the beauty of GOD and SATAN is the difference between distraction and liberation, between hell and heaven.
make no mistake.
all beauty, and every beauty is from GOD and NEVER SATAN, in EVERY situation!
truth.
but satan's exploitation of God's beauty is the power of iniquity.
think it through with me.
a sunset and a seductress are beautiful. this is undeniable, irresistible, and irrefutable.
but if one chose, one feels one can ignore a sunset.
yet with the seductress this SEEMS impossible. she seems irresistible and un-ignorable.
a lie.
her beauty is from God, as the sunset's beauty is His as well.
but satan's deception is the oppression of free volition.
"you CANNOT resist me," she says.
"you CANNOT ignore me," she taunts.
"you KNOW you want me," she insists.
and those who resist almost believe her.
yet in this sense they feel repulsed by her.
if there is beauty in slavery, it is still slavery!
but as it is written, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
the difference between God and satan's beauty is liberty instead of slavery.
so when you see beauty, do you feel free?
this is how you know who presents the beauty to you.
submit to God.
resist the devil and he will flee.
true beauty sets you free.
untrue beauty brings slavery.
Showing posts with label Submitting to God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Submitting to God. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
how much faith is enough?
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If
you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry
tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. Luke 17:5-6
it seems like they had enough faith, as far as the Lord was concerned. yes, he at times marveled at the "great faith" of some who trusted him, and rebuked the "little faith" of those who didn't; he even outright denounced the "faithless generation" that sought signs and wonders instead of trusting the signs he already performed.
yet he said that the smallest amount of faith could move mountains.
how much faith is enough, and how do we know we have it?
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1
so, do i have the smallest sureness of what i hope for, and the smallest certainty of what i do not see? i want my children to be healed of sickness, for example. this is what i hope for: healing. this is what i do not yet see: perfect health. how can i be sure that my children will be healed, and certain of their healing before i see it?
the verse assumes a promise, a surety, a legal guarantee from God. like when i paid first and last months rent, and gave the land lord a security deposit, so God gives us a "security deposit," the Holy Spirit, as Paul said to the Ephesian Christians. So, as Paul said, if God would not spare His Son, or His Spirit, and if God would give us His Son while we were His enemies, will He spare us anything else that is good and of far less value?
Of this I am sure and certain: God is love, and God is good. I know that God is full of compassion and great in mercy. Jesus promised this: Ask, and it will be given. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened. He said if evil human fathers can give good gifts to their children when they ask, how much more will the perfectly good heavenly Father give good gifts, and His Holy Spirit, to His children when they ask? now that i am a father, i have a deeper understanding of this verse. i know without doubt i am an imperfect father, yet i can say with all honesty that i have not knowingly withheld ANYTHING good from my children when they've asked. i give them whatever they need or want that is good when they ask. if i can comfort them or help them, i do it without hesitation. i am certain that God is infinitely better and has more power than i do.
Therefore, I am sure of what I hope for and certain of what I do not see: That God will heal my family, and that the devil will flee from me.
how much faith is enough, and how do i know i have enough faith?
the smallest amount of sureness in God's goodness is enough. i know that i have it, because i can't live without it.
the verse assumes a promise, a surety, a legal guarantee from God. like when i paid first and last months rent, and gave the land lord a security deposit, so God gives us a "security deposit," the Holy Spirit, as Paul said to the Ephesian Christians. So, as Paul said, if God would not spare His Son, or His Spirit, and if God would give us His Son while we were His enemies, will He spare us anything else that is good and of far less value?
Of this I am sure and certain: God is love, and God is good. I know that God is full of compassion and great in mercy. Jesus promised this: Ask, and it will be given. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened. He said if evil human fathers can give good gifts to their children when they ask, how much more will the perfectly good heavenly Father give good gifts, and His Holy Spirit, to His children when they ask? now that i am a father, i have a deeper understanding of this verse. i know without doubt i am an imperfect father, yet i can say with all honesty that i have not knowingly withheld ANYTHING good from my children when they've asked. i give them whatever they need or want that is good when they ask. if i can comfort them or help them, i do it without hesitation. i am certain that God is infinitely better and has more power than i do.
Therefore, I am sure of what I hope for and certain of what I do not see: That God will heal my family, and that the devil will flee from me.
how much faith is enough, and how do i know i have enough faith?
the smallest amount of sureness in God's goodness is enough. i know that i have it, because i can't live without it.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
GOD IN ME
Think of this: God made us in His image and likeness.
Think of the words of Jesus: "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."
Think of the implications of the purpose of our creation: To be Christ imitations--Predestined Christian.
