and Pro-Choice, Republican and Democrat, black and white, welfare and wealthy. One doesn’t have to look any further than the success of certain political candidates who were the first to coin the term “middle class” to see that a division exists and that true success comes from removing the barrier and examining both sides.
On the flip side, a good debater always researches both sides. A person arguing for Pro-Life will be much more effective if they have studied potential Pro-Choice arguments before they take the stage. As a person with a dual bachelors degree in Political Science and Communications along with a Juris Doctorate from Law School, I can tell you that preparation for argument is not only smart, it is critical to success.
I have studied the science of politics and communication for over twenty years. Looking at how humans arrive at solutions to scientific questions and communication barriers is frequently done in the same manner. You isolate, research, test, and arrive at a solid conclusion. However, even if the person does all of this to answer the questions that are looming, there is one more thing that must be done. That person must convince.
All too often we work to answer questions not because of ourselves, but to prove our brilliance to others. And when you take the steps to arrive at a solid conclusion, what do you do with your conclusion and the work it took to get there? You go to “show and tell” and show everyone else what you have done, and then you tell of your experience in order to convince them that your position is accurate.
Scientists, scholars, debaters, analysts, and the like, all engage in the art of “convincing”. However, there is a danger in this.
The danger is that the person who is attempting to “convince” someone else has adopted a “side”. Put simply, they have picked the team they are cheering for, and are willing to overlook the other team’s points of victory. When this happens the art of “convincing” becomes the art of “isolating”.
Now combine that knowledge with the debate of Science and Christianity or Reason versus Faith. People have specific questions and they work to arrive at a conclusion. They reason, through their work, what the answer is and arrive at a conclusion. Then they pick their side. Meanwhile, new work is being done by others on more prominent questions that could disprove their conclusion in an instant, but they do not want to hear of it. They did their own work and picked their side, so they do not want to know if anything new has come about that tells them to switch sides.
I understand. I have done it numerous times myself. And I have studied the greatest philosophers that have ever walked the face of the Earth. Whether you are a fan of Plato, Aristotle or Socrates, I can tell you this much. If there are two teams on a field and both are playing for the same school board; for example, two different high school teams, even though they have a divide (two different teams, two different schools), they also have a common denominator (the school board who runs both programs).
Herein lies the problem with the debate between Science and Religion. The debate turns into words that we use more commonly and that are more predominant. For example, science is science. It is what it is. However when you turn the art of “science” into the art of “reason”, you use a word that is used more commonly. The same happens with Religion. The word becomes an argument of “faith”. So you end up watching the “Reason versus Faith” debate instead. This is done to protect the debater from looking to engrained on one side, even though they truly are no matter what it is called. They are on a side remember?
When two high school teams play each other, even if they are both under the same school board, you have two teams. You have two names. One doesn’t have the name “school board” and the other “Madison”. Both are different names, the school board is the boss.
The problem with “Reason versus Faith” is that faith is the school board. It is the boss, and predominates. And because it is the boss of Reason, Science, and Religion, it is not assigned to one specific team; rather it is assigned to them all.
Someone who represents science and is debating against religion would argue this theory is insane. However, it is not insane, it is logic. That person would argue that because they have associated the word “faith” with “religion” and convinced themselves that “faith” is the other team to which they cannot associate with because they are playing for “science”. If so, that person has not watched faith predominate in their work, or has ignored its presence. But faith is on their team too.
An attorney trying to win a jury trial is focused on one thing: the jury. That is the audience. The more evidence on their side the stronger the case, and the more likely the jury will see their side and issue a verdict in their favor. Attorneys operate in the realm of “Direct” and “Circumstantial” evidence. Some would compare these two to Reason and Faith.
Direct evidence is evidence that alone proves a fact that is in dispute. This comes from personal knowledge or observation. For example, in a murder trial evidence that points to whether or not the defendant murdered someone is considered “direct”. For example, testimony from a witness who saw the defendant point a gun at the victim, DNA, blood, and fingerprints. As an attorney I can tell you that, on most occasions, when juries hear this evidence they become convinced.
Circumstantial evidence requires an inference. An inference requires that you reach your conclusion by looking at the evidence and then reasoning in your own mind whether or not something makes sense. For example, the defendant was seen running from the scene of the crime or he was heard telling others the day before that he intended to shoot the victim. From this you can “infer” that the defendant committed the crime.
Now examine that faith is called a belief in the “unseen”. Many would argue that because direct evidence requires personal knowledge or observation that it is “seen” evidence that has nothing to do with “faith”. That is because people relate faith to an “inference” and belief in the “unseen”. Then they would reason that faith is more like circumstantial evidence because it is an “inference” without personal knowledge or observation. Sounds convincing.
However, this theory is completely false because faith is the cornerstone to both direct and circumstantial evidence. I have said this before only to receive the “you are crazy” look. Then someone will argue with me that DNA is so reliable and the probabilities are one in twelve trillion that it is absolute, “direct” proof. One is twelve trillion sounds very convincing. I am not disputing the probabilities. I am disputing how the person arrived at the conclusion that such probabilities are so convincing they are “direct” proof. Put simply, I look back and ask, “Were you the one who discovered DNA? Did you run the test in this case?” Chances are they did not and because they believe in what someone else did without any personal knowledge or observation on their own behalf means they “inferred” the DNA test was accurate. In essence, they had “faith” that the direct evidence was reliable.
Juries are not allowed to have personal knowledge about a case when they serve or they are biased. That is why they are questioned extensively by both sides to make sure that they know nothing about the case. So from day one, they have no personal knowledge or observation and if they believe in the evidence they are stating they have “faith” that it is the truth. The probabilities of DNA evidence may make you believe in the result, but you are believing in them because someone is convincing you they are reliable. So you have “faith” in that evidence. An eyewitness can tell you that they saw the defendant hold a gun to the victim, and you may consider that “direct” proof. However, you have to believe the witness is telling the truth. You have to have “faith” in something you did not personally see.
Faith predominates in both in the art of “convincing”. Likewise unless the attorney discovered DNA or witnessed the crime, they are having “faith” that their evidence is accurate.
Reasoning requires you to apply logic to evidence. However, your conclusions are only as accurate as the underlying assumptions you are making. And you generalize from the evidence to reach a conclusion. So you generalize to the “unseen”. How do you do this? Faith.
Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church and author of “The Purpose Driven Life” said it best in His book “Foundations”: “Science may provide reasonable evidence, but ultimately it is a matter of faith.” Isn’t everything?
When you arrive home after work and get out of your car do you turn the radio up full blast to the point where you cannot hear and then turn the car off? Do you leave the lights on and go inside intentionally? Why? Because you do not want to scare yourself to death the next morning when you get into the car and hear loud, blaring music? You do not want your battery to go dead from the lights because you need to be on time tomorrow right?
How do you know you are going to work tomorrow? Faith. You are believing in something you have not seen yet. Do you put your own brakes on your car to ensure they won’t fail? Why not? Faith. You have faith in someone who is trained to do it right? Do you trust your doctor better than yourself? Would you rather give yourself open heart surgery? Why not? Faith.
Therefore, faith is not mutually exclusive from either Science or Christianity. I did not personally witness the “Big Bang” nor did I witness God create the universe. Therefore, I have not personally witnessed either and to believe in either one would require me to infer that something I am reading is true, which is “faith”. Thus, they are “unseen” to most, and not mutually exclusive. Perhaps there was a “Big Bang”, but Who lit the fuse? My answer? God.
In the movie, “Unlocking the Mysteries of Life”, Darwin’s theory of evolution was examined. Scientists worldwide have reexamined this theory after DNA was discovered because scientifically evolution could not longer exist. Combine that with the writings by Darwin that warned if more complex cells were discovered, as we know DNA to be contained in such cells, his theory would break down. “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.” Origin of Species (1859). Of course it would. When was DNA discovered? At the time Darwin was alive? No
So many scientists, even the ones who wrote treatises on evolutions and teach worldwide and at America’s top universities had to move away from his theory. They are now pointing to “intelligent design” instead of “evolution” or “natural selection”. Why? Because they have done the work, and cannot explain these cells in Darwin’s manner. More importantly, they have researched both sides of the argument. They never say who the “intelligence” is, and no one said all the scientists were religious or Christian, yet their own new discovery cannot be discussed in public school because there will be the inference that “intelligence” means God.
What I am wondering is when did we become so divided that we would rather be wrong cheering for our own team, instead of knowing the truth? When did coaches not want to know that their star player robbed a bank the day before the big game? So we could win? Why? You end up losing when everyone finds out what information you have hidden don’t you? That is why we have scandals and soap operas isn’t it?
No matter what side of a debate I am on, I will tell you, as someone trained in the science of communication I will not walk on stage without knowing both sides so I can arrive at my own conclusion. Otherwise, my arguments are weak and ill-prepared.
So children will still be taught “evolution” instead of “intelligent design”. More importantly, they will not even be told there is a debate and the nation’s top scientists have now moved away from “evolution” and discovered a new theory. Personally, I would at least want to know the debate so I could go and look it up for myself and learn each side. I have read many books I did not want to in order to prepare for an argument against the other side. Isn’t that enlightening them to at least teach the debate? I would rather have both sides and find what I believe is true on my own than I would to be taught completely in the false. Since when do we support people who argue for tolerance on behalf of free speech to the point where now the ones who argued for “tolerance” are “intolerant” to the other side? That is because they are on a “side” and they have gone from wanting the right to “convince” to having the right to “isolate”.
To me, the goal of argument should be to arrive at the truth, and not to win. If your goal is to win, then chances are you have only read your own side. In college I was presented with such an argument, to which I asked, “Have you researched my position?” The answer? “No, but my side shows that…”. Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Do not ever tell someone your side unless you have taken the time to learn theirs. My answer to their comeback? “I am not going to debate with a tree about human emotion.”
We learn by comparison. You cannot say you prefer “Sprite” if you have never tasted another soda type. You love SUV’s and hate driving cars? Make sure you have driven both before you tell someone as much.
I have heard both sides. My goal was to arrive at the truth, and not to win. My conclusion? God. My inference? The Holy Spirit. My faith? Jesus Christ. My truth? All three combined into One.
Faith and reason both come from the Bible. The Apostle Paul shows us the art of reasoning and the value of faith in his letters contained in the New Testament. Remember, he was not always writing to a favorable audience. The Bible is pretty clear on that issue, and you know that. That is, if you have taken the time to learn your own side or the one you are arguing against.
And with that I’ll rest my case…
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.” Genesis 2:1.
For anyone following the debate of science versus religion, a barrier appears in the arguments. People walk away from the debate with the feeling that Science and Christianity are mutually exclusive, that is, one cannot exist because of the other.
However, a barrier’s purpose is to divide, and humans are prone to jump on one side or another to eliminate confusion. People want to be clear about their position, and when you can see both sides you are labeled as someone who cannot make a decision.
