I hate to start out a new post on such an abrasive note after having to take a leave of absence myself (for sickness, career, death, motherhood etc.) but there is something that has really been annoying me- All you Christians with dissociative identity disorder (sorry I was a psych major), I mean Christians with multiple personalities. There are so many of us (I will include myself because if I’m not this way now, I certainly used to be) who not only suffer from multiple personalities but we are also bi-polar Christians. We are an unstable bunch on a good day, a circus and a travesty on a bad day. We are the Christians who just can’t make up our minds and because we have not made a decision and are somewhat in and somewhat out we are volatile and unstable. You need proof, look at the stuff we post on the internet. Half of the time, we are like ‘God is so good’ the other half the time it’s like ‘ dis B say one more thing tah (I think you mean “to”) meh (who told you to add this extra “h”) and Ima pop her n da mouf (what is a mouf anyway?).’ A couple days later, you are back to talking about how much you love the Lord…. *blank stare*
It’s not that you are being dishonest or even a hypocrite (people might think you are being a hypocrite but most people have no idea who hypocrites really are, another day for that though). Remember, we are all trying, none of us are perfect YET. However, until we achieve perfection that we strive for as Christians here is a suggestion: KEEP IT TO YOURSELF! The internet allows us a 24hr/day, 365 day/year public forum to express EVERY single random thought and opinion that pops into our heads. Some of the stuff we put out there is a reflection of our character, some of it just a reflection of a temporary mood. Whatever the case may be, listen to what I am about to tell you very closely and mark my words because you will find that they are true all day long: If you are posting every feeling or thought you have on the internet (or even every 10 thoughts or feelings), #1. You are probably struggling as a Christian and #2. You are probably causing other people to struggle.
Here is something that is going to blow you away, many teenagers and young adults are having relationships with the internet that are supposed to be reserved for God. You are pouring your hearts and feelings out on twitter and facebook when those are things you should be telling God and time you could be spending with God. The harm in it is that because you are not in the kind of relationship with God that you need to be in, you say all kind of crazy crazy crazy stuff that need not be said. And because you say it in public the hundreds or thousands of friends and followers that you may have get an impression of Christians that is shameful. People either think that Christianity means nothing because you are just as wacky as they are or they just think you aint really a Christian. Maybe you don’t care what people think, ok I get that but you need to get this- God cares what people think! God cares because God is in the business of saving souls and you are either helping that mission or you are getting in the way. If you are in the way because you don’t have enough good sense just to keep your mouth shut and your fingers off the keyboard, then God help you.
A lot of teenagers go to great lengths to block their parents and other adults from their facebook pages and their twitter accounts. Newsflash- YOU ARE WASTING YOUR ENERGY! If you are blocking your parents and adults just so you can say ignorant stuff and they wont see it, you are concerned about the wrong thing. You should respect your parents and listen to them but if you don’t have enough respect for God (and yourself) to stop yourself from discussing every stupid thought and action you engage in, your problem is way bigger than your parents.
Trust me, I am too deeply flawed myself to be trying to bring you down. However, I do what I can and often the most I can do at the moment is to deal with my craziness privately between me and God and people who can help me spiritually. In other words, the most I can do out of my love for God is to try not to make my Father (God) look bad. Just because I’m having problems does not mean I need to drag other people down with me. God is good, God is the best thing that ever happened to me and I want other people to have that experience. I remember that BEFORE I say or do something crazy and most of the time that stops me from doing it. Just something to think about Christian brothers and sisters living in the internet age.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Everybody Aint Goin To Hell
We all make mistakes but there are so many young people I know (like my dear Rae Rae) who are actually trying to make positive changes. I know of a young lady this weekend who was extremely embarrassed and apologetic when she found out my husband saw her twitter account. I just want to say two things to all of you. First, it is pointless to be embarrassed because someone finds out you were doing something wrong when you were not too embarrassed to do it (and probably to keep doing it). If you are going to be embarrassed (and you should be over some of this stuff), be embarrassed because you did it and it was wrong. Whether anyone finds out or not, God knows and you know and it is wrong. Second thing I want to say is something a preacher told me a long time ago: Many people are harder on themselves than God is on us. A lot of people who read this blog are young or young Christians and we are all human and therefore prone to messing up (repeatedly). No one is perfect so give yourself some room to breathe. If you set an impossible standard for yourself, like trying to never mess up, you will be disappointed and discouraged because it does not work that way.Listen, I had so many terrible habits, AFTER I got saved. I had a serious potty mouth, like the F word, was my favorite word. I used to put it in the middle of perfectly good words just for emphasis. I also did far worse things than curse like a sailor and I did them habitually. It didn't mean that I didn't love God in my heart. It was a reflection on my lack of maturity and my distant relationship with the God that I really did love. But I am going to let you in on a secret, every Christian has issues that we are dealing with. No matter what it looks like on the outside, the inside is either a total wreck or a partial wreck. The bible even says that all of our right actions when put on display look just like filthy rags (I'm taking this scripture out of context purposely to suit my point but since it does suit my point, just go with me). So, there is nothing you see people doing that you may think is just so great that is actually anything more than a tattered mess, we all have problems.