Think of what this means right now:
If you believe in Christ, you possess the nature of Christ,
and the Holy Spirit of Christ;
so when someone sees you,
they have seen the Lord,
assuming you live in agreement with the Lord.
If you accept the mission of Christ as your mission, then men and women encounter God when they indeed encounter you.
This is the mission of Christ, in the words of Christ:
"For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. All who are of the truth hear my voice."
Believe in Christ and commit yourself to the cause of Christ; in doing so you will be one with Christ.
Thus, when people encounter you, they will encounter Christ in you.
Think of the words of Jesus: "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."
Think of the implications of the purpose of our creation: To be Christ imitations--Predestined Christian.
Think of what this means right now:
If you believe in Christ, you possess the nature of Christ,
and the Holy Spirit of Christ;
so when someone sees you,
they have seen the Lord,
assuming you live in agreement with the Lord.
If you accept the mission of Christ as your mission, then men and women encounter God when they indeed encounter you.
This is the mission of Christ, in the words of Christ:
"For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world--to bear witness to the truth. All who are of the truth hear my voice."
Believe in Christ and commit yourself to the cause of Christ; in doing so you will be one with Christ.
Thus, when people encounter you, they will encounter Christ in you.
Friday, July 13, 2012
A BIBLICAL DEFENSE OF SELF-DEFENSE (PART 2)
"how do i defend myself biblically?"
awareness
avoidance
resistance
as it is written,
"Be self-controlled, be watchful, for your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith..."
now some may object to me using this scripture in relation to self-defense. after all, peter spoke about the persecutions of the early christians, which came from satan...and they were to ENDURE those persecutions, even the physical torments and tortures and deaths.
true.
as stated in part 1, if it is God's will for one to suffer for doing good or for the cause of Christ, and one KNOWS this, then the suffering should be embraced and endured for the glory of God.
but i'm talking about someone breaking into your home, for example, or someone attempting to mug or rape you. is it God's will for a thief to succeed, when it is written, "You shall not steal?" is it God's will for the rapist to succeed, when it is written, "You shall not murder," and "The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit...?"
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus called the devil a murderer. Thus He came to destroy the work of murder. Murder is a violent act. Therefore, one should be aware of violently dangerous people and places, avoid dangerous people and places, and resist dangerous people and places, as it is written, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Yet again, some only think of these verses and principles spiritually...or so it seems. None of us hesitate to call the police, or to expect the police to use violence to stop violence, if the violent criminal will not surrender peacefully.
But when it comes to personal self-defense, or committing personal violence, we shudder. We hesitate. We fear. Why? Where does this fear come from?
THE DEVIL
Yes, we are to be peaceful and peacemakers, as it is written, "If at all possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." But this verse ASSUMES, that it MAY NOT be possible and MAY NOT depend on you.
What do you do in those moments?
We see the necessity defense via violence with the Hitlers and Osama Bin Ladens of the world. Yet what we do with them on a global scale is no different from what we should do with tyrants on a personal scale--RESIST! If we had to stop Hitler's world domination, surely we must stop the bully's individual domination. We consider it OUR DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY to resist national tyranny, but somehow make individual tyranny an exemption.
God forbid.
Resist evil, all evil, every evil. As it is indeed written, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Yet we forget that justice is good and injustice is evil. We should overcome injustice with justice, unmercifulness with mercy. And we should NEVER make the mistake of pitting mercy and justice against each other. Think of this scripture, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful AND JUST to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of our unrighteousness."
God is JUST in granting FORGIVENESS, meaning it would be UNJUST for God to refuse forgiveness to the one who confesses sin BECAUSE OF JESUS' DEATH.
God's justice is merciful, and His mercy is just.
Indeed, we should not seek to harm or hurt anyone, IF IT IS POSSIBLE, AND AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON US. But if someone seeks to cause us physical harm or death, and it is not due to a governing authority persecuting us as Christians, where is it a scriptural principle to let violence happen us, or any evil for that matter? Christ Himself refused to let violence happen to Him. We as His followers should not unnecessarily allow harm or death to ourselves either. Until it was time for Jesus to die for our sins, He resisted violence and death. Until our time comes, we should resist violence as well.
Resist all evil, physical and spiritual.
Avoid.
Evade.
Resist.
As it is written, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
It is also written, "It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel."
Yet again it is written, "Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God."
With the innocence of doves and the wisdom of serpents, we should be aware of dangerous people, never gullible, never vulnerable. We should avoid them if possible. If it is not possible, we should deescalate situations, calming those who are angry, never provoking, challenging, or or insulting anyone, and never oblivious to the danger we face. If we can't avoid or deescalate, we should call the police, AND UNTIL THE POLICE COME, we should do whatever it takes to prevent bodily harm or death to ourselves.