In our society, this is seen over and over. There is Pro-Life and Pro-Choice, Republican and Democrat, black and white, welfare and wealthy. One doesn’t have to look any further than the success of certain political candidates who were the first to coin the term “middle class” to see that a division exists and that true success comes from removing the barrier and examining both sides.
On the flip side, a good debater always researches both sides. A person arguing for Pro-Life will be much more effective if they have studied potential Pro-Choice arguments before they take the stage. As a person with a dual bachelors degree in Political Science and Communications along with a Juris Doctorate from Law School, I can tell you that preparation for argument is not only smart, it is critical to success.
I have studied the science of politics and communication for over twenty years. Looking at how humans arrive at solutions to scientific questions and communication barriers is frequently done in the same manner. You isolate, research, test, and arrive at a solid conclusion. However, even if the person does all of this to answer the questions that are looming, there is one more thing that must be done. That person must convince.
All too often we work to answer questions not because of ourselves, but to prove our brilliance to others. And when you take the steps to arrive at a solid conclusion, what do you do with your conclusion and the work it took to get there? You go to “show and tell” and show everyone else what you have done, and then you tell of your experience in order to convince them that your position is accurate.
Scientists, scholars, debaters, analysts, and the like, all engage in the art of “convincing”. However, there is a danger in this.
The danger is that the person who is attempting to “convince” someone else has adopted a “side”. Put simply, they have picked the team they are cheering for, and are willing to overlook the other team’s points of victory. When this happens the art of “convincing” becomes the art of “isolating”.
Now combine that knowledge with the debate of Science and Christianity or Reason versus Faith. People have specific questions and they work to arrive at a conclusion. They reason, through their work, what the answer is and arrive at a conclusion. Then they pick their side. Meanwhile, new work is being done by others on more prominent questions that could disprove their conclusion in an instant, but they do not want to hear of it. They did their own work and picked their side, so they do not want to know if anything new has come about that tells them to switch sides.
I understand. I have done it numerous times myself. And I have studied the greatest philosophers that have ever walked the face of the Earth. Whether you are a fan of Plato, Aristotle or Socrates, I can tell you this much. If there are two teams on a field and both are playing for the same school board; for example, two different high school teams, even though they have a divide (two different teams, two different schools), they also have a common denominator (the school board who runs both programs).
Herein lies the problem with the debate between Science and Religion. The debate turns into words that we use more commonly and that are more predominant. For example, science is science. It is what it is. However when you turn the art of “science” into the art of “reason”, you use a word that is used more commonly. The same happens with Religion. The word becomes an argument of “faith”. So you end up watching the “Reason versus Faith” debate instead. This is done to protect the debater from looking to engrained on one side, even though they truly are no matter what it is called. They are on a side remember?
When two high school teams play each other, even if they are both under the same school board, you have two teams. You have two names. One doesn’t have the name “school board” and the other “Madison”. Both are different names, the school board is the boss.
The problem with “Reason versus Faith” is that faith is the school board. It is the boss, and predominates. And because it is the boss of Reason, Science, and Religion, it is not assigned to one specific team; rather it is assigned to them all.
Someone who represents science and is debating against religion would argue this theory is insane. However, it is not insane, it is logic. That person would argue that because they have associated the word “faith” with “religion” and convinced themselves that “faith” is the other team to which they cannot associate with because they are playing for “science”. If so, that person has not watched faith predominate in their work, or has ignored its presence. But faith is on their team too.
An attorney trying to win a jury trial is focused on one thing: the jury. That is the audience. The more evidence on their side the stronger the case, and the more likely the jury will see their side and issue a verdict in their favor. Attorneys operate in the realm of “Direct” and “Circumstantial” evidence. Some would compare these two to Reason and Faith.
Direct evidence is evidence that alone proves a fact that is in dispute. This comes from personal knowledge or observation. For example, in a murder trial evidence that points to whether or not the defendant murdered someone is considered “direct”. For example, testimony from a witness who saw the defendant point a gun at the victim, DNA, blood, and fingerprints. As an attorney I can tell you that, on most occasions, when juries hear this evidence they become convinced.
Circumstantial evidence requires an inference. An inference requires that you reach your conclusion by looking at the evidence and then reasoning in your own mind whether or not something makes sense. For example, the defendant was seen running from the scene of the crime or he was heard telling others the day before that he intended to shoot the victim. From this you can “infer” that the defendant committed the crime.
Now examine that faith is called a belief in the “unseen”. Many would argue that because direct evidence requires personal knowledge or observation that it is “seen” evidence that has nothing to do with “faith”. That is because people relate faith to an “inference” and belief in the “unseen”. Then they would reason that faith is more like circumstantial evidence because it is an “inference” without personal knowledge or observation. Sounds convincing.
However, this theory is completely false because faith is the cornerstone to both direct and circumstantial evidence. I have said this before only to receive the “you are crazy” look. Then someone will argue with me that DNA is so reliable and the probabilities are one in twelve trillion that it is absolute, “direct” proof. One is twelve trillion sounds very convincing. I am not disputing the probabilities. I am disputing how the person arrived at the conclusion that such probabilities are so convincing they are “direct” proof. Put simply, I look back and ask, “Were you the one who discovered DNA? Did you run the test in this case?” Chances are they did not and because they believe in what someone else did without any personal knowledge or observation on their own behalf means they “inferred” the DNA test was accurate. In essence, they had “faith” that the direct evidence was reliable.
Juries are not allowed to have personal knowledge about a case when they serve or they are biased. That is why they are questioned extensively by both sides to make sure that they know nothing about the case. So from day one, they have no personal knowledge or observation and if they believe in the evidence they are stating they have “faith” that it is the truth. The probabilities of DNA evidence may make you believe in the result, but you are believing in them because someone is convincing you they are reliable. So you have “faith” in that evidence. An eyewitness can tell you that they saw the defendant hold a gun to the victim, and you may consider that “direct” proof. However, you have to believe the witness is telling the truth. You have to have “faith” in something you did not personally see.
Faith predominates in both in the art of “convincing”. Likewise unless the attorney discovered DNA or witnessed the crime, they are having “faith” that their evidence is accurate.
Reasoning requires you to apply logic to evidence. However, your conclusions are only as accurate as the underlying assumptions you are making. And you generalize from the evidence to reach a conclusion. So you generalize to the “unseen”. How do you do this? Faith.
Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church and author of “The Purpose Driven Life” said it best in His book “Foundations”: “Science may provide reasonable evidence, but ultimately it is a matter of faith.” Isn’t everything?
When you arrive home after work and get out of your car do you turn the radio up full blast to the point where you cannot hear and then turn the car off? Do you leave the lights on and go inside intentionally? Why? Because you do not want to scare yourself to death the next morning when you get into the car and hear loud, blaring music? You do not want your battery to go dead from the lights because you need to be on time tomorrow right?
How do you know you are going to work tomorrow? Faith. You are believing in something you have not seen yet. Do you put your own brakes on your car to ensure they won’t fail? Why not? Faith. You have faith in someone who is trained to do it right? Do you trust your doctor better than yourself? Would you rather give yourself open heart surgery? Why not? Faith.
Therefore, faith is not mutually exclusive from either Science or Christianity. I did not personally witness the “Big Bang” nor did I witness God create the universe. Therefore, I have not personally witnessed either and to believe in either one would require me to infer that something I am reading is true, which is “faith”. Thus, they are “unseen” to most, and not mutually exclusive. Perhaps there was a “Big Bang”, but Who lit the fuse? My answer? God.
In the movie, “Unlocking the Mysteries of Life”, Darwin’s theory of evolution was examined. Scientists worldwide have reexamined this theory after DNA was discovered because scientifically evolution could not longer exist. Combine that with the writings by Darwin that warned if more complex cells were discovered, as we know DNA to be contained in such cells, his theory would break down. “If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.” Origin of Species (1859). Of course it would. When was DNA discovered? At the time Darwin was alive? No
So many scientists, even the ones who wrote treatises on evolutions and teach worldwide and at America’s top universities had to move away from his theory. They are now pointing to “intelligent design” instead of “evolution” or “natural selection”. Why? Because they have done the work, and cannot explain these cells in Darwin’s manner. More importantly, they have researched both sides of the argument. They never say who the “intelligence” is, and no one said all the scientists were religious or Christian, yet their own new discovery cannot be discussed in public school because there will be the inference that “intelligence” means God.
What I am wondering is when did we become so divided that we would rather be wrong cheering for our own team, instead of knowing the truth? When did coaches not want to know that their star player robbed a bank the day before the big game? So we could win? Why? You end up losing when everyone finds out what information you have hidden don’t you? That is why we have scandals and soap operas isn’t it?
No matter what side of a debate I am on, I will tell you, as someone trained in the science of communication I will not walk on stage without knowing both sides so I can arrive at my own conclusion. Otherwise, my arguments are weak and ill-prepared.
So children will still be taught “evolution” instead of “intelligent design”. More importantly, they will not even be told there is a debate and the nation’s top scientists have now moved away from “evolution” and discovered a new theory. Personally, I would at least want to know the debate so I could go and look it up for myself and learn each side. I have read many books I did not want to in order to prepare for an argument against the other side. Isn’t that enlightening them to at least teach the debate? I would rather have both sides and find what I believe is true on my own than I would to be taught completely in the false. Since when do we support people who argue for tolerance on behalf of free speech to the point where now the ones who argued for “tolerance” are “intolerant” to the other side? That is because they are on a “side” and they have gone from wanting the right to “convince” to having the right to “isolate”.
To me, the goal of argument should be to arrive at the truth, and not to win. If your goal is to win, then chances are you have only read your own side. In college I was presented with such an argument, to which I asked, “Have you researched my position?” The answer? “No, but my side shows that…”. Wrong, wrong, and wrong. Do not ever tell someone your side unless you have taken the time to learn theirs. My answer to their comeback? “I am not going to debate with a tree about human emotion.”
We learn by comparison. You cannot say you prefer “Sprite” if you have never tasted another soda type. You love SUV’s and hate driving cars? Make sure you have driven both before you tell someone as much.
I have heard both sides. My goal was to arrive at the truth, and not to win. My conclusion? God. My inference? The Holy Spirit. My faith? Jesus Christ. My truth? All three combined into One.
Faith and reason both come from the Bible. The Apostle Paul shows us the art of reasoning and the value of faith in his letters contained in the New Testament. Remember, he was not always writing to a favorable audience. The Bible is pretty clear on that issue, and you know that. That is, if you have taken the time to learn your own side or the one you are arguing against.
And with that I’ll rest my case…
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
In Due Time...
May 20, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8.
How often do you watch the clock? Better question: how often do you watch the clock while you are waiting for God to solve a problem in your life?