The thing that separates the people with the problems who make it to heaven and can live on earth in right relationship with God and the people that aint gonna make it is perseverance. You must commit in your heart that no matter how many times you mess up, you are NEVER going to give up. As long as God gives you breath to breathe, you have to make the choice to do right and if you mess up and do wrong, you have to choose to repent and try again. In this life you will not win by being the fastest. So if you look around and it seems like you are struggling while other people are just shooting past you in growth, don't believe the hype. Some of those same people may burn out or wipe out before the last call and how fast they are going wont have made any difference. You also don't win just because you have the strength to win. So just because you have the ability to achieve victory does not mean you will. You may look around and see some super gifted people. And think wow, if I could just do what they do how they do it, I would be good. Again that is hype, because all the gifts and the talents in the world will not ensure your destiny. No matter how gifted you are or how fast you advance, if you give up it wont mean anything. On the other hand no matter how ungifted or behind the curve you might feel, you can still beat the breaks off this life and make it to see the Lord. You just need to take a long hard look at whatever mess you feel like you have made and say SO WHAT, I'm winning anyway because I refuse to stay in the mess. Choose a different path, get on it and start walking. It is absolutely not too late, if you are reading this, you are right on time!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Bad Company: A Bad Idea
Ok, hang on to your hat. Someone asked me this week if I thought that the church really had an impact on young Christians. She wanted to know if young people understand that there is a better life for them than doing the same old stuff everyone else is doing. I told her I didn't think church was enough and now I'm sure that it's not. Most teenagers and young adults are infrequent church attenders (meaning they don't come to church that much). For those who are forced to attend with greater frequency, they are regularly inattentive (meaning you are there physically but not mentally, like you aint paying attention). But here is the thing, even if you come to church on Sunday and whatever bible class night is, it wont be enough for you to live a different life, a better life. Ok, I'm about to get really real, so put the kids to bed.
I have said before that you can't make it as a Christian without prayer and opening that bible (both of which build your relationship with God) but I may have neglected one very important point. THE PEOPLE YOU HANG OUT WITH/OR TALK TO CAN DESTROY YOU! When I was in my late teens or early twenties I had a very good girlfriend. If I was stressed or having a problem she used to always say, 'all you need is some dic! in ya life.' (Who needs help figuring out what that means?) I promise you she used to say that (I think we even had a little song). I had other friends who were convinced that excessive (excessive) drinking was the solution to everything, they called it getting effed (but they said the word) up. Then there were the weed smokers (always tryna get blowed), the club hoppers (it's 3am, do you know where your self respect is?), the pill poppers (I used to always say they were going to wake up one day and forget how to use the bathroom), and on and on and on. And those were just my close friends, who knows what went on with everyone else's friends. So what kind of person do you think I was? You got it, I was wild or "doin me" as some of yall call it now. I'm going to tell you one of my secrets because I am really trying to help you. I felt like having sex was a sign that I was grown and in control and doing whatever I wanted to do. As far as drinking and partying, I felt like those were lifestyle choices. Not only that, EVERYONE around me felt the same way. We were young and sexy and ready to mingle........
If I ever had a second thought about the way I was living, I just consulted one of my homegirls and they straightened me right out. They told me that you could have as much sex as you wanted with as many people as you wanted as long as you understood that it was just sex..... 'don't let anyone control you, eff em and leave em cause we don't effin need em.' Some of yall think that the stupid stuff your friends are saying, your friends invented. Um, no, sorry. You all may have invented new and more ignorant ways to say things but we have been saying and doing the same stuff forever. And here is the clincher, I was saved the whole time I was living this life. I got saved when I was like 8, dipped in the water, speaking in tongues and as many years of Sunday School as I was in grade school but stiiiiiiiill doin me!
My choices were "normal" to me because my friends had a much more significant impact on me than the church did. I'm not saying my friends made me do anything. It does not work like that. Just like I didn't make anybody do anything when I was repeating all the dumb stuff I believed to be true. Buuuuuut bad company corrupts good manners (1 Cor. 15:33). This means that no matter how into the church you might be, if you spend enough time with other people who are into other things, you will become like them. The bible says don't fool yourselves into thinking otherwise and I now know why. We fool ourselves in 2 ways: 1. We think that our friends and their negative choices will not have a negative effect on us and 2. that we will have a positive effect on our friends- both wrong. Here is your proof, take a look at the people who hang out with each other, don't they bear a striking resemblance to each other? They dress alike, talk alike, listen to the same music, enjoy the same activities and eventually they think alike. DUH, it's why they get along. Why would you be hanging out with someone you have nothing in common with?