Does one need to take self-defense classes, martial arts, or gun courses. This depends on each Christian and the Spirit's leading. But make no mistake, we SHOULD respect our bodies as the very temples of the living God. We lock the doors of our houses and cars. These are forms of self-defense. We turn on porch lights and alarms. We call the police when danger is suspected. Again, all of these are forms of self-defense.
We should lock the doors of our wills and minds to the violent, and turn on the alarms and porch lights of awareness and avoidance. If someone seeks to break the locks on the doors of our souls, and break into the temple of God, our very body, we should stop them.
Don't get hit.
Stop the continuing attack.
This may mean running and yelling, meaning you run AWAY from danger and TO SAFETY.
It may mean hitting the attacker in his or her eyes until they can't see long enough FOR YOU TO RUN OR ESCAPE.
Self-defense should be as simple as possible, ending in three moves or less, focused on escape!
Use gravity against a physical enemy, taking his balance or her support (meaning the legs they stand on.) All of us, big or small, short or tall, ARE SUBJECT TO GRAVITY.
Never let anyone get behind you, and if possible, get behind them for your attack and escape.
Take these few principles and find natural ways to practice and apply them. I also advise you to go this self-defense. (Warning: Sometimes the author uses profanity. He also seems to be atheistic in his spirituality, but the principles he gives are in agreement with scripture and plain reason. For example, gravity as a principle of self-defense comes from God, whether he acknowledges God or not. The principles I mention come from all that I've learned from this site, and compared to scripture, plain reason, and experience. Thought I don't agree with all that is on the site spiritually, I agree wholeheartedly with the universal self-defense principles Mr. MacYoung teaches.)
May God the All Powerful protect you and enable you to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Peace be with the one who reads.
awareness
avoidance
resistance
as it is written,
"Be self-controlled, be watchful, for your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith..."
now some may object to me using this scripture in relation to self-defense. after all, peter spoke about the persecutions of the early christians, which came from satan...and they were to ENDURE those persecutions, even the physical torments and tortures and deaths.
true.
as stated in part 1, if it is God's will for one to suffer for doing good or for the cause of Christ, and one KNOWS this, then the suffering should be embraced and endured for the glory of God.
but i'm talking about someone breaking into your home, for example, or someone attempting to mug or rape you. is it God's will for a thief to succeed, when it is written, "You shall not steal?" is it God's will for the rapist to succeed, when it is written, "You shall not murder," and "The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit...?"
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Jesus called the devil a murderer. Thus He came to destroy the work of murder. Murder is a violent act. Therefore, one should be aware of violently dangerous people and places, avoid dangerous people and places, and resist dangerous people and places, as it is written, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Yet again, some only think of these verses and principles spiritually...or so it seems. None of us hesitate to call the police, or to expect the police to use violence to stop violence, if the violent criminal will not surrender peacefully.
But when it comes to personal self-defense, or committing personal violence, we shudder. We hesitate. We fear. Why? Where does this fear come from?
THE DEVIL
Yes, we are to be peaceful and peacemakers, as it is written, "If at all possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." But this verse ASSUMES, that it MAY NOT be possible and MAY NOT depend on you.
What do you do in those moments?
We see the necessity defense via violence with the Hitlers and Osama Bin Ladens of the world. Yet what we do with them on a global scale is no different from what we should do with tyrants on a personal scale--RESIST! If we had to stop Hitler's world domination, surely we must stop the bully's individual domination. We consider it OUR DUTY AND RESPONSIBILITY to resist national tyranny, but somehow make individual tyranny an exemption.
God forbid.
Resist evil, all evil, every evil. As it is indeed written, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Yet we forget that justice is good and injustice is evil. We should overcome injustice with justice, unmercifulness with mercy. And we should NEVER make the mistake of pitting mercy and justice against each other. Think of this scripture, "If we confess our sins, God is faithful AND JUST to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of our unrighteousness."
God is JUST in granting FORGIVENESS, meaning it would be UNJUST for God to refuse forgiveness to the one who confesses sin BECAUSE OF JESUS' DEATH.
God's justice is merciful, and His mercy is just.
Indeed, we should not seek to harm or hurt anyone, IF IT IS POSSIBLE, AND AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON US. But if someone seeks to cause us physical harm or death, and it is not due to a governing authority persecuting us as Christians, where is it a scriptural principle to let violence happen us, or any evil for that matter? Christ Himself refused to let violence happen to Him. We as His followers should not unnecessarily allow harm or death to ourselves either. Until it was time for Jesus to die for our sins, He resisted violence and death. Until our time comes, we should resist violence as well.