Frequently, we run around in a hurried frenzy trying to get everything done. Not only do we do this, but we expect others to as well. What do you do if the driver ahead of you in traffic is not moving fast enough for you?
The problem is when we expect God to cater to our own timing of things. We want Him to move quickly. This is especially true because we usually do not go to Him until something is terribly wrong. When we feel pain and suffering, we have a since of urgency and our “do it right now” mentality grows more prevalent.
What is time? Do you think God is somewhere saying, “Well it is 3 PM in the Mountain Time Zone of the United States so I better hurry up?” Or, “Are they on daylight savings yet? Is it ‘spring forward’ or ‘fall back’ time?” Not likely.
The problem is that when we come to Him with a problem, we usually have spent years getting ourselves into the mess when He was warning us and we ignored it. Then we expect Him to act in a second’s time to take it all away. Again: not likely.
We have lessons we have to learn. When we go years doing everything for ourselves, not trusting in Him, only going to Him when everything goes wrong, and then we turn around and blame Him, what does it look like? We struggle, sweat, break the rules, and run around trying to fix something that we knew was wrong and then we grow tired, impatient, and frustrated and run to God. We run up and tell Him, “Okay I get the point. Fix this now please.” Once again: not likely.
It is not likely to happen not because He does not love you, but because He knows the danger of you walking around doing things without Him. This world is evil, and you have an enemy constantly putting trip wires in front of you. He knows you will fall if you do not come to Him. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
And still He remains with us, watching us even when we act so selfish. He wants you to come to Him, so you will have guidance and protection in all that you do. He knows that He will not fail you. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
We forget that He is not on our time schedule, but we are on His. Everything is made perfect in His timing. If you get your way about something before He was ready for you to, you may feel great that you got what you wanted, but you got it without a warranty or a guarantee. You may lose it because you do not trust Him with whatever it is. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. “…in him all things hold together” sounds like a sure thing to me.
When you do start to seek God and His word, do not expect your enemy to help you get rid of your impatience issues. Scripture tells us everything we need to know to survive, and your enemy twists it to deceive you and make you doubt. When going through a problem and asking God to tell you why it is happening, you may find the scripture, “'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3. So you think, “Good!” and you ask Him to tell you why. Then you get no answer. So you keep asking, and then when you still don’t hear an answer what do you think? That He isn’t listening? That He isn’t real? That you are being punished? That the scripture is not true? Who gave you that thought? Is the God who loved you enough to allow His Son to die on the Cross for you willing to sell you up the river now? Not only is that not likely, it is an absolute no.
You can read the scripture and tell yourself, “Well I called to Him and He did not tell me anything.” What don’t you see at the end of that scripture? Does it say He will “tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” followed by “the very second you finally ask?” No. It does not tell you when He will reveal that to you.
All too often when we read His word we put our own conditions and thoughts on it. You can’t. That is, not if you expect it to actually work in your life. You need to let the Spirit guide you and not your own desires. “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20.
Read the entire Bible; do not just isolate a scripture. When you isolate you allow your enemy to mislead you into not understanding the truth and falling into doubt. If you grow frustrated and give up right away because you do not feel like you are getting an answer from Him, how do you know that the very next line would not have told you what to do? If you are willing to give up that easy, do not expect to get the answer. You have to keep working at it and resolve to not give up. “By standing firm you will gain life.” Luke 21:19. When you read a book do you skip half the chapters in the middle?
We expect people to work for what they get. When they do not and have everything handed to them, our society reacts in a bad manner, usually. Admit it, when you read that someone in your town won the lottery, you want it to be the poor housekeeper who does not have a dime to her name and not the millionaire on the other side of town.
You keep working to grow in your relationship with Him even when you feel like you cannot. When you make yourself work through the bad times, God is watching. And you are displaying confidence in Him when you do. “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36. He sent His son to die for your sins and you did not do anything to earn that. Your salvation comes from His loving grace. So why do you expect to have a complete free ride while you are on Earth? You need to be willing to show your love and commitment to Him. When you want to impress someone you work at it. Why not do the same for Him?
Throw your internal clock away. Ask Him to take over your schedule. And when you feel like things are not moving quickly enough, stop and talk to Him. Even if you feel like you are not getting an answer, dig your heels in and do not give up. Sometimes you have to be quiet to understand that God is doing something in your life. People run around in a hurry, talking fast, and making so much noise through their actions while they are impatient. Sit still, wait and listen. Do not let anyone or anything disrupt you or cause you to doubt even if you feel things are taking a long time. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7.
Trust me; you do not want to fix things ahead of His schedule. You may think you do so you can tell everyone how awesome you are and how you solved your problem, but your solution will be nothing compared to His, and you are not protected in your own self-comfort. Everything could blow up on you in an instant. Remember His timing is perfect, and His will is more important than your pride. “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8.
Think for a minute. If your five year old asks you to drive the car, what will you say? Chances are, “You aren’t allowed to do that until you are sixteen and maybe not even then.” Why? How about because you don’t want them to kill themselves and you know what is best? You know that a five-year-old cannot drive a car? Why? Because they are not tall enough? They can’t reach the petals? No one has taught them to?
Exactly. When it comes to driving here on Earth, your timing is better because you have driven before, and you see the big picture. You understand they are too young and cannot reach the petals and they do not know what they are doing. Now remember you are God’s child. He does not want you driving because: (1) you cannot reach the petals either; (2) you do not know what you are doing; (3) you are not experienced enough to drive in a world full of people speeding and honking; (4) He knows other drivers will affect your driving pattern and cause you to be unsafe; (5) He knows how to drive and what is safe for you; and (6) He knows you will be a much better driver if you study and wait for the day you take your test. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.
While you are sitting and waiting, you have no choice but to have hope. If you are truly focused on Him and you refuse to give up because you know He will take care of you, you have hope. He tells us as much. “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:25. Do not give up, and when you refuse to and you refuse to doubt even though everything is trying to get you to, you are solidifying your hope in Him. “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.” Hebrews 6:11.
From that we know that waiting and trusting in Him is hope, but waiting and trusting is also work. However, it is working for God, and that is the most important work of all. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24.
When you do this, God is guiding your paths through His Spirit. “I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.” Proverbs 4:11. Notice that the scripture says “paths”. Going down a path means you walk it; you do not just take a step. That means that you have done the work to walk, and the work to wait.
When you are waiting for His answer and trusting in Him you are growing stronger. “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15:7. When you grow impatient you fall into weakness. Have joy that you are being taught a valuable lesson so you can walk stable in your future steps. “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:3-5.
Perseverance means that you are persistent and determined. Persistence means that you keep doing something over and over. Over and over means it takes time. So to develop perseverance you must go through time waiting for something, such as an answer, but you keep going forward anyway. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4.
And every step you take on your path is not in vain. The more difficult the step, God is watching. He sees when you walk in difficulty and keep going forward anyway. “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8.
Although your circumstances may change do not allow them to cause you to doubt. You may get through one bad situation with God only to abandon Him when you are going through another. Remember, He is always there. God is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. "I the LORD do not change.” Malachi 3:6. Sounds like dependability to me.
As for me, I can say with full confidence I no longer have an interior clock. All my clocks are now rescheduled to God’s timing. Although I do not know what His timing is, I can say that I will arrive right on time, perfectly dressed, noticeable, and honored because He is driving me and with me when I walk into the room.
And whether man says I must “spring forward” or “fall back” my heart will remain on His time. I will not allow anyone to rush me, or challenge my understanding of what time I should arrive.
I can do this simply because my mantel no longer holds numbers and hands.
Instead, I personally am being held with hands and grace.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8.
How often do you watch the clock? Better question: how often do you watch the clock while you are waiting for God to solve a problem in your life?
Frequently, we run around in a hurried frenzy trying to get everything done. Not only do we do this, but we expect others to as well. What do you do if the driver ahead of you in traffic is not moving fast enough for you?
The problem is when we expect God to cater to our own timing of things. We want Him to move quickly. This is especially true because we usually do not go to Him until something is terribly wrong. When we feel pain and suffering, we have a since of urgency and our “do it right now” mentality grows more prevalent.
What is time? Do you think God is somewhere saying, “Well it is 3 PM in the Mountain Time Zone of the United States so I better hurry up?” Or, “Are they on daylight savings yet? Is it ‘spring forward’ or ‘fall back’ time?” Not likely.
The problem is that when we come to Him with a problem, we usually have spent years getting ourselves into the mess when He was warning us and we ignored it. Then we expect Him to act in a second’s time to take it all away. Again: not likely.
We have lessons we have to learn. When we go years doing everything for ourselves, not trusting in Him, only going to Him when everything goes wrong, and then we turn around and blame Him, what does it look like? We struggle, sweat, break the rules, and run around trying to fix something that we knew was wrong and then we grow tired, impatient, and frustrated and run to God. We run up and tell Him, “Okay I get the point. Fix this now please.” Once again: not likely.
It is not likely to happen not because He does not love you, but because He knows the danger of you walking around doing things without Him. This world is evil, and you have an enemy constantly putting trip wires in front of you. He knows you will fall if you do not come to Him. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6.
And still He remains with us, watching us even when we act so selfish. He wants you to come to Him, so you will have guidance and protection in all that you do. He knows that He will not fail you. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.
We forget that He is not on our time schedule, but we are on His. Everything is made perfect in His timing. If you get your way about something before He was ready for you to, you may feel great that you got what you wanted, but you got it without a warranty or a guarantee. You may lose it because you do not trust Him with whatever it is. “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17. “…in him all things hold together” sounds like a sure thing to me.
When you do start to seek God and His word, do not expect your enemy to help you get rid of your impatience issues. Scripture tells us everything we need to know to survive, and your enemy twists it to deceive you and make you doubt. When going through a problem and asking God to tell you why it is happening, you may find the scripture, “'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.' Jeremiah 33:3. So you think, “Good!” and you ask Him to tell you why. Then you get no answer. So you keep asking, and then when you still don’t hear an answer what do you think? That He isn’t listening? That He isn’t real? That you are being punished? That the scripture is not true? Who gave you that thought? Is the God who loved you enough to allow His Son to die on the Cross for you willing to sell you up the river now? Not only is that not likely, it is an absolute no.
You can read the scripture and tell yourself, “Well I called to Him and He did not tell me anything.” What don’t you see at the end of that scripture? Does it say He will “tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” followed by “the very second you finally ask?” No. It does not tell you when He will reveal that to you.
All too often when we read His word we put our own conditions and thoughts on it. You can’t. That is, not if you expect it to actually work in your life. You need to let the Spirit guide you and not your own desires. “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20.
