I am currently reading a book titled, "Holiness", by Nancy Leigh Demoss, and I am in awe at how she uses the most vivid metaphors to illustrate or should I say depict what our sins do to ourselves, others, and how it makes God feels. I also like the practically of the information she shares in this book, its clear cut candid and simple. She really made me see how much I grieve the holy spirit inside me.
She speaks about us living in our sin as if we are having an affair. She asks us to imagine our significant others cheating on us and the pain you feel once you realize your mate has been unfaithful. Thats how we make the holy spirit feels.
She also told a story about a missionary nurse who took care of the little kids in the village. One day a little boy stole two eggs from her while they were on their way out of the house to visit another little boy. It was raining and the missionary nurse had a light and wanted to shield the little boy from the rain. However, knowing he had those eggs in his hands he chose to stay in the dark. It was raining and muddy, eventually the little boy fell crushing the two eggs on top of himself. The nurse picked him up took him home cleaned him up and put on clean bandages for his wounds. The little boy was so happy that his grievous deed was over looked and that he was clean, he forgot all about those eggs.
Thats how we are when we hold on to sin. We stay in the dark for as long as we can hold on to sin, then satan as he always does attempts to embarass us, we become exposed. And God in his loving nature comes and cleans us up and begins to treat our wounds, even when we know he probably would be justified in casting us right into the lake of fire, he doesnt! he protects us, loves us, and nurtures us! our Daddy is awesome!
All this week it seems since I have been reading this book, and aiming to pursue a life of right standing with God, I have been tried and stretched and bullied and just plain picked on! The enemy tried to send people from the north south east and west to cause me to stumble but operation: cancelled. I am declaring in the Mighty Name of Jesus, I am free healed and delivered, I am strong brave and not broken. I am covered with a blanket of grace and lowered with a spirit of Humility. I will Win! I am running from every chance to do wrong, from every chance to sin, every chance to have a ill feeling Heart, I will Run and Pursue Him!
James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Snares!!!
I woke up this morning determined to not let the enemy still my joy, hold me back, or get one ounce of Glory out of my life this morning.
While on my Morning commute the Freeway as it always is heading into Downtown Atlanta was horrendous!!! I had the bright idea to get off the freeway, although something was telling me to stay on, but my mind was to get off.
Literally ten minutes from work while passing through a school zone, on the last street of the school zone, there was a deep curve. Now most curves you have to accelerate through to keep up with traffic to avoid being hit from behind, as I did.
How many know the devil had his trap set. I drove right into the speed trap and yep I was pulled over 44 in a 35, but during school hours, its 25! One thing was different from the other 4 times I've been pulled over here in atlanta, sadly within a years time, I didn't get mad!
Now if you know me I get mad over spilled milk, literally! I guess to some extent I am some type of perfectionist in denial, well coming out of denial :).
Anywho, I am estatic that my faith was activated this morning. I believed God that I would keep a positive attitude, and immediately in this case I was urged not worry cuz its in his hands, it wasnt like getting mad was going to take back the ticket or anything. I am believing God to work on my attitude and last week as I had been praying for the same and started well, I eventually fell into the snare and failed to keep my emotions in check...
So Today was a shocker, I didnt believe that it was possible for my attitude to change after 13 years of hearing how horrible it was....
but anything is possible in God. He reminds me of a scripture,
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
So if there is something you are believing God for, continue to believe! He hasn't let me down yet! I may have grown impatient, but never disappointed. Not by him! Sometimes we move too hastily out of impatience, instead of waiting for God to have his perfect work in us realized and we move into the driver seat, and all hell breaks loose. I know I've been there done that!
So my point is, I asked God to help me with my attitude, and sure enough the trap was set, but God used it as a test and I passed! He says that all things work together for the Good of Those Who Love Christ and I am one of THOSE!!!!
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
So I say Believe, Recieve, and Proceed! Be Blessed!!