Resist all evil, physical and spiritual.
Avoid.
Evade.
Resist.
As it is written, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
It is also written, "It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel."
Yet again it is written, "Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God."
With the innocence of doves and the wisdom of serpents, we should be aware of dangerous people, never gullible, never vulnerable. We should avoid them if possible. If it is not possible, we should deescalate situations, calming those who are angry, never provoking, challenging, or or insulting anyone, and never oblivious to the danger we face. If we can't avoid or deescalate, we should call the police, AND UNTIL THE POLICE COME, we should do whatever it takes to prevent bodily harm or death to ourselves.
Does one need to take self-defense classes, martial arts, or gun courses. This depends on each Christian and the Spirit's leading. But make no mistake, we SHOULD respect our bodies as the very temples of the living God. We lock the doors of our houses and cars. These are forms of self-defense. We turn on porch lights and alarms. We call the police when danger is suspected. Again, all of these are forms of self-defense.
We should lock the doors of our wills and minds to the violent, and turn on the alarms and porch lights of awareness and avoidance. If someone seeks to break the locks on the doors of our souls, and break into the temple of God, our very body, we should stop them.
Don't get hit.
Stop the continuing attack.
This may mean running and yelling, meaning you run AWAY from danger and TO SAFETY.
It may mean hitting the attacker in his or her eyes until they can't see long enough FOR YOU TO RUN OR ESCAPE.
Self-defense should be as simple as possible, ending in three moves or less, focused on escape!
Use gravity against a physical enemy, taking his balance or her support (meaning the legs they stand on.) All of us, big or small, short or tall, ARE SUBJECT TO GRAVITY.
Never let anyone get behind you, and if possible, get behind them for your attack and escape.
Take these few principles and find natural ways to practice and apply them. I also advise you to go this self-defense. (Warning: Sometimes the author uses profanity. He also seems to be atheistic in his spirituality, but the principles he gives are in agreement with scripture and plain reason. For example, gravity as a principle of self-defense comes from God, whether he acknowledges God or not. The principles I mention come from all that I've learned from this site, and compared to scripture, plain reason, and experience. Thought I don't agree with all that is on the site spiritually, I agree wholeheartedly with the universal self-defense principles Mr. MacYoung teaches.)
May God the All Powerful protect you and enable you to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Peace be with the one who reads.
A BIBLICAL DEFENSE OF SELF-DEFENSE
"Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me."
Psalms 144:1-2 NIV
David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
1 Samuel 17:45-47 NIV
These are the words of David, the son of Jesse, the 2nd king of Israel. He wrote about physical battle with spiritual assumptions and implications, battle in the natural and the supernatural. He was a desendent of Judah, son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham. Abraham once rescued his family who had been kidnapped. He took "trained men" who worked for him and went against kings victoriously. A priest met him and blessed him as one blessed by God with victory and governing authority.
Self defense is about governing authority.
Abraham was the head of his house, of his clan, of his tribe, if you will. There weren't badges or police cars or sirens for this shepherd. There were kings and armies. There were heads of families. These were the governing authorities, which come from God and are appointed by God, as it is written in the 13th chapter of Romans,
"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer."
Peter gives a similar command in his first letter of scripture, and adds that governing authorities reward good and punish evil.
But again, let's examine the concept of governing authority, and apply this concept to self-defense, to the individual mandate to defend the body from criminality or an enemy.
Paul already established that God is the source of governing authority, and the Lord Jesus Himself said that God gave Him all authority in heaven and on earth. What are the boundaries of human authority? And how do these relate to self-defense?
When we think of "governing authority," or "law enforcement" as we would call it today, we take for granted their official establishment. We forget the old days, the "wild wild west," if you will, where there were outlaws a plenty, and the "sheriff" was a lone man with a star on his shirt, with maybe a few deputies, and a small jail cell. Who was this sheriff, really, and who were his deputies? (I'm using the "wild west" as an illustration. For those unfamiliar with westerns or this period in American history, stay with me, I'll make this plain.)
The police are just people, men and women trained and evaluated as law abiding and sane citizens. Their uniforms, badges, and guns have no power beyond our comprehension of their representation and divine origin. Before these uniforms and badges, there was still governing authority, or law enforcement, if you will. Families knew that those who sought to oppress or overtake them had to be resisted. INDIVIDUALS who traveled knew the same, which is why most avoided traveling alone.