So now you look at your friends and listen to the things they say and see if you don't find those characteristics in your life. You got friends who tell you, it's ok to have sex, you will soon be on your back or on someone else's.... You got friends who just need a little drank here and there, you will be poppin bottles in no time. It's even deeper than that, if your friends are kinda dumb, you probably are too. Yup, I said it. Underachievers roll in packs. You don't find one ivy league bound student with a bunch of friends just praying they can get into a community college.... That's right, you may be going 'I thought this was a Christian blog' well, it is and in the name of Jesus, I am telling you the truth. You hang out with hoes, you gon be a hoe! KEEPING BAD COMPANY RUINS ALL THE GOOD THE CHURCH OR PRAYER OR THE BIBLE CAN DO FOR YOU!
To the second point, you can't make your friends into good Christians by hanging out with them. Most of your friends are a part of the world of unbelievers, they don't think changing your behavior is necessary. When you are with your friends and you have bonded yourself to them in relationships, you are on their territory, they are not on yours. Once you leave the safety of your relationship with God and start keeping bad company, you have no power to persuade them that Christian living is the way to go. You don't believe me, perform an experiment of your own. Get a group of your wild friends together and try to tell them about Jesus, HA! They will look at you, like you just grew 2 horns and a tail because the gospel has no place there. If you want your friends to become Christians you are going to have to change (and stop being so much like them) so they can see that we are more than a bunch of people who talk a good game and go to church occassionally. Let that sink in.
I know we were talking about spiritual warfare but this is it right here. If you are with an army of unbelievers who are focused on "gettin it in" or whatever, this fight over here, you will lose. They say all they do is win win win all the time, UNTRUE! You can't win doing things your way or your friends way. If you want to ignore me, fine but at least sing the song right- all you do is lose lose lose all the time... and you stay theeeeeere.
I have said before that you can't make it as a Christian without prayer and opening that bible (both of which build your relationship with God) but I may have neglected one very important point. THE PEOPLE YOU HANG OUT WITH/OR TALK TO CAN DESTROY YOU! When I was in my late teens or early twenties I had a very good girlfriend. If I was stressed or having a problem she used to always say, 'all you need is some dic! in ya life.' (Who needs help figuring out what that means?) I promise you she used to say that (I think we even had a little song). I had other friends who were convinced that excessive (excessive) drinking was the solution to everything, they called it getting effed (but they said the word) up. Then there were the weed smokers (always tryna get blowed), the club hoppers (it's 3am, do you know where your self respect is?), the pill poppers (I used to always say they were going to wake up one day and forget how to use the bathroom), and on and on and on. And those were just my close friends, who knows what went on with everyone else's friends. So what kind of person do you think I was? You got it, I was wild or "doin me" as some of yall call it now. I'm going to tell you one of my secrets because I am really trying to help you. I felt like having sex was a sign that I was grown and in control and doing whatever I wanted to do. As far as drinking and partying, I felt like those were lifestyle choices. Not only that, EVERYONE around me felt the same way. We were young and sexy and ready to mingle........
If I ever had a second thought about the way I was living, I just consulted one of my homegirls and they straightened me right out. They told me that you could have as much sex as you wanted with as many people as you wanted as long as you understood that it was just sex..... 'don't let anyone control you, eff em and leave em cause we don't effin need em.' Some of yall think that the stupid stuff your friends are saying, your friends invented. Um, no, sorry. You all may have invented new and more ignorant ways to say things but we have been saying and doing the same stuff forever. And here is the clincher, I was saved the whole time I was living this life. I got saved when I was like 8, dipped in the water, speaking in tongues and as many years of Sunday School as I was in grade school but stiiiiiiiill doin me!
My choices were "normal" to me because my friends had a much more significant impact on me than the church did. I'm not saying my friends made me do anything. It does not work like that. Just like I didn't make anybody do anything when I was repeating all the dumb stuff I believed to be true. Buuuuuut bad company corrupts good manners (1 Cor. 15:33). This means that no matter how into the church you might be, if you spend enough time with other people who are into other things, you will become like them. The bible says don't fool yourselves into thinking otherwise and I now know why. We fool ourselves in 2 ways: 1. We think that our friends and their negative choices will not have a negative effect on us and 2. that we will have a positive effect on our friends- both wrong. Here is your proof, take a look at the people who hang out with each other, don't they bear a striking resemblance to each other? They dress alike, talk alike, listen to the same music, enjoy the same activities and eventually they think alike. DUH, it's why they get along. Why would you be hanging out with someone you have nothing in common with?
