Total Pageviews

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Christian, Are You a Tool for Satan or for God?

As a Christian, when a situation or temptation arises, what weapons of warfare do you chose to fight with?
Weapons of unrighteousness?  Such as: Fear, negativity, bitterness, hatred, selfishness, greed, pride, anger, unforgiveness, gossip, slander, sexual immorality, lying lips, racism, gluttony, etc.

Or Weapons of righteousness? Such as: Prayer, praise, joy, peace, compassion, love, forgiveness, encouragement, servant-hood, faith, walking in righteousness, speaking the truth in love, contentment, etc.
When we realize Whose we are and who we are in Christ, we can defeat the enemy by choosing weapons of righteousness! As Born-again, Spirit-filled Believers, we sound foolish when using the excuse, "The devil made me do it"! This is a lie straight from the pit of hell. The devil can’t make anyone do anything! When a Christian makes excuses for sinful behavior, it makes a mockery of our GOD!
Evil and Holy CANNOT dwell in the same temple, for your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit! Wake up, mighty men and women of God, repent! KNOW He who paid the highest price, His life for your eternal salvation, has equipped you to fight with weapons of righteousness!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV). “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,  and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."

Joel 3:9, "Proclaim this among the nations: “Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, Let all the men of war draw near, Let them come up."

The battle begins with us; in our minds! We must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ and be ready to destroy anything that is against our Savior! You and I are to be proactive and not reactive. This mentality that has so many Christians living in bondage, in essence is telling the world, "Our God is not who He says He is"…How sad that!? YOU AND I are the reason so many turn away from knowing true salvation…

2 Corinthians 7:10 (NLT), "For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There is no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death."

I say again, “Wake up mighty men and women of God, repent!"

To bare the name of Christ, is to say I have died to sin and it no longer has a hold on me! "I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live but Christ lives in me." Galatians 2:20.






Wednesday, December 3, 2014

We must stop condoning BAD behavior!

For my fellow Christians; I have read several posts, and have heard conversations that condemn or condone/justify the behaviors in Ferguson and around the country. Whether it is the behavior of the police/government officials or the protesters, there is judgment on both sides.
The posts that hurt us the most, Christians, are the ones that condone/justify BAD behavior. Police brutality is NOT alright and should never be overlooked! I agree that body cameras will hold our Officers accountable and I pray for those officers who abuse their authority in any manner, will repent and turn their hearts and minds toward Christ Jesus!
Rioting, looting and burning of vehicles and businesses is NOT alright and should never be acceptable! I read one post that really struck a cord with me: "White people...we learned this from YOU". Have we so digressed that we can get away with VIOLENT acts and call it justifiable because it was taught...COME ON PEOPLE OF GOD!
I just gotta be raw and real about what I learned from the time I was a toddler through my young adult years, before I surrendered my life to Jesus. I know some will say I share too much but this has been burning in my soul; therefore, I must speak!

I learned that a man can beat you and you are to forgive him each time his hands abuse you...
I learned that a man can leave his responsibilities at home and have multiple woman at his disposal...
I learned from a young age that if I was angry and I wanted to fight my siblings, kids in the neighborhood or at school, I could without any discipline. I carried this learned behavior into my young adult years, so if someone looked at me wrong or if I didn't like you for whatever reason, and I wanted to beat your a$$ that's what I did...I was applauded for it...
I learned from a young age (12) that drinking alcohol was acceptable as long as I did it with adults and if I got drunk...no biggie...
I learned that drugs helped a person cope with life and that if you do drugs just don't get caught...
I learned that stealing was okay if I was hungry or needed/wanted something...
I learned that education was not important...if you don't feel like going to school, don't go...you want to drop out, okay...
I learned that having sex was expected no matter how young...
I learned that lying to the police was expected to cover your butt or a loved one's butt...
I learned to judge people by their societal status; Rich people were evil and poor people were poor because of the rich...
I learned to judge people because of their skin color... It was fine to have black friends but nothing more and all hell broke loose in my family, his family and with some of our "friends" when I started dating Jameson in high school..."It will never work..."
I learned that some black women didn't like me because I married "one of their good black men"...yes, this has been said to my face and I have felt the hate across the room...
I learned that some white people thought I was lower than dirt for dating and then marrying outside of my race...Yes, our family has been victims of racism from both races...

I could go on and on about what I learned from "YOU" the people in my family, circle of influence, and society, but I'll stop there and say this; I AM NOT WHAT I LEARNED! PRAISE GOD!

When I recognized my sin and my need for a Savior, at the age of 28, I called out to Jesus and He saved me, sanctified me and made me right with my Father in Heaven. He could have left it at that but He didn't! He then sent His Holy Spirit to live in me and TEACH me His ways. I am not the same person that was taught to do wrong! The bad behaviors that were acceptable and often praised, God showed me it was sinful behavior and His children are called to live HOLY lives!
I love how Paul sums it up in 1 Corinthians 15:10, "But by God's grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain."
I am changed! I am a new creation in Christ Jesus! I desire to please my Lord and no longer be a slave to sin, self, or man!

When you call yourself a Christian and have any ill will towards another human being, for whatever reason, then I must say, "God's grace toward you is in vain." You see His grace was extended towards us so that we would become ONE with Him, not to stay ONE with the world! His grace was extended to us who believe and we are to extended others!

The Lord has taught me His ways are higher than mine, yours and this world we live in... I don't understand everything about Him but I do understand His GRACE and FORGIVENESS!
Romans 5:8, "But God showed His GREAT LOVE for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."

If I trust the God of the Bible, then I trust Him to vindicate all the injustices that have occurred throughout time!