In other words, it is assumed that our physical lives come from God, and that He alone possesses the right to take them. Yet He "shares" this right with humanity, in the name of governing authority, when there is a violent violation against the human life and human body, as it is written,
“Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed;for in the image of God
has God made man." Genesis 9:6
Man, made in God's image, becomes God's representative: a governing authority, sometimes individually, sometimes collectively. In other words, God made me in His image and likeness, so to attack my body is an assault on the image of God.
Who was God speaking to after the flood? Eight "souls." Noah and his wife, his three sons and their wives. Now. Who would be shedding the blood of murderers? One of these eight. No badges, no guns, no police cars.
I think we get caught up in our day and age, and forget how they did it "back in the day." We forget the "old school."
In other words, justice came from mere men and women, authorized by God Himself. Self-defense is encompassed in this.
"Turning the other cheek," and "loving our enemies" never negates the governing authority of self-defense. When Jesus commanded to turn the other cheek, He spoke of a well understood personal insult of his day (and today as well.) The point is not to seek revenge or retaliation, but reconciliation. Now notice SOMETHING ELSE He taught and demonstrated. He told His disciples to confront those who sin against them, first alone, then with two witnesses, then before the church. If the sinner refused to repent, then there was to be separation, because the sinner refused to repent and refused reconciliation.
This would definitely include being struck on the cheek. In fact, when Jesus Himself was struck in His mock trial, He said, "If I've done wrong, tell me what I've done, otherwise, why did you strike me." He didn't just "take it."
Yet this is not dealing with someone trying to cause you grave bodily harm or death. It is merely a personal insult. One that is not to be allowed to continue.
We see Abraham defending and taking back his family when they were kidnapped. We see David and his mighty men doing the same when their wives and families were taken. These incidents are examples of self-defense....God backed self-defense at that.
Paul instructs the Ephesians to take up the "whole armor of God." If we can defend ourselve spiritually, why not physically? If spiritual armor is given by God Himself, why not physical? Does He care less about our bodies than our spirits? God forbid. This is heresy, the hatred of the body and elevation of the spirit over it. The resurrection shuts down this lie once and for all. God is for the body, and the body is for the Lord, according to Paul. It is indeed the very temple of the Holy Spirit. Those who attempt to destroy it will themselves be destroyed, according to Paul.
Of course, as Jesus said, "those who live by the sword will die by the sword." We are not to be lovers of violence, because God Himself hates violence, and blessed are the peace makers, those called children of God. Yet Jesus also said, "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." So though we do not live by bread alone, WE STILL NEED BREAD. We don 't live by or for bread alone, but we legitimately need it, and are told by Jesus to pray for it daily.
In the same way, though we are not to live by the sword or by bread, WE NEED BOTH, AND GOD GIVES BOTH. In Romans 13, the sword of the governing authority (our modern day gun, if you will) is given by God, and the authorities are known as God's avengers.
We usually don't have as much of a problem with police officers having guns. But what about citizens possessing weapons? Sure, God gives the sword to governing authorities, but does He give the sword to citizens? Because God says submit to the governing authorites, if the governing authorites allow citizens weapons, then God allows weapons to citizens. In Rome, citizens possessed swords. The apostles themselves had two swords, and Jesus said "it was enough." Now He didn't want Peter to defend Him with a sword, which leads us to an exception in self-defense.
It most be noted and thoroughly understood that Jesus EVADED death from the beginning of His ministry until His crucifixion. In fact, his first recorded sermon in Luke resulted in an attempt on His life. Note again, His evasion of death IS SELF-DEFENSE!! In fact, it is self-defense in its purest form. Many think of martial arts, weapons, and fighting when they think of self-defense. But in truth, awareness and avoidance of dangerous places and dangerous people is the essence of self-defense. Danger avoided is the truest skill. Avoiding a confrontation is wisdom and strength, as it is written, "It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. Proverbs 20:3"
Many "cool" martial arts proverbs communicate the same things Solomon said.
However, when it came time for Jesus to die for our sins, He refused to resist the Father's will. We see the same with Daniel, Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego, as well as the apostles when the governing authorities commanded them to cease preaching the gospel, and they disobeyed. They accepted the consequences of their civil disobedience, and did not resist death. In fact, based upon the context of Jesus' words, it may very well be that "turning the other cheek" primarily applied to governing authorities punishing civil disobedience. Nevertheless, even if turning the other cheek focused on personal offenses, the point remains: if a believer is commanded by governing authorities to stop preaching the gospel or making disciples, believers are to respectfully disobey, and accept the consequences without physical resistance.
YET UNDERSTAND THIS:
UNLESS ONE KNOWS IT IS GOD'S WILL FOR ONE TO SUFFER OR DIE, ONE SHOULD RESIST PHYSICAL AS WELL AS SPIRITUAL SUFFERING!