Read the entire Bible; do not just isolate a scripture. When you isolate you allow your enemy to mislead you into not understanding the truth and falling into doubt. If you grow frustrated and give up right away because you do not feel like you are getting an answer from Him, how do you know that the very next line would not have told you what to do? If you are willing to give up that easy, do not expect to get the answer. You have to keep working at it and resolve to not give up. “By standing firm you will gain life.” Luke 21:19. When you read a book do you skip half the chapters in the middle?
We expect people to work for what they get. When they do not and have everything handed to them, our society reacts in a bad manner, usually. Admit it, when you read that someone in your town won the lottery, you want it to be the poor housekeeper who does not have a dime to her name and not the millionaire on the other side of town.
You keep working to grow in your relationship with Him even when you feel like you cannot. When you make yourself work through the bad times, God is watching. And you are displaying confidence in Him when you do. “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36. He sent His son to die for your sins and you did not do anything to earn that. Your salvation comes from His loving grace. So why do you expect to have a complete free ride while you are on Earth? You need to be willing to show your love and commitment to Him. When you want to impress someone you work at it. Why not do the same for Him?
Throw your internal clock away. Ask Him to take over your schedule. And when you feel like things are not moving quickly enough, stop and talk to Him. Even if you feel like you are not getting an answer, dig your heels in and do not give up. Sometimes you have to be quiet to understand that God is doing something in your life. People run around in a hurry, talking fast, and making so much noise through their actions while they are impatient. Sit still, wait and listen. Do not let anyone or anything disrupt you or cause you to doubt even if you feel things are taking a long time. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7.
Trust me; you do not want to fix things ahead of His schedule. You may think you do so you can tell everyone how awesome you are and how you solved your problem, but your solution will be nothing compared to His, and you are not protected in your own self-comfort. Everything could blow up on you in an instant. Remember His timing is perfect, and His will is more important than your pride. “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride.” Ecclesiastes 7:8.
Think for a minute. If your five year old asks you to drive the car, what will you say? Chances are, “You aren’t allowed to do that until you are sixteen and maybe not even then.” Why? How about because you don’t want them to kill themselves and you know what is best? You know that a five-year-old cannot drive a car? Why? Because they are not tall enough? They can’t reach the petals? No one has taught them to?
Exactly. When it comes to driving here on Earth, your timing is better because you have driven before, and you see the big picture. You understand they are too young and cannot reach the petals and they do not know what they are doing. Now remember you are God’s child. He does not want you driving because: (1) you cannot reach the petals either; (2) you do not know what you are doing; (3) you are not experienced enough to drive in a world full of people speeding and honking; (4) He knows other drivers will affect your driving pattern and cause you to be unsafe; (5) He knows how to drive and what is safe for you; and (6) He knows you will be a much better driver if you study and wait for the day you take your test. “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9.
While you are sitting and waiting, you have no choice but to have hope. If you are truly focused on Him and you refuse to give up because you know He will take care of you, you have hope. He tells us as much. “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.” Romans 8:25. Do not give up, and when you refuse to and you refuse to doubt even though everything is trying to get you to, you are solidifying your hope in Him. “We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure.” Hebrews 6:11.
From that we know that waiting and trusting in Him is hope, but waiting and trusting is also work. However, it is working for God, and that is the most important work of all. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Colossians 3:23-24.
When you do this, God is guiding your paths through His Spirit. “I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.” Proverbs 4:11. Notice that the scripture says “paths”. Going down a path means you walk it; you do not just take a step. That means that you have done the work to walk, and the work to wait.
When you are waiting for His answer and trusting in Him you are growing stronger. “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded." 2 Chronicles 15:7. When you grow impatient you fall into weakness. Have joy that you are being taught a valuable lesson so you can walk stable in your future steps. “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5:3-5.
Perseverance means that you are persistent and determined. Persistence means that you keep doing something over and over. Over and over means it takes time. So to develop perseverance you must go through time waiting for something, such as an answer, but you keep going forward anyway. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4.
And every step you take on your path is not in vain. The more difficult the step, God is watching. He sees when you walk in difficulty and keep going forward anyway. “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” Revelation 3:8.
Although your circumstances may change do not allow them to cause you to doubt. You may get through one bad situation with God only to abandon Him when you are going through another. Remember, He is always there. God is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. "I the LORD do not change.” Malachi 3:6. Sounds like dependability to me.
As for me, I can say with full confidence I no longer have an interior clock. All my clocks are now rescheduled to God’s timing. Although I do not know what His timing is, I can say that I will arrive right on time, perfectly dressed, noticeable, and honored because He is driving me and with me when I walk into the room.
And whether man says I must “spring forward” or “fall back” my heart will remain on His time. I will not allow anyone to rush me, or challenge my understanding of what time I should arrive.
I can do this simply because my mantel no longer holds numbers and hands.
Instead, I personally am being held with hands and grace.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Pray in the Spirit (Part VIII)...
May 19, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“AND PRAY IN THE SPIRIT ON ALL OCCASSIONS…”
After your full armor of God is on and in place, you have one more task. You have to pray in the Spirit. We are told not only that we have to pray in the Spirit, but we have to do so “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18.
“All” means what it says, “All”: not one time, not sometimes, but “all” the time. And we are told to do this after we are told to “stand firm”.
“Therefore put on 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:13-18.
How do you pray in the Spirit?
I. STANDING: When you “pray in the Spirit” you have your full armor on. That is what is meant by praying while you are “standing”, not the actual act of standing up. When you pray this way you are saying that you need God’s truth on how to handle something or help someone else (Belt of Truth), that you will abide by what He tells you (Breastplate of Righteousness), that you know you are saved and forgiven by Him and you will be at peace with Him even if you do not like the answer and you will not fear doing what He asks (Shoes of Peace), that you will remain faithful in carrying it out every day (Shield of Faith), that you will not let anyone, and especially not your enemy cause you to doubt what He wants you to do (Helmet of Salvation), and that you will yield to the Holy Spirit’s control daily on how to handle the situation and allow Him to guide you (Sword of the Spirit).
When many people pray they throw everything at God and expect Him to do things their way. When you have on His armor you have truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit with you. Therefore, you want things His way, not your way. Remember, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10. You cannot separate your armor from prayer.
Under these circumstances, you may feel as if you do not know how to pray correctly. Instead of allowing your enemy to tell you that this is too hard, that you do not know what you are doing, and that if you do not do it right God will not listen to you, stop yourself. First step, “Dear God, I want to do the right thing. How do I pray correctly then if I need to do it in the Spirit?” Second step, “God you sent the Holy Spirit to teach me, remind me, guide me, and testify through me. Please allow Him to tell me how to pray correctly.” Done.
You have the Spirit in you. He is there to show you, so if you do not know then ask. This scripture is telling you to let Him lead you in your prayers. He is who you are fighting for: goodness and truth, holiness and grace. You have to talk to Him if there is anything you do not know how to do. Do not think if you are in battle that you cannot go to your Commander and ask questions. Talk to Him about how the battle is going. Make sure you are standing when you do. If God wants to answer your question through His word and Spirit, and if you are not seeking His word and do not have your Belt of Truth on, how will you know? And if you are not talking to the Spirit and do not have your Sword of the Spirit with you, how will you know that this is the scripture God intends for you to read to help you? “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 1:20.
You no longer exist. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. It is no longer about you.
You will always be able to pray in the Spirit when you are standing. Even if you have setbacks and fall, you cannot lose the Spirit. If you have accepted Christ, the Spirit lives in you. You have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. God cannot disown Himself, and He is One with the Son and the Spirit. If He were to disown you, He would disown His own Spirit. That is not going to happen. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13.
Remember that being “filled” with the Spirit is different. You have Him and He is not going anywhere, but you have to yield to Him and allow Him to work through you if you want God’s guidance and truth.
When you do this, you will find yourself praying selflessly, purely, and sincerely. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12. Most importantly, you are no longer the main subject of your prayers. After we put our armor on, stand firm, and pray in the Spirit, we are told, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Pray for those doing God’s will. Pray for your other soldiers, those far away, and those whose Shield of Faith is locked with your own. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16.
Whatever you seek, seek in His name. Always remember it is not your will but His that is the goal. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15.
Anything you ask that results in His will being done is not a request in vain. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14.
II. CONTINUALLY: You are in battle, and you need your Commander’s instructions on what to do. You do not stop talking to Him. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17. You are to pray alone and with others repeatedly.
A word of caution though. Do not brag about it as if it is something rare. Make it a habit. Do you brag about breathing? Train your mind to seek God first before you do anything else. This may take a while to accomplish, but a developing habit does take time. The definition of “habit” by most accounts is a recurrent, frequent pattern that arises through frequent repetition. You have to repeat the action to make the habit form and stick. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.” Psalm 86:3.
Your faith is not conditional. If you feel that you are not getting what you want do not stop praying. Remember you are dressed in armor, so it is not about you. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1.
The more you talk to Him the more control you give Him of your life because the things that just happened a few minutes ago will be placed into His hands. This is when you are more likely to stop trying to fix things yourself because you stopped and asked Him instead of forging ahead and trying to save the world. The result is less stress, a clearer mind, and a defined purpose. “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” 2 Timothy 1:3. Also, you are protected because God cannot lead you into sin, which causes emotional pain and hurt. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41.
Aside from praying by yourself, pray with others. “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14. If you are praying alone and with others, the combination of the two forms a habit.
On a battlefield your shield is locked with others at times. That is because there is strength in numbers and your enemy knows it. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12. God is with those who are joined together in His name. The power of praying with others is immeasurable. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20.
III. WITH DEVOTION: The best way to pray with wholehearted devotion is to spend some time alone praying. Jesus frequently would go off to be alone and pray. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6. This way God knows that when you pray with others you are not just showing off, but you are sincere because you pray in solitude as well.
Your time talking to God is sacred. People ask so much of Him, and wonder why they are not getting their way. Do not pray to Him in haste and while you are rushed. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6.
Instead, pray with devotion, thanking Him even in the bad times, and asking for guidance. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2. Work to alleviate distraction. It is hard to sincerely pray when you have noise and commotion going on around you. That is why Jesus told us to go in the room and close the door. You take the time to spend with God and you will feel His presence. “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8. Every effort you make is not done in vain because He is watching.
The more obedient you are, the more you trust in God, and the more you have yielded to God’s will, the more effective your prayers will be. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. Obedience is taking the time to spend alone with God during a hectic day, and seeking His word. Whatever habit you have, you are obedient to it. You would not have it if you were not. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.
If you want to grow closer to God, to have the Spirit fill you, and to walk in His truth, this is how to do it. Show Him that He is important. Stop taking time for everything else worldly and not Him and then only call on Him in the middle of a life storm. Do not try to put out a fire that is 50,000 acres when you could have stopped it at 1 acre. Take everything to Him, and you will never regret it.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“AND PRAY IN THE SPIRIT ON ALL OCCASSIONS…”
After your full armor of God is on and in place, you have one more task. You have to pray in the Spirit. We are told not only that we have to pray in the Spirit, but we have to do so “on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests”.
