Tag Archive for sin

In Too Deep?

Posted on November 23, 2016 by

4369ec7c5ba1187e2997b8e07c28a0d4It’s been a long while since I last posted. Not because I haven’t wanted to or been thinking about it but because well…life just got in the way. Please forgive me. I couldn’t resist posting about this topic after a conversation I had with someone recently. She admitted that she found herself in a relationship that was no good for her spiritually and was beginning to see the consequences of it. Had she gone too far to turn back? Was she in too deep to get out? I think not. Here’s a word of encouragement to anyone who may believe that making the effort to walk in your deliverance is a lost cause. I pray that it blesses somebody.   

Are you in a situation that you know you need to come out of because it’s just no good for you, but you feel like you’re in too deep? Take heart, my friend. There is no situation too massive for God’s love to cover and no degree of sin greater than the measure of God’s grace.

He tells us about those pesky temptations and where we stand when it comes to them.

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Cor. 10:13 NLT

I get a couple of things out of this scripture that reveal God’ plan for those of us battling and by faith delivered from strongholds whatever they may be.

  1. You are not alone. There’s something comforting and yet sobering about knowing that the junk you’re dealing with is the same junk others are dealing with and have dealt with. Not to make light of your struggle, but keep this in mind. Your situation is not so rare that it doesn’t lend itself to a cure. Your problem isn’t so unique that it doesn’t lend itself to a solution. Not only are there others out there who can relate to your struggle, but there are people who can relate to it and reveal how they overcame it. Hearing someone else’s testimony can provide the motivation and encouragement you need to believe that you too can be free of anything that has held you captive. God is not a respecter of persons. If he can deliver one he can deliver all.
  2.  You are stronger than you realize. You may feel like you’re drowning in sin or so far out of God’s reach because of a few bad decisions you’ve made, but God already knew you were graced to overcome the very thing you think you can’t. No one else can strut through and out of the struggle quite like you can. Winning is in your spiritual DNA. You have the necessary equipment on the inside to denounce the demons trying to inhabit your life, to make a change for the better, and to finally realize the victory you’ve been given through Christ. Accept it.
  3. God has your exit strategy already in place. Your job is to find out what it is by seeking it out in His Word. Read about Jesus who was tempted in the wilderness and how he strategically escaped the devil’s temptations. He responded to every temptation with the Word of God that directly contradicted the devil’s lies. Even when satan used scripture to back up his lie, Jesus threw back another scripture against it. There’s no way around this truth…faith comes by hearing the Word of God. So if you desire to overcome, you must overcome by faith. The only way that you will have the faith needed is by hearing God’s Word concerning the temptation. Read it and receive the faith you need to succeed.

I’ll leave you with this. If you can have faith for God to save you and you believe that Christ died for you, was buried for three days, and was resurrected, you can have faith for Him to deliver you from daily sins/strongholds. Christ thought it was so important that He died for the cause–your cause. Your deliverance and victory is totally worth every step you take to walk deeply in it.  So deeply that no devil in Hell can draw you out.

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Alter Your Spiritual Taste Buds to Receive God’s Best

Posted on March 21, 2016 by

There’s a familiarbitter taste phrase that says “God has a way, and His way is mighty sweet.” David, the psalmist, was the first to share this insight in Psalms 119:103 when he compared God’s Word to honey.

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment, but it makes me think. If God’s Word is so sweet then why do we get a bitter taste in our mouths when we are corrected by it or when our lifestyles are challenged by it’s commands?

Perhaps you’ve been there. You sit in church service listening to the Word and all of a sudden the pastor hits a subject that makes you squirm in the pew. Ordinarily you would jump for joy, run around the church or do a spiritual food dance, but for some reason this subject tasted like castor oil going down. Your flesh doesn’t like it, but you take it anyway because you know you need it.

Does an experience like that make the Word of God any less sweet? Absolutely not! As believers we do not walk or live by our senses anyway so the sweet quality of the Word has nothing to do with your taste buds or even how you feel about it. It has everything to do with its pleasant effect on your life when you put it into practice. Sweet in this context means agreeable, satisfying, gratifying, good, and acceptable. This description reminds me of Romans 12:2 part B.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

If I use my spiritual translation it would read like this. That ye may prove what is that “sweet” and perfect will of God (God’s way). Yes, despite how challenging it may be to our flesh, God’s way is sweet because it benefits us in so many ways. We just have to do part A of that scripture–be transformed by renewing our minds–to truly taste and see it that way. Here are a few promises found in the Word that may encourage a shift in perspective and change your palate to prefer God’s way over any other way.

  • “When a man’s ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. “Proverbs 16:7
  • “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land.” Isaiah 1:19
  • “Ye shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.” Deuteronomy 5:33
  • “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7
  • “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love.” John 1:10

There are countless other benefits in this life and in the life to come, but that’s enough to shout about right there! Don’t be fooled either. These are far better than what Satan can offer as an alternative to following his way instead. Not doing the will of God may be the easy option and following God’s way may challenge you beyond where you think you can go, but trust me the bitter truth makes for a better you–one who can receive the SWEETEST and BEST that the blood of Christ has secured for you.

 

 

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