I Am Challenged #1

It’s not wrong to feel fear.  It IS wrong to let that fear have the last word in your life. The people who accomplish the most astounding things for God’s glory aren’t the people who feel the least fear.  Often they’re the ones who deal with the most intense fear.  But instead of letting that fear disable their dreams, they start increasing their capacity for faith.  Steven Furtick

 

It’s all about perspective i think.  How BIG is God to you?  How POWERFUL is God to you?  The BIGGER He is the more we will trust Him and the more we will step out.  The more it’s all about Him and His power empowering us the more we’ll step out and be a jar of clay for Him to demonstrate His love and power through. The more we realize that it’s His power through us the more we’ll step out in faith to do the works He has called us to do.  The more we trust Him and have faith in HIS ABLENESS the more we’ll really live the adventure we’re called to live.

E100: 26b – WAR ZONE

These are the nations the lord left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience): the five rulers of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites living in the Lebanon mountains from Mount Baal Hermon to Lebo Hamath.They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the lord’s commands, which he had given their ancestors through Moses.  Judges 3:1-4

 

One reason God let Israel’s enemies stay in the Promised Land was so that each new generation would learn to fight … in the heat of the battle.
God allows struggles in our lives not to punish us but to give us the opportunity to develop our character.  Patience isn’t learned when times are peaceful. Patience is learned in times of stress.

 

The Lord used the Canaanites to test and build Israel. They taught the future generations about warfare. They also tested their loyalty to God. Whenever times were good, they drifted and lost their faith. God would allow them to be overrun by their enemies until Israel cried out for deliverance. Being a merciful and loving Father, He would deliver them. We will endure many trials in life in order to build up our faith. When we share our testimony of what God did for us during the trial, He is glorified. youversion note

 

As Christians we have victory over the enemy because of Jesus – He came to destroy the works of the devil.  We live in a war zone.  we are saved and sent.  redeemed and recruited.  we are part of God’s glorious plan to see people come to know Him.   anyone that wants to be used by God will face contention and battle.  the war zone touches every area of our life.  the great strategy of the enemy has always being the same, right from the beginning.  God isn’t who He says He is, and He doesn’t mean what He says.  He aims to distract and dissuade us from knowing God and living for Him.  he hates that we are children of God. 

 

his goal is the same as it was in the garden.  he exists to silence God’s message of hope and genuine relationship with His children.  don’t pick up the lies the enemy is putting down.  @stickyjesus

the enemy knows that if he can capture your thought life, everything else will soon tumble down around you.  Christ died to give you holiness, but the enemy aggressively and enthusiastically bets against your holiness before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee.  life on this side of heaven is hard.  @stickyjesus

 

but in this war we are not unarmed or weak.  we are not the losers.  we are children and heirs of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who one day will return and breathe upon the enemy and destroy him.  the enemy is defeated already at the cross.   we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to stand and overcome. 

 

God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.  Colossians 2:13-15

Greater is He in you than the one who is in the world.  1 john 4:4

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.   Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour 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 6:10-13

remember the cross and how it defeated the sin in your life for good.  you are no longer the underdog or a slave tot eh strongholds that left you helpless.  jesus came as your escape route from all of the things you fear.  @stickyjesus

 

part of the strategy we need as christians to have victory – in the big picture – and in our own personal lives as we live out for jesus is to be intentional and aware.    we need to know we’re in a battle and that we are fully armed.  we need to know WHO we are serving and WHY.   we need to be watching and alert.

 

Be self- controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 peter 5:8

 

this isnt just a observance mode.  its not just a looking out for danger but its a choice to live our lives aware and living according to the Word of God.

every choice is a choice between light and darkness, between obedience and disobedience, between the flesh and the spirit, between the world and the Kingdom of God.  choose God.  choose obedience.  choose to pick up your cross and deny self and follow Jesus.  this is your offensive attack.  make choices to avoid evil.  make choices to not compromise.  make choices to overcome.

 

we also are in a war zone against ourselves:

 

1 Peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Romans 13:14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:16 [ Life by the Spirit ] So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.

Galatians 5:24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Colossians 3:5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

 

the good thing in this war is that Jesus has won this victory too.

we are fallen flawed sinful humans but in that state of rebellion Christ died for us to make us holy, righteous, innocent and acceptable.

 

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Colossians 1:19-22 God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross, so that all beings in heaven and on earth would be brought back to God. You used to be far from God. Your thoughts made you his enemies, and you did evil things. But his Son became a human and died. So God made peace with you, and now he lets you stand in his presence as people who are holy and faultless and innocent.

Ephesians 2:1-9 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions— it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith— and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no-one can boast.

 

Just as the israelites had to clear the land of their enemies so in my life i am clearing the land, or allowing Jesus in me to clear the land of my faults and selfishness and sin. 

Jesus makes us righteous and by the work of the Holy Spirit in us He transforms us and conforms us into the image of Jesus, into the character of Jesus, into the holiness of Jesus.  Because of His great love for us He has rescued us and now empowers us to live obedient lives, surrendering to His will and ways.  We are forgiven and cleansed and God’s mercies are new every morning. 

Doing What I Can Do

have you ever been in one of those situations where you wish you could help but the situation is too big?

my family are going through “something” at the moment that doesn’t directly affect me but directly affects my sister and parents and will in fact change their lives from this point onwards.

dad called last week to let me know the news and i could tell by his voice that something was up. 

its been a good time to pray.

and as it has unfolded i realized there is something i can do.

in fact something i am gifted in.

i can encourage.

i can send texts saying “hang in there” and let them know i am praying

i can send cards.

i can phone and just support.

and in fact as its been unfolding the encouragement has been a real lifeline to my sister and parents.

its making a difference.

giving courage.

our words can speak hope and life and compassion and support and love and grace.

i’m glad i can do something.

i’m glad God gave me this gift.