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18.
“All” means what it says, “All”: not one time, not sometimes, but “all” the time. And we are told to do this after we are told to “stand firm”.
“Therefore put on 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. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:13-18.
How do you pray in the Spirit?
I. STANDING: When you “pray in the Spirit” you have your full armor on. That is what is meant by praying while you are “standing”, not the actual act of standing up. When you pray this way you are saying that you need God’s truth on how to handle something or help someone else (Belt of Truth), that you will abide by what He tells you (Breastplate of Righteousness), that you know you are saved and forgiven by Him and you will be at peace with Him even if you do not like the answer and you will not fear doing what He asks (Shoes of Peace), that you will remain faithful in carrying it out every day (Shield of Faith), that you will not let anyone, and especially not your enemy cause you to doubt what He wants you to do (Helmet of Salvation), and that you will yield to the Holy Spirit’s control daily on how to handle the situation and allow Him to guide you (Sword of the Spirit).
When many people pray they throw everything at God and expect Him to do things their way. When you have on His armor you have truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Spirit with you. Therefore, you want things His way, not your way. Remember, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10. You cannot separate your armor from prayer.
Under these circumstances, you may feel as if you do not know how to pray correctly. Instead of allowing your enemy to tell you that this is too hard, that you do not know what you are doing, and that if you do not do it right God will not listen to you, stop yourself. First step, “Dear God, I want to do the right thing. How do I pray correctly then if I need to do it in the Spirit?” Second step, “God you sent the Holy Spirit to teach me, remind me, guide me, and testify through me. Please allow Him to tell me how to pray correctly.” Done.
You have the Spirit in you. He is there to show you, so if you do not know then ask. This scripture is telling you to let Him lead you in your prayers. He is who you are fighting for: goodness and truth, holiness and grace. You have to talk to Him if there is anything you do not know how to do. Do not think if you are in battle that you cannot go to your Commander and ask questions. Talk to Him about how the battle is going. Make sure you are standing when you do. If God wants to answer your question through His word and Spirit, and if you are not seeking His word and do not have your Belt of Truth on, how will you know? And if you are not talking to the Spirit and do not have your Sword of the Spirit with you, how will you know that this is the scripture God intends for you to read to help you? “But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 1:20.
You no longer exist. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. It is no longer about you.
You will always be able to pray in the Spirit when you are standing. Even if you have setbacks and fall, you cannot lose the Spirit. If you have accepted Christ, the Spirit lives in you. You have been baptized with the Holy Spirit. God cannot disown Himself, and He is One with the Son and the Spirit. If He were to disown you, He would disown His own Spirit. That is not going to happen. “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” 2 Timothy 2:11-13.
Remember that being “filled” with the Spirit is different. You have Him and He is not going anywhere, but you have to yield to Him and allow Him to work through you if you want God’s guidance and truth.
When you do this, you will find yourself praying selflessly, purely, and sincerely. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12. Most importantly, you are no longer the main subject of your prayers. After we put our armor on, stand firm, and pray in the Spirit, we are told, “With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” Pray for those doing God’s will. Pray for your other soldiers, those far away, and those whose Shield of Faith is locked with your own. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16.
Whatever you seek, seek in His name. Always remember it is not your will but His that is the goal. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15.
Anything you ask that results in His will being done is not a request in vain. “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14.
II. CONTINUALLY: You are in battle, and you need your Commander’s instructions on what to do. You do not stop talking to Him. “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17. You are to pray alone and with others repeatedly.
A word of caution though. Do not brag about it as if it is something rare. Make it a habit. Do you brag about breathing? Train your mind to seek God first before you do anything else. This may take a while to accomplish, but a developing habit does take time. The definition of “habit” by most accounts is a recurrent, frequent pattern that arises through frequent repetition. You have to repeat the action to make the habit form and stick. “Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long.” Psalm 86:3.
Your faith is not conditional. If you feel that you are not getting what you want do not stop praying. Remember you are dressed in armor, so it is not about you. “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1.
The more you talk to Him the more control you give Him of your life because the things that just happened a few minutes ago will be placed into His hands. This is when you are more likely to stop trying to fix things yourself because you stopped and asked Him instead of forging ahead and trying to save the world. The result is less stress, a clearer mind, and a defined purpose. “I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” 2 Timothy 1:3. Also, you are protected because God cannot lead you into sin, which causes emotional pain and hurt. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." Matthew 26:41.
Aside from praying by yourself, pray with others. “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.” Acts 1:14. If you are praying alone and with others, the combination of the two forms a habit.
On a battlefield your shield is locked with others at times. That is because there is strength in numbers and your enemy knows it. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12. God is with those who are joined together in His name. The power of praying with others is immeasurable. “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20.
III. WITH DEVOTION: The best way to pray with wholehearted devotion is to spend some time alone praying. Jesus frequently would go off to be alone and pray. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6. This way God knows that when you pray with others you are not just showing off, but you are sincere because you pray in solitude as well.
Your time talking to God is sacred. People ask so much of Him, and wonder why they are not getting their way. Do not pray to Him in haste and while you are rushed. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6.
Instead, pray with devotion, thanking Him even in the bad times, and asking for guidance. “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2. Work to alleviate distraction. It is hard to sincerely pray when you have noise and commotion going on around you. That is why Jesus told us to go in the room and close the door. You take the time to spend with God and you will feel His presence. “Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:8. Every effort you make is not done in vain because He is watching.
The more obedient you are, the more you trust in God, and the more you have yielded to God’s will, the more effective your prayers will be. “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:16. Obedience is taking the time to spend alone with God during a hectic day, and seeking His word. Whatever habit you have, you are obedient to it. You would not have it if you were not. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.
If you want to grow closer to God, to have the Spirit fill you, and to walk in His truth, this is how to do it. Show Him that He is important. Stop taking time for everything else worldly and not Him and then only call on Him in the middle of a life storm. Do not try to put out a fire that is 50,000 acres when you could have stopped it at 1 acre. Take everything to Him, and you will never regret it.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8.
Sword of the Spirit (Part VII)...
May 19, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“…SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD”
This is the sixth piece of armor you will have with you. You are to “take” the “sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17.
This is your weapon. Think back to the Roman solider. The sword to which the Apostle Paul is referring here is the short one used in hand-to-hand combat that could be pulled out at an instant. This is the weapon that allows you to strike quickly when you have found yourself in a sudden battle that you did not see coming.
In this scripture, Paul tells us that the sword is the “word of God”. The other pieces of armor are to protect you, but this one allows you to attack and fight back.
Remember this is a weapon. When you find a child playing with a knife, what do you do? You take it away. Ask yourself why you do that. You do it because they do not know how to use them properly and they could harm themselves.
Now remember that you are God’s child. He wants you to know how to use your sword. You can harm yourself with this weapon if you do not learn how to use it properly, even before you get to use it on your enemy. “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:4-5.
Knowing that, what does God do? He sends you a trainer. When Jesus died, the Holy Spirit came to live in all of us as Christians. God makes sure you have a personal weapons trainer with you at all times so you will not get hurt, and you will know how to use your weapon accurately and effectively. “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13.
Even when you are fully trained, your trainer remains in you always and places the instruction manual for your weapon permanently in your mind and heart. You are never alone with your weapon just in case you forget how to use it. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17.
Remember you can never separate your sword from the Holy Spirit. Otherwise you will forget how to use your weapon or you will use it in an improper manner. Either way you are harming your own self in battle. “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21.
Your armor is nowhere near complete without the power of the Holy Spirit. He is your trainer, and will keep you on course. His importance is paramount in your chances of succeeding in battle.
You have to know God’s word. When you are being trained how are you going to understand the language your trainer speaks if you do not? “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8.
You are to read it, know it, meditate on it, understand it, and hide it in your heart. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11.
There is so much power in the word. This weapon has complete power and control even if the solider is not holding it. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.
His word is truth. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.
His word affects every aspect of life in every possible way. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
How does your trainer train you to use your weapon?
1) He teaches and reminds. Jesus told His disciples, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:25-26. After Jesus’ death and resurrection the Holy Spirit came to live in all of us. “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16.
Frequently when talking to His disciples or giving sermons, Jesus would use parables. “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” Mark 4:33-34. A parable has been described as an earthly story with a spiritual truth. In our mind it would be more like an analogy. You describe one situation to shed light on another. For example, Jesus would talk about a mustard seed in a discussion about faith.
Jesus’ disciples wondered why He used parables. “The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” Matthew 13:10-13.
He told them that He spoke in parables because even though people could see they really could not see, and even though they hear they do not “hear or understand”. Concentrate on that for a moment. When referring to the ears He stated that they could not only hear, but they could not understand.
Without the Holy Spirit, neither will you. That is why Jesus spoke in parables. It requires insight and truth to be revealed to understand what He was saying. The Holy Spirit was sent to you to provide that insight and truth.
Memorizing and quoting the Bible is not enough. You have to understand it. Remember that Satan used scripture to tempt Jesus in the desert. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”. Luke 4:9-12.
The Devil quoted an accurate scripture from the Bible. However, Jesus did not jump from the temple. Instead, Jesus quoted the right scripture for the occasion. If you are not relying on the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s word to you, then you are likely to misapply His word.
Your enemy wants you to believe God’s word is contradictory and confusing. He works endlessly to convince us of that. It simply is not true. People often say, “Well one book of the Bible says to do this and another book says to do another, and the verses contradict each other.” Wrong. When you read the entire Bible, and ask the Spirit to give you discernment so you can see the truth, it all makes perfect sense. God’s word is perfect and everlasting. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8.
2) He convicts. “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment; in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stand condemned.” John 16:7-11.
Not only does the Holy Spirit reveal the truth of God’s word to you and provide you with understanding, He will expect you to walk in it. God’s word is a mirror of the truth. It is also a mirror of who you really are and how you are living. You cannot separate the pieces of armor. The Sword of the Spirit is with you but your Breastplate of Righteousness, Shield of Faith, and Shoes of Peace are also on. When you feel that nagging inside of you telling you that you are doing something wrong, that is the Spirit. Stop and talk to Him and ask Him what you should do. Be willing to make changes to obey God’s word. You are not just reading it to read it. Once you read it, you need to live by it. That is the point. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22.
3) He guides. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16:13-15.
Once you are convicted about your action or thoughts by the Spirit, if you stay walking in faith and actually do what the Spirit is asking you to, He will guide you. Then you are walking in step with the Spirit. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25.
You cannot separate prayer from the Spirit. Ask God to reveal His Spirit to you and fill you with Him. You may have been baptized with the Spirit when you accepted Christ because He came to live in you, but being filled is different. Being filled with the Spirit is a daily prayer. And there is no addiction on Earth that could anywhere compare to being filled with the Holy Spirit. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18.