"For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God."
"Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”
"It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." These are the words of the Apostle Peter, as he neared his own death for the cause of Christ.
If, and only if, it is God's will, suffer for doing good, for the name and fame of Christ.
Otherwise, EVADE DEATH!
Otherwise, resist death as an enemy!!
Otherwise, assume your GOVERNING AUTHORITY OVER YOUR BODY!!!
LIBERTY!!!
NOW THE LORD IS THE SPIRIT!! (NOT THE CRIMINAL.)
WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS, THERE IS LIBERTY.
IF YOU BELIEVE IN CHRIST, THE SPIRIT IS IN YOUR BODY.
THEREFORE, IN YOUR BODY DWELLS THE LORD OF LIBERTY!!
LIBERTY FOR YOUR BODY!!
LIBERTY FOR GOD'S GLORY!!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR MIND IS POSSESSED BY SATAN (PART 2)
"Be self-controlled, be watchful. Your adversary the devil roams about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters all over the world experience the same sufferings as you do."
My paraphrase of the words of the Apostle Peter from his letter in the scriptures.
"I'm not convinced. Come on! The devil doesn't control my mind! I'm not projectile vomiting and my head is not spinning around or anything like that. No deep monstrous voice is coming out of my mouth and I'm not having dreams and visions of serial killings or sexual perversions."
Right. Did Eve experience any of the things above when Satan deceived her? Not at all. He asked her a question. His deception began with a question, a question with an anti God assumption.
A question.
An assumption
Now, what would it take to convince you that Satan possesses minds? Maybe even your mind?
What is possession, whether the EXTREMES seen in demon movies, or the subtleties of real satanic assault?
A TOTAL LOSS OF SELF-CONTROL!
"Well alcoholics and drug addicts lose control all of the time! In fact, they use drugs, get drunk, or get high FOR THE PURPOSE OF LOSING CONTROL!!!"
Exactly! Often on "demon movies," this is the exact preamble to demon possession. In fact, way back in the day, those who got drunk or used drugs did so for the purpose of spirit encounters. They KNEW that they opened themselves up to spirits through "mind altering substances."
Mind altering
"OK. So you're trying to tell me that EVERYONE who gets drunk or high IS DEMON POSSESSED!?"
NO. I'm telling you that they FULFILL THE CONDITIONS OF DEMON POSSESSION:
BLANKNESS OF MIND AND PASSIVITY OF WILL.
Even necromancers and mediums know this and do this. They all know that the condition of their spiritual encounter is to blank their minds and just let the spirit in and do whatever it wants.
"What about hypnotism and yoga and all other spiritual experiences where mediation is used to blank the mind and make the will passive?"
EXACTLY!
God does not require anyone to blank his or her mind or become passive in will.
It is written, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Submit to God.
Resist the devil.
Contrary to popular belief, and to the deception of Satan, submission is not passive. It is a military term, in which soldiers VOLUNTARILY join an army and follow an officer. They don't become mindless or will-less. They use their minds and wills to understand and carry out righteous orders. All who are in the military understand this. They understand that they are not under obligation to obey IMMORAL OR UNETHICAL ORDERS.
I repeat without shame: EVERY state and person that requires passivity of mind and will are open to the conditions of Satan possession.
This feels like thoughts, emotions, and volitions that are not of your origin, no matter how subtle, OR EVEN PLEASING, they may be!!!
IF YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF YOUR MIND, THE DEVIL IS!!!
USE OR LOSE YOUR MIND!!!
My paraphrase of the words of the Apostle Peter from his letter in the scriptures.
"I'm not convinced. Come on! The devil doesn't control my mind! I'm not projectile vomiting and my head is not spinning around or anything like that. No deep monstrous voice is coming out of my mouth and I'm not having dreams and visions of serial killings or sexual perversions."
Right. Did Eve experience any of the things above when Satan deceived her? Not at all. He asked her a question. His deception began with a question, a question with an anti God assumption.
A question.
An assumption
Now, what would it take to convince you that Satan possesses minds? Maybe even your mind?
What is possession, whether the EXTREMES seen in demon movies, or the subtleties of real satanic assault?
A TOTAL LOSS OF SELF-CONTROL!
"Well alcoholics and drug addicts lose control all of the time! In fact, they use drugs, get drunk, or get high FOR THE PURPOSE OF LOSING CONTROL!!!"
Exactly! Often on "demon movies," this is the exact preamble to demon possession. In fact, way back in the day, those who got drunk or used drugs did so for the purpose of spirit encounters. They KNEW that they opened themselves up to spirits through "mind altering substances."