So now you look at your friends and listen to the things they say and see if you don't find those characteristics in your life. You got friends who tell you, it's ok to have sex, you will soon be on your back or on someone else's.... You got friends who just need a little drank here and there, you will be poppin bottles in no time. It's even deeper than that, if your friends are kinda dumb, you probably are too. Yup, I said it. Underachievers roll in packs. You don't find one ivy league bound student with a bunch of friends just praying they can get into a community college.... That's right, you may be going 'I thought this was a Christian blog' well, it is and in the name of Jesus, I am telling you the truth. You hang out with hoes, you gon be a hoe! KEEPING BAD COMPANY RUINS ALL THE GOOD THE CHURCH OR PRAYER OR THE BIBLE CAN DO FOR YOU!
To the second point, you can't make your friends into good Christians by hanging out with them. Most of your friends are a part of the world of unbelievers, they don't think changing your behavior is necessary. When you are with your friends and you have bonded yourself to them in relationships, you are on their territory, they are not on yours. Once you leave the safety of your relationship with God and start keeping bad company, you have no power to persuade them that Christian living is the way to go. You don't believe me, perform an experiment of your own. Get a group of your wild friends together and try to tell them about Jesus, HA! They will look at you, like you just grew 2 horns and a tail because the gospel has no place there. If you want your friends to become Christians you are going to have to change (and stop being so much like them) so they can see that we are more than a bunch of people who talk a good game and go to church occassionally. Let that sink in.
I know we were talking about spiritual warfare but this is it right here. If you are with an army of unbelievers who are focused on "gettin it in" or whatever, this fight over here, you will lose. They say all they do is win win win all the time, UNTRUE! You can't win doing things your way or your friends way. If you want to ignore me, fine but at least sing the song right- all you do is lose lose lose all the time... and you stay theeeeeere.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
I DECLARE WAAAAAAAAR (Part 5- The Best Defense Is a Constant Offense)
The first principle of this war is FIGHT! We are not waiting for the devil or his army of evil spirits to attack us, we attack first and we keep attacking. Remember how we talked about the devil being a roaring lion who roams the earth all day looking for someone he can attack and chew up? Well we are going to take a page from the devil's playbook. We are going to wake up and start looking around, waiting for the opportunity to jump on the devil’s head, looking for a fight we can pick. He is out to get us, fine because we are out to get him too! I believe that the most common error Christians make when it comes to conflict with satan and his legion of demons is waiting for the devil to get right up on us and then trying to respond. This is a bad move and you clearly don’t fight much if you don’t agree with me. If you are going to come to blows with someone, I mean there is no question, you just know this person is waiting for the opportunity to get at you, it is not a good idea to stand around waiting for the person to walk up behind you and swing on you. No, at the very minimum you should be watching and waiting and if the person even dares get in your vicinity, let them know you aint no punk and you wish they would try something. Even better than that (this is for all the real fighters), we hear you want to fight us, we don’t wait for you to come looking for us. Oh no, I’m looking for you and when I find you it’s going to be like Bernie Mac said “we gon have a misunderstanding and it’s gon be some furniture movin.” I’m not waiting for you to turn around, load up a weapon and start firing on me. No if it is between my life or my enemies life, it’s a no brainer, my enemy must die. The same is true if it comes down to a contest between my enemy and my family or friends or my church, we are not going down, not if I can help it.
Now remember, if you can understand things in the natural you should be able to understand the spiritual side of things. So, we don’t let anyone just run up on us and take our natural lives, this is even more true when it comes to the fate of our souls. Don’t wait for the devil to attack you! How do you know if you are waiting for the devil to attack you? Let me tell you, the following people are waiting to get attacked: The emotionally unrestrained (the people being led by their feelings), the people with faith anemia (as in, you have no faith), those engaged in disobedience to God (Christian sinnin), the people who won’t accept the gospel, and of course every last one of you who wont read your bible and wont pray. All of yall are just waiting to get snatched up by the devil.
The truth is that if you follow the example of Christ and do what God tells YOU to do, the devil will literally be running away from you. The bible (the thing that you need to dust off before you wake up in hell....just sayin) says that if you actively work against the devil (resist him), he will be terrified of you and run off screaming like a little school girl (or some boys...) who just saw a large spider (That scripture is in James 4:7). The key though is that you have to be taking action at all time. Ok, let's think of a natural example... Got it! I have to resist gaining weight because much like satan, extra pounds are lurking around every corner waiting to bash me over the head (extreme but accurate). In order to bind the spirit of chunkiness that is always out to get me, I have to stay away from certain food, exercise and frequently talk to myself about my choices. So there is the natural now here comes the spiritual. To resist the devil, you have to discipline yourself like I discipline myself to resist the plus size department. I actually like the way the message bible instructs you to fight, check it out (Eph. 6:10-18):
A Fight to the Finish
Now remember, if you can understand things in the natural you should be able to understand the spiritual side of things. So, we don’t let anyone just run up on us and take our natural lives, this is even more true when it comes to the fate of our souls. Don’t wait for the devil to attack you! How do you know if you are waiting for the devil to attack you? Let me tell you, the following people are waiting to get attacked: The emotionally unrestrained (the people being led by their feelings), the people with faith anemia (as in, you have no faith), those engaged in disobedience to God (Christian sinnin), the people who won’t accept the gospel, and of course every last one of you who wont read your bible and wont pray. All of yall are just waiting to get snatched up by the devil.