Baptism by the Holy Spirit is something God did for you when He sent Jesus to die for us. When you accept Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you. No matter who you are or what you have done, you are one with Christ when you accept Him. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13. You did not do anything to earn this or to have this, it was through God’s grace and love for you. You are sealed and delivered. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a daily action of yielding to His control. You do not get more of the Spirit than you already have. You have all of Him. When you choose to yield to Him daily though, He gets more of you. Here you have to recognize your need for Him to guide you daily. You discuss your sins with Him and repent, and ask Him to guide you daily. You choose to give up your own desires, and yield to His control. And finally when you pray to be filled, you need to believe and trust God will do it.
When you ask God to take control of your life and every thing you do, and you try to stop taking things back from Him, this is how He does it: through the Spirit. Here, you are working to live in God’s truth and walk in His word. When you feel guilty about a sin and you are beating yourself up you frequently have a conversation with yourself. You start to build a defense in your own mind regarding something you did. Meanwhile, your enemy is telling you how awful you are and how horrible you are, so you start to have a conversation with him. He is telling you the bad and you are defending yourself. Stop right there. That is not God. The Holy Spirit wants to guide you in love and compassion. Ask Him to show you what you did wrong so you will not do it again. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63.
Some Christians show evidence outwardly of the Spirit in them when they are filled with the Spirit. Some feel terrific inside, some cry, some look completely normal, and some speak in tongues. Not everyone will show evidence of being filled. Just because you are not showing it outwardly does not mean that you are not being filled. Do not let your enemy convince you that because you are not yelling, screaming, or crying that you are not filled with the Spirit. Remember the Spirit is working through you. There is no feeling as there is when you are filled. Whatever form it takes there is no feeling quite like it in the world. You have an overwhelming confidence that you are doing what God wants you to do, and you have no doubt. None.
A man made weapon will lose its sharpness. However, this weapon never will. This is a spiritual weapon with a victory guarantee. His truth sets you free. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32. Imagine what life would be like if you did not have to look back and question a decision you made, or worry about the future? When you are being guided by the Spirit you will not have to because God’s will is being done in your life.
4) He testifies. “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also much testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27.
The world is harsh, and your enemy knows it. He will use it against you time and again to make you doubt, worry, and give up. But the Holy Spirit is in you to testify, and you are to do the same. You are to comfort others with the good news of the Gospel, and with your own testimony of Christ. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:14-15.
When you engage in presenting testimony and witnessing to others you are using your weapon in the most effective way. “May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,” Psalm 149:6. You are praising Him and telling others. You cannot separate the sword from praise. You are using it for God. He is who you are fighting for remember? “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15.
The Spirit reveals God’s truth to you, and helps you reveal it to others. “At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20. Every day you need to talk to Him and ask Him to guide you in every way, including your testimony and witness to others. “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20.
When you do witness to others and provide testimony, remember it is the Spirit working through you. The Spirit is in control. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. You need to make sure it is the Spirit and not you. If it is your own interpretation and you have no confirmation of the Spirit that you are speaking the truth, then you can mislead and use your weapon inappropriately. Confirmation by the Spirit is an absolute, 100% confidence that you are right. Ask God for that confirmation before you speak. You will be amazed at the signs you get to confirm His truth.
Remember what an honor it is to have God worth through you to help others. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” Isaiah 61:1. You are His hands and feet here on Earth, and you can change lives through His word and Spirit. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17.
He is working through you to provide hope and light in a dark and evil world. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4; “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130.
There is no limit to the power of His Spirit. And you are assured victory. After Jesus quoted scripture back to the Devil, who had been attempting to tempt Him, we are told, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13.
If you put on your armor and are equipped with God’s Spirit and Word, you will succeed in fighting your enemy’s attacks as well. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.
“Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” Psalm 119:73.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“…SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD”
This is the sixth piece of armor you will have with you. You are to “take” the “sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17.
This is your weapon. Think back to the Roman solider. The sword to which the Apostle Paul is referring here is the short one used in hand-to-hand combat that could be pulled out at an instant. This is the weapon that allows you to strike quickly when you have found yourself in a sudden battle that you did not see coming.
In this scripture, Paul tells us that the sword is the “word of God”. The other pieces of armor are to protect you, but this one allows you to attack and fight back.
Remember this is a weapon. When you find a child playing with a knife, what do you do? You take it away. Ask yourself why you do that. You do it because they do not know how to use them properly and they could harm themselves.
Now remember that you are God’s child. He wants you to know how to use your sword. You can harm yourself with this weapon if you do not learn how to use it properly, even before you get to use it on your enemy. “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:4-5.
Knowing that, what does God do? He sends you a trainer. When Jesus died, the Holy Spirit came to live in all of us as Christians. God makes sure you have a personal weapons trainer with you at all times so you will not get hurt, and you will know how to use your weapon accurately and effectively. “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13.
Even when you are fully trained, your trainer remains in you always and places the instruction manual for your weapon permanently in your mind and heart. You are never alone with your weapon just in case you forget how to use it. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17.
Remember you can never separate your sword from the Holy Spirit. Otherwise you will forget how to use your weapon or you will use it in an improper manner. Either way you are harming your own self in battle. “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21.
Your armor is nowhere near complete without the power of the Holy Spirit. He is your trainer, and will keep you on course. His importance is paramount in your chances of succeeding in battle.
You have to know God’s word. When you are being trained how are you going to understand the language your trainer speaks if you do not? “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8.
You are to read it, know it, meditate on it, understand it, and hide it in your heart. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11.
There is so much power in the word. This weapon has complete power and control even if the solider is not holding it. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.
His word is truth. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.
His word affects every aspect of life in every possible way. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
How does your trainer train you to use your weapon?
1) He teaches and reminds. Jesus told His disciples, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:25-26. After Jesus’ death and resurrection the Holy Spirit came to live in all of us. “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16.
Frequently when talking to His disciples or giving sermons, Jesus would use parables. “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” Mark 4:33-34. A parable has been described as an earthly story with a spiritual truth. In our mind it would be more like an analogy. You describe one situation to shed light on another. For example, Jesus would talk about a mustard seed in a discussion about faith.
Jesus’ disciples wondered why He used parables. “The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” Matthew 13:10-13.
He told them that He spoke in parables because even though people could see they really could not see, and even though they hear they do not “hear or understand”. Concentrate on that for a moment. When referring to the ears He stated that they could not only hear, but they could not understand.
Without the Holy Spirit, neither will you. That is why Jesus spoke in parables. It requires insight and truth to be revealed to understand what He was saying. The Holy Spirit was sent to you to provide that insight and truth.
Memorizing and quoting the Bible is not enough. You have to understand it. Remember that Satan used scripture to tempt Jesus in the desert. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”. Luke 4:9-12.
The Devil quoted an accurate scripture from the Bible. However, Jesus did not jump from the temple. Instead, Jesus quoted the right scripture for the occasion. If you are not relying on the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s word to you, then you are likely to misapply His word.
Your enemy wants you to believe God’s word is contradictory and confusing. He works endlessly to convince us of that. It simply is not true. People often say, “Well one book of the Bible says to do this and another book says to do another, and the verses contradict each other.” Wrong. When you read the entire Bible, and ask the Spirit to give you discernment so you can see the truth, it all makes perfect sense. God’s word is perfect and everlasting. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8.
2) He convicts. “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment; in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stand condemned.” John 16:7-11.
Not only does the Holy Spirit reveal the truth of God’s word to you and provide you with understanding, He will expect you to walk in it. God’s word is a mirror of the truth. It is also a mirror of who you really are and how you are living. You cannot separate the pieces of armor. The Sword of the Spirit is with you but your Breastplate of Righteousness, Shield of Faith, and Shoes of Peace are also on. When you feel that nagging inside of you telling you that you are doing something wrong, that is the Spirit. Stop and talk to Him and ask Him what you should do. Be willing to make changes to obey God’s word. You are not just reading it to read it. Once you read it, you need to live by it. That is the point. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22.
3) He guides. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16:13-15.
Once you are convicted about your action or thoughts by the Spirit, if you stay walking in faith and actually do what the Spirit is asking you to, He will guide you. Then you are walking in step with the Spirit. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25.
You cannot separate prayer from the Spirit. Ask God to reveal His Spirit to you and fill you with Him. You may have been baptized with the Spirit when you accepted Christ because He came to live in you, but being filled is different. Being filled with the Spirit is a daily prayer. And there is no addiction on Earth that could anywhere compare to being filled with the Holy Spirit. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18.
Baptism by the Holy Spirit is something God did for you when He sent Jesus to die for us. When you accept Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you. No matter who you are or what you have done, you are one with Christ when you accept Him. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13. You did not do anything to earn this or to have this, it was through God’s grace and love for you. You are sealed and delivered. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a daily action of yielding to His control. You do not get more of the Spirit than you already have. You have all of Him. When you choose to yield to Him daily though, He gets more of you. Here you have to recognize your need for Him to guide you daily. You discuss your sins with Him and repent, and ask Him to guide you daily. You choose to give up your own desires, and yield to His control. And finally when you pray to be filled, you need to believe and trust God will do it.
When you ask God to take control of your life and every thing you do, and you try to stop taking things back from Him, this is how He does it: through the Spirit. Here, you are working to live in God’s truth and walk in His word. When you feel guilty about a sin and you are beating yourself up you frequently have a conversation with yourself. You start to build a defense in your own mind regarding something you did. Meanwhile, your enemy is telling you how awful you are and how horrible you are, so you start to have a conversation with him. He is telling you the bad and you are defending yourself. Stop right there. That is not God. The Holy Spirit wants to guide you in love and compassion. Ask Him to show you what you did wrong so you will not do it again. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63.
Some Christians show evidence outwardly of the Spirit in them when they are filled with the Spirit. Some feel terrific inside, some cry, some look completely normal, and some speak in tongues. Not everyone will show evidence of being filled. Just because you are not showing it outwardly does not mean that you are not being filled. Do not let your enemy convince you that because you are not yelling, screaming, or crying that you are not filled with the Spirit. Remember the Spirit is working through you. There is no feeling as there is when you are filled. Whatever form it takes there is no feeling quite like it in the world. You have an overwhelming confidence that you are doing what God wants you to do, and you have no doubt. None.
A man made weapon will lose its sharpness. However, this weapon never will. This is a spiritual weapon with a victory guarantee. His truth sets you free. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32. Imagine what life would be like if you did not have to look back and question a decision you made, or worry about the future? When you are being guided by the Spirit you will not have to because God’s will is being done in your life.
4) He testifies. “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also much testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27.
The world is harsh, and your enemy knows it. He will use it against you time and again to make you doubt, worry, and give up. But the Holy Spirit is in you to testify, and you are to do the same. You are to comfort others with the good news of the Gospel, and with your own testimony of Christ. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:14-15.