Hebrews 11:1
[ Faith in Action ] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
While on my Morning commute the Freeway as it always is heading into Downtown Atlanta was horrendous!!! I had the bright idea to get off the freeway, although something was telling me to stay on, but my mind was to get off.
Literally ten minutes from work while passing through a school zone, on the last street of the school zone, there was a deep curve. Now most curves you have to accelerate through to keep up with traffic to avoid being hit from behind, as I did.
How many know the devil had his trap set. I drove right into the speed trap and yep I was pulled over 44 in a 35, but during school hours, its 25! One thing was different from the other 4 times I've been pulled over here in atlanta, sadly within a years time, I didn't get mad!
Now if you know me I get mad over spilled milk, literally! I guess to some extent I am some type of perfectionist in denial, well coming out of denial :).
Anywho, I am estatic that my faith was activated this morning. I believed God that I would keep a positive attitude, and immediately in this case I was urged not worry cuz its in his hands, it wasnt like getting mad was going to take back the ticket or anything. I am believing God to work on my attitude and last week as I had been praying for the same and started well, I eventually fell into the snare and failed to keep my emotions in check...
So Today was a shocker, I didnt believe that it was possible for my attitude to change after 13 years of hearing how horrible it was....
but anything is possible in God. He reminds me of a scripture,
Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
So if there is something you are believing God for, continue to believe! He hasn't let me down yet! I may have grown impatient, but never disappointed. Not by him! Sometimes we move too hastily out of impatience, instead of waiting for God to have his perfect work in us realized and we move into the driver seat, and all hell breaks loose. I know I've been there done that!
So my point is, I asked God to help me with my attitude, and sure enough the trap was set, but God used it as a test and I passed! He says that all things work together for the Good of Those Who Love Christ and I am one of THOSE!!!!
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
So I say Believe, Recieve, and Proceed! Be Blessed!!
Hebrews 11:1
[ Faith in Action ] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
True Freedom
I often wondered what it meant to be truly free. I say this because I know I was born in a world where the concept is I, especially as a black woman, have been GIVEN freedom many generations ago when slavery ended. I got just one problem with this concept, it's FALSE.
In Genesis 2:16, God told Adam and Eve they were free to eat from the tree of life! They roamed the Garden of Eden naked. Now that's free! David asks God to KEEP him free from the trap (snare) set for him Psalm 31:4. Need more indication that we are a free people, all people? David goes on to tell God that he FREED him from HIS chains in Psalm 116:16.
You see we are free, we bind ourselves with chains, yoke ourselves to sin, some of us are born with the proclivity to be yoked to certain things over others just because of our predecessors sins! Ever heard of generational curses? No? Ok, ever wonder why everyone in the family smokes, or abuses women, or drinks? You were presented with yokes coming out the womb, we all are. But we have a choice to choose otherwise, we have a choice to be free. David goes on to plead with God that he may set him free from his prison so that he can praise his name 142:7. So you see, you cannot be free while you are bound in sin and darkness.
Being free is realized when you learn the truth about yourself. I don't mean you don't know your name, but even that was told to you. You only know what you are taught and shown, or experience, still with a disposition instilled in your own personal morals, values, character, make up, and heck even your genome. Who's truth are you being shown that you so gaily accept it as your own? Isaiah spoke the word of God to the captives "Come out', and to those in darkness, 'Be free" 49:9. You can not possibly be free living in sin and darkness!
Jesus spoke to the disciples of a time that they would be free, and that time was when they knew the truth (John 8:32). The disciples where confused saying “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 8:33 Jesus answered, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed(John 8:36).
Our freedom comes from knowing the truth, not in sin and darkness. But through faith believing in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection for our sake. Asking God that his spirit may dwell within you as a comforter, as your own spiritual advisor right on the inside of you. David was around before Christ came in the form of man and even he proves this same point to be valid in Psalm 119:45 I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. David studied the laws and precepts of God. He made God the head of his life. That's freedom. When you don't even have to drive the car and it still leads you to pursue his will while reaping the desires of your own heart (Psalm 37:4).