The truth is that if you follow the example of Christ and do what God tells YOU to do, the devil will literally be running away from you. The bible (the thing that you need to dust off before you wake up in hell....just sayin) says that if you actively work against the devil (resist him), he will be terrified of you and run off screaming like a little school girl (or some boys...) who just saw a large spider (That scripture is in James 4:7). The key though is that you have to be taking action at all time. Ok, let's think of a natural example... Got it! I have to resist gaining weight because much like satan, extra pounds are lurking around every corner waiting to bash me over the head (extreme but accurate). In order to bind the spirit of chunkiness that is always out to get me, I have to stay away from certain food, exercise and frequently talk to myself about my choices. So there is the natural now here comes the spiritual. To resist the devil, you have to discipline yourself like I discipline myself to resist the plus size department. I actually like the way the message bible instructs you to fight, check it out (Eph. 6:10-18):
A Fight to the Finish
10-12And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. 13-18Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.
I like that!!!!! We have our own individual fights but we are also fighting for each other. Would you kill for me? I would for you, that's why they call me "demon killer" (and by "they" I mean I just made that up but doesn't it have a nice ring to it?).
I like that!!!!! We have our own individual fights but we are also fighting for each other. Would you kill for me? I would for you, that's why they call me "demon killer" (and by "they" I mean I just made that up but doesn't it have a nice ring to it?).
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
I DECLARE WAAAAAAAAR (Part 4- Slapped Around By A Daggon Spirit)
The nature of the war that we are in is spiritual, meaning we are fighting against spirits. So what is a spirit? There are many (as I have learned from some preliminary research) ways of thinking about spirits but here is my simplest of simple definitions: Think of a spirit as a person with no physical body. So a spirit can talk to you and exert influence over you in the same way that a person can. As you may well know, God is a spirit. What you may not know is that the devil and all his evil buddies that we battle against are also spirits (evil ones). So think of the spirits we fight against as the most wicked people you know or have heard of (pedophiles, serial killers, arsonist, sadomasochist), now subtract all of their physical weaknesses and you will have an idea of what you are at war with.
Now you may be thinking to yourself how could a serial killer, for example, operate without a body? Well glad you asked. The evil spirits I am referring to in this post (because there are various types) operate by the power of influence. This means, the spirits don't need a physical body because they persuade us to use our bodies to do their work. So how does it work? Let's say that you are being attacked by a spirit of fear (because we know that fear does not come from God and is thus evil). The spirit will continuously tell you that you are not safe, that someone is going to get you, that every noise is footsteps coming after you, and so on. Don't laugh, it happens. The really un-funny part is that the spirits are SUPER slick so even though they talk to you, you don't feel like someone is talking to you. It just seems like thoughts in your own head. There are spirits of hoeishness (I just made that word up) that operate quite effectively through music. These spirits objective is to make you think that sex is great and if you could just get some, all things would be right with the world (untrue if you are not married and frankly untrue even if you are). There are party spirits (which I let push me around for thee longest) which suggest to you that life is all about FUN!!!! All you need is a cute outfit, a drink and a two-step and it will be on and poppin (Yaaaaaay, this is so fuuuun, it almost made me want to kill myself, fun....). There are spirits of "success" that will tell you that all that matters in life is being on top, good education, good job, nice house, nice car etc. etc. Lies all lies but the less in tune you are with God, the less you will be able to distinguish a spiritual attack from your own thoughts or from the actions of the people around you.
Look around at the actions people take and you will find the evidence of how successful these spirits are. People really believe almost any and everything that contradicts God's word. As a result we are attempting to keep and spread the faith in the most hostile of environments. You want an example, here is a good one. Just try telling a young person that they can wait until they get married to have sex. Heck, for that matter try telling a older single person that. They get this look on their face like it just is not possible. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible when I was younger (or as I got older). But that is because I allowed myself to be influenced by spirits that said there was no way I could wait, nobody waited, it would be weird to wait. In fact the spirits are so so slick, they had me believing that my waiting was just a sign that nobody wanted me so I had to have sex right, just to prove guys wanted me.... *blank stare* What is wrong with us????
The bible describes it like this: We don't fight against flesh and blood (other people or ourselves) instead we fight against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:12). So for the people out there who are trying to use your intelligence, money, good looks etc. to win this war, you literally brought a knife to a gun fight. NONE of that stuff works here. When you are fighting spirits, you must learn to fight in the spirit. This means that if you really want to win out here, you are going to have to allow God to fight in and through you. These spirits are serious but please don't get it twisted, they are no match for the spirit of God which lives inside of us. The spirit that is within us is far greater than all the spirits out there (1 John 4:4).