When you engage in presenting testimony and witnessing to others you are using your weapon in the most effective way. “May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,” Psalm 149:6. You are praising Him and telling others. You cannot separate the sword from praise. You are using it for God. He is who you are fighting for remember? “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15.
The Spirit reveals God’s truth to you, and helps you reveal it to others. “At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20. Every day you need to talk to Him and ask Him to guide you in every way, including your testimony and witness to others. “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20.
When you do witness to others and provide testimony, remember it is the Spirit working through you. The Spirit is in control. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. You need to make sure it is the Spirit and not you. If it is your own interpretation and you have no confirmation of the Spirit that you are speaking the truth, then you can mislead and use your weapon inappropriately. Confirmation by the Spirit is an absolute, 100% confidence that you are right. Ask God for that confirmation before you speak. You will be amazed at the signs you get to confirm His truth.
Remember what an honor it is to have God worth through you to help others. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” Isaiah 61:1. You are His hands and feet here on Earth, and you can change lives through His word and Spirit. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17.
He is working through you to provide hope and light in a dark and evil world. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4; “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130.
There is no limit to the power of His Spirit. And you are assured victory. After Jesus quoted scripture back to the Devil, who had been attempting to tempt Him, we are told, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13.
If you put on your armor and are equipped with God’s Spirit and Word, you will succeed in fighting your enemy’s attacks as well. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.
“Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” Psalm 119:73.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Helmet of Salvation (Part VI)...
May 18, 2009
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION…”
This is the fourth piece of armor you must have with you. You won’t necessarily put it on until the battle begins, but you will always have it with you.
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17.
Soldiers would frequently carry their helmet and put it on right before battle, but it was always with them at all times. That is why the scripture tells us we are to “take” the Helmet of Salvation. You never leave it behind.
Your head is where you can suffer severe injury, similar to the heart. Your enemy loves to attack your head, and will frequently cause your own mind to become the battleground.
What is the Helmet of Salvation though? It is the helmet that protects your mind and your thoughts. Your enemy’s battle plan is specifically drawn to attack you here, so be prepared to protect your mind.
You must do everything you can. “Therefore put on 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.” Ephesians 6:13. If your Shoes of Peace and Breastplate of Righteousness are on then your enemy cannot attack your chest or try to knock you off your feet. However, if he sees you without your Helmet of Salvation on that is exactly where he will strike you. Think of a solider charging against his opponent and riding a horse with a sword in his hand. He will ride up against his adversaries and swing at their heads.
HELMET OF SALVATION: What steps do you need to take to make sure the helmet is strong enough to protect you?
I. RESOLVE TO NEVER GIVE UP: From the beginning, even before you start, resolve that you will do everything you can, and never give up. Make sure that you have asked for forgiveness of your sins. “From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 4:17. No matter how hard things get, you keep walking in faith. Look to Jesus and the strength he showed for you. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.
II. THINK LIKE A CHRISTIAN SOLIDER: Make sure that you know God’s word and follow it. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105. Know His promises and assurance of victory. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18. Do not look back over your life and engage in regret, guilt, and self-pity while you are on a battlefield. If your enemy can get you to think backwards and worry about it then he doesn’t have to worry about you looking forward and being prepared for his attack. If you know God’s word then you know His promise of forgiveness. You have to believe in His word and live by faith in the promises He gives you.
III. TRANSFORM YOUR MIND: God wants your mind to be transformed. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2. Once you understand His word, you can transform your mind because you know what is true and untrue, and what His will is. Start to recognize what sin can do to you emotionally, and the hurt it causes you and others.
IV. TRANSFORM YOUR ACTIONS: Allow your transformed mind to change your actions. “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Do not just think like a Christian Solider, act like one. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11.
V. AIM FOR COMPLETENESS: Do not allow yourself to fall victim to what others are telling you about what you should do to follow God. Go to Him directly, through His word and through His Spirit.
Often we worry about what others think, and when we act on something we seek confirmation from another person that what we did was appropriate. While it is entirely understandable for a believer to seek another Christian’s advice on an action, do not seek it without having talked to God about what He thinks first. If you do this you are telling Him that you do not have a good enough relationship with Him, so you are going to seek approval from someone who does. You need to work to have that complete relationship with Him.
If you are new to working on this relationship, it is easy to believe anyone who says they are a person of God. This is precisely why you need to make sure you have talked to God yourself. Some believers are focused on emotions only, and want to feel good all the time. However, we are often closest to God when we are in our darkest moments. Still some believers are the opposite and only focus on God’s will. They memorize everything, recite everything, but do not have the emotion connection. God wants us to love Him, and be on fire for Him. He would rather have you talking to Him directly and asking Him why this happened to you than he would have you not caring what He thinks at all. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15-16.
The truth is you need to work on completeness: the heart (emotions), the mind (learning His will through your relationship with Him and through His word), and the body (conforming your actions to His will and not your own desires). Remember, He wants you on fire for Him, so the heart, mind, and body must be working together to accomplish this. You are to hide His word in your heart, meditate on it in your mind, and then carry it out through your actions. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:9-16.
VI. USE GOD’S TRUTH TO UNDERSTAND YOUR ENEMY: Use God’s truth to understand your enemy’s battle plan. “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:10-11. And if you know God’s word you will know your enemy’s schemes, and you can prepare for his attacks.
There are three primary ways that your enemy seeks to attack your mind.
1) Your enemy uses doubt. He tries to cause you to doubt God. He wants you to focus on everything negative possible instead of trusting and having faith in God’s promise of victory.
Know you are victorious, and rely on God’s will for your life. “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:1-2.
You cannot have a doubtful mind and be victorious for many reasons. One, a doubtful mind is divided. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:24-25. Second, you cannot think clearly enough to understand God’s truth because you are filling your head with questions and doubts. Your mind has to be open to God, not doubting whether He can accomplish what you are asking for in prayer. This is more than just memorizing His word. This is your emotions and what you feel and know is true. Have faith in Him. Otherwise you are divided against yourself and you have let your enemy know that you are not even sure what you are fighting for. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:5-8.
Doubt is a lack of faith, and it creates worry and anxiety that can harm your faith even further because it will linger. God has told us not to worry. “And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.” Luke 12:29.
God has also told us that if we truly believe we can do anything. Remember Peter did not fall when he was walking on the water and focused only on Jesus. He fell into the water when he saw the wind blowing and became afraid. And Jesus told him why he fell: doubt. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:29-31.
True, blind faith does not waiver. The Greek word for doubtful is “distazo” meaning waiver or doubt. We frequently waiver, never settling our minds on an issue, but this is a test of your faith. Resolve that God is your solution for everything and you will settle your mind on what He promises. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” Mark 11:23.
If you are struggling with your faith, God understands. He knows what your enemy is trying to do to you and He knows how hard it is for you, but He is waiting for you to come to Him with everything. That means if you are doubtful you do not seek to find your peace of mind from man, but from Him. He loves you enough to help you overcome your doubt. Talk to Him about every thing even if you think you are doing something wrong. You do not ever have to be too ashamed to come to Him. He knows your every thought, and He knows you are prone to sin. He wants you to have a relationship with Him and be able to trust Him to overcome any obstacle you are facing. “Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24.
2) Your enemy deceives you. Remember always that all good things come from God. If it is confusion, worry, anxiety, and the like it is not from God. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33.
To look at how deceitful he is, look at two well known examples in the Bible. First, look at when the Devil was tempting Jesus in the desert. What did he tempt Him with? Scripture. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”. Luke 4:9-12.
The second example is from Genesis where Eve is in the Garden of Eden, and the Devil is tempting her to eat the apple. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5.
In both examples notice two important points. First, your enemy knows God’s word also, and is aiming to deceive you with it. If you have not read it for yourself how will you be prepared to know the truth? Look at how Jesus handled the Devil. Although he quoted scripture from God’s word, so did Jesus. Key point here. You cannot just memorize scripture. You have to have a relationship with God and have a clear mind (not doubting or being deceived) to understand God’s word through the Holy Spirit. When you read His word you will understand it with the help of the Holy Spirit, and then you know the undeniable truth, no matter what your enemy or anyone else tells you.
Second, he uses it to play on your weaknesses. He mistakenly thought that Jesus would want to show him that He is the Son of God by jumping from the highest point of the temple. But Jesus was perfect in every way and knew that He was here to do His Father’s work, and that was all that mattered.
These examples show you how you should handle the temptation versus how you should not. Do not give in. Arm yourself with God’s truth and know that you cannot be deceived. If you do not, you are opening yourself up to falling for your enemy’s trick of luring you into his trap.
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3. Here the Apostle Paul tells us that we can somehow be led “astray” from our “sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” “Sincere and pure” is a single-minded concept. When you doubt you open yourself up to being deceived because you have divided your mind between what is true and what is false, and you have clouded the truth with your own thoughts. Stay single-minded about your faith in God’s truth, sincerely and purely.
3) Your enemy discourages you. He tells you that you cannot win, that it will take too long, that you are waiting for nothing or God would have already acted by now, and that God is the one deceiving you. How does he get you to believe this?
First, he preys on your fear of failure. We are afraid of failure because it makes us ashamed and feel alone. But we need to remember that God is our strength, and we are never really alone. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6. When you are afraid to try again because you feel as if you failed, remember to go to God to renew you and give you the courage to go forward. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.
Second, he preys on your fatigue. When you are sick, tired, exhausted, or suffering and feel that you cannot put one foot in front of the other and that you cannot go any further, your enemy steps up to prey on those feelings of fatigue. He tries to cause you to see things as worse than they already are by telling you there is no way to overcome it. But God’s truth tells you that this is a lie. “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. When you are weak and you keep your faith and trust in God, your enemy loses. And God steps in to show the world His power through you. He will take the weak and make them strong.
Third, he preys on your frustration. When you are feeling impatient and overwhelmed by the weight of the world, he will step in to tell you that you are doing everything wrong, or that others are. He will fuel your frustration until not only do you doubt yourself, but you doubt others as well. Remember that God’s timing is perfect. We are on His timing and not our own. Everything in your life reaches perfection on His watch. We may feel good about things we do in our own timing, but not half as good as we would feel if we would wait for God. He wants you to be still, remain faithful, and be patient. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7.
Fourth, he preys on your confusion. He will use believers and non-believers to discourage you by clouding your thoughts about each other. You will worry about what others think of you, and what you should or should not have done in a situation. He wants you to concentrate on fighting with someone because you both have mistruths about each other instead of trying to focus on the root of the problem. For example, if someone is acting out at work because they are upset about a problem going on behind the scenes at home, he will confuse you who that person really is inside. He will tell you that the person is horrible and fill you full of anger and resentment. Then you will lash out at them instead of trying to figure out what is causing them to act out and help them. God wants us to help each other, but your enemy will deliberately try to cause dissention in your own ranks and cause you to turn on your own army. That is not what God wants for us. His word tells us that we are all one in Christ. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5.