Mind altering
"OK. So you're trying to tell me that EVERYONE who gets drunk or high IS DEMON POSSESSED!?"
NO. I'm telling you that they FULFILL THE CONDITIONS OF DEMON POSSESSION:
BLANKNESS OF MIND AND PASSIVITY OF WILL.
Even necromancers and mediums know this and do this. They all know that the condition of their spiritual encounter is to blank their minds and just let the spirit in and do whatever it wants.
"What about hypnotism and yoga and all other spiritual experiences where mediation is used to blank the mind and make the will passive?"
EXACTLY!
God does not require anyone to blank his or her mind or become passive in will.
It is written, "Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Submit to God.
Resist the devil.
Contrary to popular belief, and to the deception of Satan, submission is not passive. It is a military term, in which soldiers VOLUNTARILY join an army and follow an officer. They don't become mindless or will-less. They use their minds and wills to understand and carry out righteous orders. All who are in the military understand this. They understand that they are not under obligation to obey IMMORAL OR UNETHICAL ORDERS.
I repeat without shame: EVERY state and person that requires passivity of mind and will are open to the conditions of Satan possession.
This feels like thoughts, emotions, and volitions that are not of your origin, no matter how subtle, OR EVEN PLEASING, they may be!!!
IF YOU ARE NOT IN CONTROL OF YOUR MIND, THE DEVIL IS!!!
USE OR LOSE YOUR MIND!!!
HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR MIND IS POSSESSED BY SATAN
"Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life." Proverbs 4:23 NLT
God gave you a mind. You think, reason, and imagine with it. You. Not God.
Some suppose psychological problems the source of mind assaults. They assume that "the mind" simple breaks or has a mind of its own even, and that "demons" are not really the reason, unless by "demons" you mean your own unresolved issues. Thus when a psychologist speaks of a person "battling his or her demons," she simply means unresolved issues, not personal spirits of evil. Now who has a distinct advantage in all of this? Either we "look for demons under every rock," or we see psychology as the only source of liberty. BOTH OF THESE THOUGHTS ARE FROM THE DEVIL. As Paul said to the Ephesian Christians, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood." This includes our own flesh and blood. Yes, our physical state gives ground to our enemy, but that is just my point.
The devil assaults the mind, first and foremost. Eve believed Satan. Satan deceived Eve. The means to the end of Satan is independent human reason and imagination.
As I write, I see scantily clad women on a screen in front of me. An assault on my mind and imagination and volition.
Think about it.
Satan is distraction.
How often is your mind and mine attacked by loudness and obnoxiousness of words and dress?
Solomon instructs those who seek wisdom to guard their hearts above all else, their thoughts and intentions, which determine their lives. The Hebrew idea of the words "guard" and "above all else," or "diligence" is of a prison guard. I especially relate to this because I am a prison guard as I write. This is my present vocation. The heart with its thoughts and intentions are likened to a prison cell in which the guard has the keys. The guard determines who and what will enter and exit the cell. He searches the cell for contraband--unauthorized or illegal material. He identifies all who go and come.
So it is with our minds. Our will is the key to the cell door of our minds, if you will. We determine what enters and what exits, and we are to guard our minds with diligence, ABOVE ALL ELSE!! Even if you are not a prison guard, you own or live in a home. You possess keys to a house, apartment, or car, or you live with someone that does. The home or car owner possesses keys to the doors, and determines who and what enters or exits.
Our thoughts and intentions are attacked by Satan, who attempts "home invasion." He looks for the unlocked doors of our minds, for those who lose the key of their wills. Or for those who knowingly or unknowingly, who intentionally or unintentionally leave their doors open, or their keys lying around!!
He does this through our environments and those who are in our environments.
He does this through our carnal mindedness, our focus on the temporal instead of the eternal, the physical instead of the spiritual, the visible/tangible/audible instead of the invisible/intangible/inaudible.
Satan does this through our acceptance of deceptions instead of God's revelation of Christ Jesus, the Truth.
He does this through our passivity of mind instead of our active focus on the Spirit of Truth. We exist in a constant state of thoughtless mindlessness, letting commercials and elevator music roam our minds.
Is it hard for you to read more than the 400 word limit that we bloggers are urged to follow?
Is it hard for you to focus when people talk to you?
Are thoughts running through your mind without your consent, without your knowledge of their origin?
These are of Satan, the master of mind oppression. God refuses to think through your mind, to think for you, to make you think OR DO ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER. The "fruit" of the Spirit is self-control, according to the word of God.