Now you know that nature of this warfare, next we need to talk about our battle strategy. If you don't have one, tomorrow, we are going to get you one. Now go back and read this whole post again. This stuff is heavy, you have to really let it sink in.
Now you may be thinking to yourself how could a serial killer, for example, operate without a body? Well glad you asked. The evil spirits I am referring to in this post (because there are various types) operate by the power of influence. This means, the spirits don't need a physical body because they persuade us to use our bodies to do their work. So how does it work? Let's say that you are being attacked by a spirit of fear (because we know that fear does not come from God and is thus evil). The spirit will continuously tell you that you are not safe, that someone is going to get you, that every noise is footsteps coming after you, and so on. Don't laugh, it happens. The really un-funny part is that the spirits are SUPER slick so even though they talk to you, you don't feel like someone is talking to you. It just seems like thoughts in your own head. There are spirits of hoeishness (I just made that word up) that operate quite effectively through music. These spirits objective is to make you think that sex is great and if you could just get some, all things would be right with the world (untrue if you are not married and frankly untrue even if you are). There are party spirits (which I let push me around for thee longest) which suggest to you that life is all about FUN!!!! All you need is a cute outfit, a drink and a two-step and it will be on and poppin (Yaaaaaay, this is so fuuuun, it almost made me want to kill myself, fun....). There are spirits of "success" that will tell you that all that matters in life is being on top, good education, good job, nice house, nice car etc. etc. Lies all lies but the less in tune you are with God, the less you will be able to distinguish a spiritual attack from your own thoughts or from the actions of the people around you.
Look around at the actions people take and you will find the evidence of how successful these spirits are. People really believe almost any and everything that contradicts God's word. As a result we are attempting to keep and spread the faith in the most hostile of environments. You want an example, here is a good one. Just try telling a young person that they can wait until they get married to have sex. Heck, for that matter try telling a older single person that. They get this look on their face like it just is not possible. Honestly, I didn't think it was possible when I was younger (or as I got older). But that is because I allowed myself to be influenced by spirits that said there was no way I could wait, nobody waited, it would be weird to wait. In fact the spirits are so so slick, they had me believing that my waiting was just a sign that nobody wanted me so I had to have sex right, just to prove guys wanted me.... *blank stare* What is wrong with us????
The bible describes it like this: We don't fight against flesh and blood (other people or ourselves) instead we fight against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:12). So for the people out there who are trying to use your intelligence, money, good looks etc. to win this war, you literally brought a knife to a gun fight. NONE of that stuff works here. When you are fighting spirits, you must learn to fight in the spirit. This means that if you really want to win out here, you are going to have to allow God to fight in and through you. These spirits are serious but please don't get it twisted, they are no match for the spirit of God which lives inside of us. The spirit that is within us is far greater than all the spirits out there (1 John 4:4).
Now you know that nature of this warfare, next we need to talk about our battle strategy. If you don't have one, tomorrow, we are going to get you one. Now go back and read this whole post again. This stuff is heavy, you have to really let it sink in.
Monday, February 21, 2011
I DECLARE WAAAAAAAAR (Part 3- No Sticks, No Stones)
This is a bloody war we are fighting. The attacks are constant and they are brutal but this is not the warfare of man. What we stand to lose is far more significant than our mere mortal lives. If you took everything in this life from the time you are born until the time you die it would amount to just the blink of an eye compared to eternity. It is eternity that we fight for. We struggle for the victory on Earth but once we win and our mortal bodies are committed to the ground, we literally have forever to claim our reward. This is MAJOR but you would never know it if you looked at the lives of most Christians.
I'm just going to be blunt, we are petty. Ok, I am petty most of the time (feel better now? I will just talk about myself). I am engrossed in things like my wardrobe, my house, stupid disagreements, my bills, my job and often my hair (or the lack of it growing around the edges). I'm a great a Christian the 8% of the time everything else in my life is going according to my plans. The other 92% of the time, I'm putting down my bible, rolling up my sleeves and trying to work something out on my own (= Epic Fail!). If you think about the fact that we are at war with a enemy that never eats, never sleeps and is ALWAYS trying to get us, this is actually kinda crazy but it is the life of most Christians. While the devil is plotting and strategizing, we are at home pouting because of a recent disagreement with another church member *Blank Stare* What in the world kind of soldiers take a break from the battle (while the battle is still going on) to pout or be angry or depressed? I mean really try to imagine if this were a battle taking place on a physical battle ground, would you really have time to be soooo petty?