Remember your enemy wants you to act contrary to God’s word. God’s word tells us that, “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7. He will prey on your thoughts and show you things to get you to walk by sight and not faith. That is how he seeks to discourage you: by what you see. But with full confidence in God what you see is not what you live by. The “unseen” is your compass. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.
If you do not prepare yourself for your enemy’s attacks on your mind, your own defeat will come from within and not outside. Remember your own mind is the battleground. Jesus never gave up inside, and He never gave up on you.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.
Danielle Joyner Kelley
“TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION…”
This is the fourth piece of armor you must have with you. You won’t necessarily put it on until the battle begins, but you will always have it with you.
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17.
Soldiers would frequently carry their helmet and put it on right before battle, but it was always with them at all times. That is why the scripture tells us we are to “take” the Helmet of Salvation. You never leave it behind.
Your head is where you can suffer severe injury, similar to the heart. Your enemy loves to attack your head, and will frequently cause your own mind to become the battleground.
What is the Helmet of Salvation though? It is the helmet that protects your mind and your thoughts. Your enemy’s battle plan is specifically drawn to attack you here, so be prepared to protect your mind.
You must do everything you can. “Therefore put on 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.” Ephesians 6:13. If your Shoes of Peace and Breastplate of Righteousness are on then your enemy cannot attack your chest or try to knock you off your feet. However, if he sees you without your Helmet of Salvation on that is exactly where he will strike you. Think of a solider charging against his opponent and riding a horse with a sword in his hand. He will ride up against his adversaries and swing at their heads.
HELMET OF SALVATION: What steps do you need to take to make sure the helmet is strong enough to protect you?
I. RESOLVE TO NEVER GIVE UP: From the beginning, even before you start, resolve that you will do everything you can, and never give up. Make sure that you have asked for forgiveness of your sins. “From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 4:17. No matter how hard things get, you keep walking in faith. Look to Jesus and the strength he showed for you. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13.
II. THINK LIKE A CHRISTIAN SOLIDER: Make sure that you know God’s word and follow it. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105. Know His promises and assurance of victory. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18. Do not look back over your life and engage in regret, guilt, and self-pity while you are on a battlefield. If your enemy can get you to think backwards and worry about it then he doesn’t have to worry about you looking forward and being prepared for his attack. If you know God’s word then you know His promise of forgiveness. You have to believe in His word and live by faith in the promises He gives you.
III. TRANSFORM YOUR MIND: God wants your mind to be transformed. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2. Once you understand His word, you can transform your mind because you know what is true and untrue, and what His will is. Start to recognize what sin can do to you emotionally, and the hurt it causes you and others.
IV. TRANSFORM YOUR ACTIONS: Allow your transformed mind to change your actions. “But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” 1 Thessalonians 5:8. Do not just think like a Christian Solider, act like one. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11.
V. AIM FOR COMPLETENESS: Do not allow yourself to fall victim to what others are telling you about what you should do to follow God. Go to Him directly, through His word and through His Spirit.
Often we worry about what others think, and when we act on something we seek confirmation from another person that what we did was appropriate. While it is entirely understandable for a believer to seek another Christian’s advice on an action, do not seek it without having talked to God about what He thinks first. If you do this you are telling Him that you do not have a good enough relationship with Him, so you are going to seek approval from someone who does. You need to work to have that complete relationship with Him.
If you are new to working on this relationship, it is easy to believe anyone who says they are a person of God. This is precisely why you need to make sure you have talked to God yourself. Some believers are focused on emotions only, and want to feel good all the time. However, we are often closest to God when we are in our darkest moments. Still some believers are the opposite and only focus on God’s will. They memorize everything, recite everything, but do not have the emotion connection. God wants us to love Him, and be on fire for Him. He would rather have you talking to Him directly and asking Him why this happened to you than he would have you not caring what He thinks at all. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15-16.
The truth is you need to work on completeness: the heart (emotions), the mind (learning His will through your relationship with Him and through His word), and the body (conforming your actions to His will and not your own desires). Remember, He wants you on fire for Him, so the heart, mind, and body must be working together to accomplish this. You are to hide His word in your heart, meditate on it in your mind, and then carry it out through your actions. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” Psalm 119:9-16.
VI. USE GOD’S TRUTH TO UNDERSTAND YOUR ENEMY: Use God’s truth to understand your enemy’s battle plan. “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:10-11. And if you know God’s word you will know your enemy’s schemes, and you can prepare for his attacks.
There are three primary ways that your enemy seeks to attack your mind.
1) Your enemy uses doubt. He tries to cause you to doubt God. He wants you to focus on everything negative possible instead of trusting and having faith in God’s promise of victory.
Know you are victorious, and rely on God’s will for your life. “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:1-2.
You cannot have a doubtful mind and be victorious for many reasons. One, a doubtful mind is divided. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:24-25. Second, you cannot think clearly enough to understand God’s truth because you are filling your head with questions and doubts. Your mind has to be open to God, not doubting whether He can accomplish what you are asking for in prayer. This is more than just memorizing His word. This is your emotions and what you feel and know is true. Have faith in Him. Otherwise you are divided against yourself and you have let your enemy know that you are not even sure what you are fighting for. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” James 1:5-8.
Doubt is a lack of faith, and it creates worry and anxiety that can harm your faith even further because it will linger. God has told us not to worry. “And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.” Luke 12:29.
God has also told us that if we truly believe we can do anything. Remember Peter did not fall when he was walking on the water and focused only on Jesus. He fell into the water when he saw the wind blowing and became afraid. And Jesus told him why he fell: doubt. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:29-31.
True, blind faith does not waiver. The Greek word for doubtful is “distazo” meaning waiver or doubt. We frequently waiver, never settling our minds on an issue, but this is a test of your faith. Resolve that God is your solution for everything and you will settle your mind on what He promises. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.” Mark 11:23.
If you are struggling with your faith, God understands. He knows what your enemy is trying to do to you and He knows how hard it is for you, but He is waiting for you to come to Him with everything. That means if you are doubtful you do not seek to find your peace of mind from man, but from Him. He loves you enough to help you overcome your doubt. Talk to Him about every thing even if you think you are doing something wrong. You do not ever have to be too ashamed to come to Him. He knows your every thought, and He knows you are prone to sin. He wants you to have a relationship with Him and be able to trust Him to overcome any obstacle you are facing. “Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" Mark 9:24.
2) Your enemy deceives you. Remember always that all good things come from God. If it is confusion, worry, anxiety, and the like it is not from God. “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace.” 1 Corinthians 14:33.
To look at how deceitful he is, look at two well known examples in the Bible. First, look at when the Devil was tempting Jesus in the desert. What did he tempt Him with? Scripture. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”. Luke 4:9-12.
The second example is from Genesis where Eve is in the Garden of Eden, and the Devil is tempting her to eat the apple. “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:1-5.
In both examples notice two important points. First, your enemy knows God’s word also, and is aiming to deceive you with it. If you have not read it for yourself how will you be prepared to know the truth? Look at how Jesus handled the Devil. Although he quoted scripture from God’s word, so did Jesus. Key point here. You cannot just memorize scripture. You have to have a relationship with God and have a clear mind (not doubting or being deceived) to understand God’s word through the Holy Spirit. When you read His word you will understand it with the help of the Holy Spirit, and then you know the undeniable truth, no matter what your enemy or anyone else tells you.
Second, he uses it to play on your weaknesses. He mistakenly thought that Jesus would want to show him that He is the Son of God by jumping from the highest point of the temple. But Jesus was perfect in every way and knew that He was here to do His Father’s work, and that was all that mattered.
These examples show you how you should handle the temptation versus how you should not. Do not give in. Arm yourself with God’s truth and know that you cannot be deceived. If you do not, you are opening yourself up to falling for your enemy’s trick of luring you into his trap.
“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 11:3. Here the Apostle Paul tells us that we can somehow be led “astray” from our “sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” “Sincere and pure” is a single-minded concept. When you doubt you open yourself up to being deceived because you have divided your mind between what is true and what is false, and you have clouded the truth with your own thoughts. Stay single-minded about your faith in God’s truth, sincerely and purely.
3) Your enemy discourages you. He tells you that you cannot win, that it will take too long, that you are waiting for nothing or God would have already acted by now, and that God is the one deceiving you. How does he get you to believe this?
First, he preys on your fear of failure. We are afraid of failure because it makes us ashamed and feel alone. But we need to remember that God is our strength, and we are never really alone. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6. When you are afraid to try again because you feel as if you failed, remember to go to God to renew you and give you the courage to go forward. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.
Second, he preys on your fatigue. When you are sick, tired, exhausted, or suffering and feel that you cannot put one foot in front of the other and that you cannot go any further, your enemy steps up to prey on those feelings of fatigue. He tries to cause you to see things as worse than they already are by telling you there is no way to overcome it. But God’s truth tells you that this is a lie. “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10. When you are weak and you keep your faith and trust in God, your enemy loses. And God steps in to show the world His power through you. He will take the weak and make them strong.
Third, he preys on your frustration. When you are feeling impatient and overwhelmed by the weight of the world, he will step in to tell you that you are doing everything wrong, or that others are. He will fuel your frustration until not only do you doubt yourself, but you doubt others as well. Remember that God’s timing is perfect. We are on His timing and not our own. Everything in your life reaches perfection on His watch. We may feel good about things we do in our own timing, but not half as good as we would feel if we would wait for God. He wants you to be still, remain faithful, and be patient. “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7.
Fourth, he preys on your confusion. He will use believers and non-believers to discourage you by clouding your thoughts about each other. You will worry about what others think of you, and what you should or should not have done in a situation. He wants you to concentrate on fighting with someone because you both have mistruths about each other instead of trying to focus on the root of the problem. For example, if someone is acting out at work because they are upset about a problem going on behind the scenes at home, he will confuse you who that person really is inside. He will tell you that the person is horrible and fill you full of anger and resentment. Then you will lash out at them instead of trying to figure out what is causing them to act out and help them. God wants us to help each other, but your enemy will deliberately try to cause dissention in your own ranks and cause you to turn on your own army. That is not what God wants for us. His word tells us that we are all one in Christ. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5.
Remember your enemy wants you to act contrary to God’s word. God’s word tells us that, “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7. He will prey on your thoughts and show you things to get you to walk by sight and not faith. That is how he seeks to discourage you: by what you see. But with full confidence in God what you see is not what you live by. The “unseen” is your compass. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1.
If you do not prepare yourself for your enemy’s attacks on your mind, your own defeat will come from within and not outside. Remember your own mind is the battleground. Jesus never gave up inside, and He never gave up on you.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.
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