Your mind IS YOUR MIND!!
Your will IS YOUR WILL!!
Your heart IS YOUR HEART!!
GIVEN BY GOD, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
Guard it!
Start now!
From this point on, from this sentence on, determine the objects of your imagination and reason.
If a thought enters your mind without your consent, resist it and destroy it.
If in conversation you experience mind oppression, resist it! Resist the one who imposes his or her thoughts upon you, and refuse to impose thoughts on others. Listen without interruption! And actually hear what the speaker is saying AND MEANING!
Today, destroy the assaults of Satan on your mind, and liberate others by the truth, God's word is truth.
Your life depends on this!
Let it be so.
God gave you a mind. You think, reason, and imagine with it. You. Not God.
If you experience constant thoughts, reasons, or imaginations of which you are not the origin,
that go AGAINST your volition,
you know these thoughts are not from God, and they are not from you.
Then from who do they come?
Satan, the master of mind oppression.
The mind bender deceiver.
The subtle assumption giver.
Some suppose psychological problems the source of mind assaults. They assume that "the mind" simple breaks or has a mind of its own even, and that "demons" are not really the reason, unless by "demons" you mean your own unresolved issues. Thus when a psychologist speaks of a person "battling his or her demons," she simply means unresolved issues, not personal spirits of evil. Now who has a distinct advantage in all of this? Either we "look for demons under every rock," or we see psychology as the only source of liberty. BOTH OF THESE THOUGHTS ARE FROM THE DEVIL. As Paul said to the Ephesian Christians, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood." This includes our own flesh and blood. Yes, our physical state gives ground to our enemy, but that is just my point.
WE HAVE AN ENEMY!
The devil assaults the mind, first and foremost. Eve believed Satan. Satan deceived Eve. The means to the end of Satan is independent human reason and imagination.
As I write, I see scantily clad women on a screen in front of me. An assault on my mind and imagination and volition.
Think about it.
Satan is distraction.
How often is your mind and mine attacked by loudness and obnoxiousness of words and dress?
Solomon instructs those who seek wisdom to guard their hearts above all else, their thoughts and intentions, which determine their lives. The Hebrew idea of the words "guard" and "above all else," or "diligence" is of a prison guard. I especially relate to this because I am a prison guard as I write. This is my present vocation. The heart with its thoughts and intentions are likened to a prison cell in which the guard has the keys. The guard determines who and what will enter and exit the cell. He searches the cell for contraband--unauthorized or illegal material. He identifies all who go and come.
So it is with our minds. Our will is the key to the cell door of our minds, if you will. We determine what enters and what exits, and we are to guard our minds with diligence, ABOVE ALL ELSE!! Even if you are not a prison guard, you own or live in a home. You possess keys to a house, apartment, or car, or you live with someone that does. The home or car owner possesses keys to the doors, and determines who and what enters or exits.
Our thoughts and intentions are attacked by Satan, who attempts "home invasion." He looks for the unlocked doors of our minds, for those who lose the key of their wills. Or for those who knowingly or unknowingly, who intentionally or unintentionally leave their doors open, or their keys lying around!!
He does this through our environments and those who are in our environments.
He does this through our carnal mindedness, our focus on the temporal instead of the eternal, the physical instead of the spiritual, the visible/tangible/audible instead of the invisible/intangible/inaudible.
Satan does this through our acceptance of deceptions instead of God's revelation of Christ Jesus, the Truth.
He does this through our passivity of mind instead of our active focus on the Spirit of Truth. We exist in a constant state of thoughtless mindlessness, letting commercials and elevator music roam our minds.
Is it hard for you to read more than the 400 word limit that we bloggers are urged to follow?
Is it hard for you to focus when people talk to you?
Are thoughts running through your mind without your consent, without your knowledge of their origin?
These are of Satan, the master of mind oppression. God refuses to think through your mind, to think for you, to make you think OR DO ANYTHING FOR THAT MATTER. The "fruit" of the Spirit is self-control, according to the word of God.
Your mind IS YOUR MIND!!
Your will IS YOUR WILL!!
Your heart IS YOUR HEART!!
GIVEN BY GOD, FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!
Guard it!
Start now!
From this point on, from this sentence on, determine the objects of your imagination and reason.
If a thought enters your mind without your consent, resist it and destroy it.
If in conversation you experience mind oppression, resist it! Resist the one who imposes his or her thoughts upon you, and refuse to impose thoughts on others. Listen without interruption! And actually hear what the speaker is saying AND MEANING!
Today, destroy the assaults of Satan on your mind, and liberate others by the truth, God's word is truth.
Your life depends on this!
Let it be so.
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