But therein lies the rub, this is not a battlefield that can be seen with human eyes. The war that we are engaged in is a spiritual war but since some of us have the spiritual IQ of a really smart brick, we can't even see it. The following is a VERY important point: Almost everything in this life is a distraction which is meant to snatch our focus from what really matters. Just let that sink in. The ultimate purpose of the lives of Christians is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and produce new followers of Christ. EVERYTHING else in life should be viewed as a means to that end. Most people will not accept this but most people are not REAL Christians. Most people are generic Christians who like the term but don't have a clue what it means to follow the example of Jesus Christ. And because we don't nurture our spirits with the word of God (uh, yes that would be the bible) and communication with God (prayer), we are too weak to fight the spiritual war that is being waged against us. In fact we are too weak to even perceive it. We eat all the time (instead of fasting which is necessary), talk to our friends, watch TV, shop, go to work, listen to crazy music and a number of other things which make us even weaker.
I am typing all of these words onto the screen but you will never be able to understand what I am talking about if you don't start doing some things to get stronger in the spirit. I gave you guidelines for communicating with God in past posts and whether you use them or not you MUST pray. I try to break down the bible for you with my own interpretations and other published translations. Whether you use these materials or not, you must read the bible, understand it and learn to apply it. I have talked about the hazards of hanging out with ignorant people but it is up to you to clean up your life. You need to take a pause before I tell you how to fight this war because the truth is you will NOT be able to fight if you don't get some of this basic stuff in order. Are you really ready or do you need a minute?
I'm just going to be blunt, we are petty. Ok, I am petty most of the time (feel better now? I will just talk about myself). I am engrossed in things like my wardrobe, my house, stupid disagreements, my bills, my job and often my hair (or the lack of it growing around the edges). I'm a great a Christian the 8% of the time everything else in my life is going according to my plans. The other 92% of the time, I'm putting down my bible, rolling up my sleeves and trying to work something out on my own (= Epic Fail!). If you think about the fact that we are at war with a enemy that never eats, never sleeps and is ALWAYS trying to get us, this is actually kinda crazy but it is the life of most Christians. While the devil is plotting and strategizing, we are at home pouting because of a recent disagreement with another church member *Blank Stare* What in the world kind of soldiers take a break from the battle (while the battle is still going on) to pout or be angry or depressed? I mean really try to imagine if this were a battle taking place on a physical battle ground, would you really have time to be soooo petty?
But therein lies the rub, this is not a battlefield that can be seen with human eyes. The war that we are engaged in is a spiritual war but since some of us have the spiritual IQ of a really smart brick, we can't even see it. The following is a VERY important point: Almost everything in this life is a distraction which is meant to snatch our focus from what really matters. Just let that sink in. The ultimate purpose of the lives of Christians is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ and produce new followers of Christ. EVERYTHING else in life should be viewed as a means to that end. Most people will not accept this but most people are not REAL Christians. Most people are generic Christians who like the term but don't have a clue what it means to follow the example of Jesus Christ. And because we don't nurture our spirits with the word of God (uh, yes that would be the bible) and communication with God (prayer), we are too weak to fight the spiritual war that is being waged against us. In fact we are too weak to even perceive it. We eat all the time (instead of fasting which is necessary), talk to our friends, watch TV, shop, go to work, listen to crazy music and a number of other things which make us even weaker.
I am typing all of these words onto the screen but you will never be able to understand what I am talking about if you don't start doing some things to get stronger in the spirit. I gave you guidelines for communicating with God in past posts and whether you use them or not you MUST pray. I try to break down the bible for you with my own interpretations and other published translations. Whether you use these materials or not, you must read the bible, understand it and learn to apply it. I have talked about the hazards of hanging out with ignorant people but it is up to you to clean up your life. You need to take a pause before I tell you how to fight this war because the truth is you will NOT be able to fight if you don't get some of this basic stuff in order. Are you really ready or do you need a minute?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
I DECLARE WAAAAAAAAR (Part 2- REALLY Know Your Enemy)
In yesterday's post I omitted some key facts about the devil that you need to know. Before I get to those facts, here is some information about people and their attitudes toward satan. People seem to go one of two ways. On the one hand they grossly over estimate the devil and are terrified of him. This is ridiculous for one really significant reason- God already defeated the devil for good when Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected from the grave. The devil can NOT beat a real Christian unless you DECIDE not to fight him. And really that is like you defeating yourself. On the other hand, there is a large population of people who totally underestimate the devil. These people either don't believe the devil exist or don't really think he is out to destroy them. I would say that the majority of people fall into this category and this is one of the devil's major accomplishments. If you recall the devil's only weapon is deception and to deceive people into believing he does not exist is brilliant. You don't fight something that is not real, you don't guard against fantasy or have much respect for fairy tales. So the people who don't believe in or understand Satan make the easiest targets.