Even when Jesus was manifested as son of man and took on our sins as his own so the we may have life, even he had to be freed.
Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. And you can see in Romans 8:2 that, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
You may feel as Paul suspected the believers at the church of Corinth felt “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23 Paul was warning them, there is a price that comes with our percieved human given freedom, it ain't free! You can use your Free Will to get you yoked up, shacked up, knocked up, rocked up, smoked up, drunk up, boo'd up, wooed up, and any other kind of free up you think you may experience. But until you understand where true freedom comes from, any kind of up you think you have, is just a ticket downward.
Sin promises but it doesn't pay, it disappoint, distracts, and destroy you. Maybe you wont see it now, and maybe that's because your "free" little mind is enemy operated. I urge you to pursue freedom, and drop the "devilish batteries" they die just like my energizers. But plug in to the life source, Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit; \ which never loses power, that always gives freely wisdom knowledge peace joy understanding truth and most of all FREEDOM!!!!
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
In Genesis 2:16, God told Adam and Eve they were free to eat from the tree of life! They roamed the Garden of Eden naked. Now that's free! David asks God to KEEP him free from the trap (snare) set for him Psalm 31:4. Need more indication that we are a free people, all people? David goes on to tell God that he FREED him from HIS chains in Psalm 116:16.
You see we are free, we bind ourselves with chains, yoke ourselves to sin, some of us are born with the proclivity to be yoked to certain things over others just because of our predecessors sins! Ever heard of generational curses? No? Ok, ever wonder why everyone in the family smokes, or abuses women, or drinks? You were presented with yokes coming out the womb, we all are. But we have a choice to choose otherwise, we have a choice to be free. David goes on to plead with God that he may set him free from his prison so that he can praise his name 142:7. So you see, you cannot be free while you are bound in sin and darkness.
Being free is realized when you learn the truth about yourself. I don't mean you don't know your name, but even that was told to you. You only know what you are taught and shown, or experience, still with a disposition instilled in your own personal morals, values, character, make up, and heck even your genome. Who's truth are you being shown that you so gaily accept it as your own? Isaiah spoke the word of God to the captives "Come out', and to those in darkness, 'Be free" 49:9. You can not possibly be free living in sin and darkness!
Jesus spoke to the disciples of a time that they would be free, and that time was when they knew the truth (John 8:32). The disciples where confused saying “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 8:33 Jesus answered, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed(John 8:36).
Our freedom comes from knowing the truth, not in sin and darkness. But through faith believing in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection for our sake. Asking God that his spirit may dwell within you as a comforter, as your own spiritual advisor right on the inside of you. David was around before Christ came in the form of man and even he proves this same point to be valid in Psalm 119:45 I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. David studied the laws and precepts of God. He made God the head of his life. That's freedom. When you don't even have to drive the car and it still leads you to pursue his will while reaping the desires of your own heart (Psalm 37:4).
Even when Jesus was manifested as son of man and took on our sins as his own so the we may have life, even he had to be freed.
Acts 2:24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. And you can see in Romans 8:2 that, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
You may feel as Paul suspected the believers at the church of Corinth felt “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23 Paul was warning them, there is a price that comes with our percieved human given freedom, it ain't free! You can use your Free Will to get you yoked up, shacked up, knocked up, rocked up, smoked up, drunk up, boo'd up, wooed up, and any other kind of free up you think you may experience. But until you understand where true freedom comes from, any kind of up you think you have, is just a ticket downward.
Sin promises but it doesn't pay, it disappoint, distracts, and destroy you. Maybe you wont see it now, and maybe that's because your "free" little mind is enemy operated. I urge you to pursue freedom, and drop the "devilish batteries" they die just like my energizers. But plug in to the life source, Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit; \ which never loses power, that always gives freely wisdom knowledge peace joy understanding truth and most of all FREEDOM!!!!
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
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