Ok so that is some background information on people, now back to the devil. Pay attention, this is really important. In the bible the devil is described as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8). What you need to know is that the devil is ALWAYS on his job. And just like a lion, he is strategic in who he targets. He looks at us as a whole and then observes our behavior to see which ones of us can be most easily picked off. The easiest targets are the babies (the spiritually immature), the weak and wounded (people suffering from hurt feelings) and the loners (people who have allowed themselves to be separated from everyone else for a number of reasons). Once the devil finds a target, his goal is not to wound you but to kill you so when he attacks he goes straight for your jugular trying to literally rip your throat out. If you don't believe watch the discovery channel when the big cat specials are on and see how lions hunt. They use these tactics because they are effective.
All of the targets I just described are the easy targets but the real purpose of this post is to talk about where many of us reading this might be. We are trying. We are going to church, trying to pray, read our bibles and we are doing pretty good but the devil is smart and always on his job so how does he get to us? Usually by using the people who are the closest to us. Some of us are surgical with the word of God and the devil would have a tough time deceiving us if he attacked head on. So what he does is trick the people around us into doing crazy stuff that will effect us. It goes a little something like this: You are cruising along, living righteous and enjoying Jesus and then BAMN your Mom gets a new boyfriend who you absolutely cannot stand and she starts acting like a complete idiot. Not ringing any bells? Try this one on parents, your kids decide to experiment with drugs and alcohol or same sex relationships or crime, etc. For all the teenagers, you show up at school and a rumor is going around that you slept with your best friends boyfriend or girlfriend and now not only do your friends hate you but everybody thinks you're kind of cheap.
See how it works? You are doing ok until the people around you start losing their minds and then what? Most people who are doing well are prepared for the devil to attack them, where we fall apart is by failing to realize just how ruthless the devil is. If he can't get you, best believe he is going after everybody and everything that you love. So what do you do? Well a better question is what should you NOT do. You should not jump out and start reacting to the situation. The situation is not the issue, the plan is to get you to become one of the targets so Satan can rip your jugular out. So he is waiting to see if you have an emotional reactions, will you separate yourself from other people who can help you or will you forget everything you have learned and become like a baby again? If the devil can get you into one of those categories, you are as good as beaten. The bible says that we should be calm and alert and watch at all times for what our enemy is up to. If you want to stop yourself from getting sucked into the devils trap one of the first things that you need to do is realize that it is a trap. The second thing is to realize that at the end of the day God is in control and the devil can't do anything without God's permission and your cooperation. No matter what happens when the story ends, we win. You must keep this at the forefront of your mind at all times!
Ok so that is some background information on people, now back to the devil. Pay attention, this is really important. In the bible the devil is described as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8). What you need to know is that the devil is ALWAYS on his job. And just like a lion, he is strategic in who he targets. He looks at us as a whole and then observes our behavior to see which ones of us can be most easily picked off. The easiest targets are the babies (the spiritually immature), the weak and wounded (people suffering from hurt feelings) and the loners (people who have allowed themselves to be separated from everyone else for a number of reasons). Once the devil finds a target, his goal is not to wound you but to kill you so when he attacks he goes straight for your jugular trying to literally rip your throat out. If you don't believe watch the discovery channel when the big cat specials are on and see how lions hunt. They use these tactics because they are effective.
All of the targets I just described are the easy targets but the real purpose of this post is to talk about where many of us reading this might be. We are trying. We are going to church, trying to pray, read our bibles and we are doing pretty good but the devil is smart and always on his job so how does he get to us? Usually by using the people who are the closest to us. Some of us are surgical with the word of God and the devil would have a tough time deceiving us if he attacked head on. So what he does is trick the people around us into doing crazy stuff that will effect us. It goes a little something like this: You are cruising along, living righteous and enjoying Jesus and then BAMN your Mom gets a new boyfriend who you absolutely cannot stand and she starts acting like a complete idiot. Not ringing any bells? Try this one on parents, your kids decide to experiment with drugs and alcohol or same sex relationships or crime, etc. For all the teenagers, you show up at school and a rumor is going around that you slept with your best friends boyfriend or girlfriend and now not only do your friends hate you but everybody thinks you're kind of cheap.
See how it works? You are doing ok until the people around you start losing their minds and then what? Most people who are doing well are prepared for the devil to attack them, where we fall apart is by failing to realize just how ruthless the devil is. If he can't get you, best believe he is going after everybody and everything that you love. So what do you do? Well a better question is what should you NOT do. You should not jump out and start reacting to the situation. The situation is not the issue, the plan is to get you to become one of the targets so Satan can rip your jugular out. So he is waiting to see if you have an emotional reactions, will you separate yourself from other people who can help you or will you forget everything you have learned and become like a baby again? If the devil can get you into one of those categories, you are as good as beaten. The bible says that we should be calm and alert and watch at all times for what our enemy is up to. If you want to stop yourself from getting sucked into the devils trap one of the first things that you need to do is realize that it is a trap. The second thing is to realize that at the end of the day God is in control and the devil can't do anything without God's permission and your cooperation. No matter what happens when the story ends, we win. You must keep this at the forefront of your mind at all times!
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