INTERLUDE

Hello everyone! I know it has been a while since I have written in this blog, in fact it has been 4 years since I sat down to write. To tell you the truth I love to write it brings me joy as God’s Spirit flows through me onto paper. Also, I feel like God gives me so many opportunities to write but I was either too busy, forgot or was struggling so much I kept making excuses that when I get through this trial, I will write but that time never comes. Not only that God gives us all gifts and he wants us to use them for His glory! Satan would like nothing more to stifle those gifts and render us ineffective and waste time with his distractions, temptations, and suffering. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be like the wicked servant who even with only one talent he buried it and didn’t do anything with it and when the Master came, he took the only one he had. Not only that there is no “perfect time” to start doing anything because we are all going to be facing trials and tribulations until the day that we either depart this life and enter His presence or He sounds the trumpet! Hallelujah. Also, God’s timing is always perfect, and He knows how to get us where He needs us and will arrange situations in life to lead us into what he wants us to do. So that is where I find myself today, being nudged by the Holy Spirit to start writing again. I want to start by telling you a Christmas story of how our God used a Christmas tree, the Jesus Tree to bring joy, hope and peace to our home this past Christmas!

So, today I was riding in the elevator with a group of men and they were talking about another man who was not present labeling him a “Bible Thumper”; saying yeah he thumps it pretty hard and the other said well to each his own if it works for him” and the other said “whatever floats his boat”.  As I was standing there listening, I wondered if they knew how I felt about God’s Word would they refer to me as a Bible Thumper too? What exactly is a Bible Thumper? Well even though I had heard this term many times before and have even been described as one, curiosity and those words stuck with me so I decided to look up the term and see what google says. The term was derived from preachers thumping their hands down on the Bible, or thumping the Bible itself, to emphasize a point during a sermon. It is also used to describe a person with “fundamentalist” beliefs about the Bible who aggressively push their beliefs on other people in an effort to judge or condemn them.  However, we all know that it is most widely used as a derogatory term to describe Christian’s in general especially Christian’s who choose to live by the conviction of the Word of God and live out its precepts instead of following the world’s ways. I couldn’t help but think if they only knew what they are missing by not following God and His Word would they still feel the same? I know for me I tried everything the world has to offer and lived by its standards, ways, ideas, wisdom and I would always come up empty but living by God’s Word, His principles, His wisdom and His ways caused my life to be full of joy, peace, contentment, success and confidence that I never had when following the world’s or my own ways. Furthermore, whether you believe it or not, God’s Word is truth!

John 17:17 “Sanctify them with the truth, Your Word is truth”.

For me, It’s comforting to know that there is an absolute truth that I can hope and trust in rather than the world’s relative truths that change depending on what the government, society or what the current trend says is truth. Not only that I don’t have to be captive Satan’s lies, strongholds, and deception anymore and can instead walk in the light of God’s truth and be free.

John 8:32 “If you abide in my word, then you are truly my disciples and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. “

Another reason I love God’s Word is because it is necessary to have life. In fact, it says that in order to live I can’t just rely on being physically nourished with food but I have to feed myself spiritually on the words of God in order to be strengthened spiritually and to be prepared for the daily spiritual battle that I have to face against Satan’s attacks and temptation which are aimed to bring death and destruction to my life. I mean if Jesus used the Word as a weapon against temptation and the lies of Satan then how much more do I need it to overcome and have victory in my life. I know in my past, I tried to live life in my own strength and I lived in defeat and I failed miserably!

Matthew 4:4 “It is written “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.“

Furthermore, God’s Word assures me that if I mediate on His teachings, memorize them and bind them permanently in my mind and heart that they will lead me daily in His path, they will help me make wise decisions instead of foolish ones, it will guard me when my defenses are down and it will speak to me. Yes it really does speak and it tells me who I am in Christ, it tells me not to fear when I am afraid, it strengthens and encourages me when I am weak, it comforts me when I am down, it corrects me when I am wrong, and it sheds light on every dark situation I face.

Proverbs 6: 21-23 “Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you, when you sleep they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life”.

In addition, God’s Word equips me with everything I need to carry out His purpose for me. It teaches me His truths and is my reference for teaching others, it corrects me and and provides a foundation when I am ministering to others, and it gives me instruction on how to live a godly life all so that I will be prepared for the work of the ministry He has called me to.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Finally, God’s Word is eternal when nothing else is. All of earth including humans, our opinions, our ideas, our knowledge, our works, all of our achievements, all material things, everything created, and even heaven itself will pass away but His Word will never pass away but will stand forever.

“Matthew 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

So for me, I will take my chances and stick with God’s Word, a powerful, life-giving eternal truth and will proudly wear the title “Bible Thumper” because after all, to each his own!

Psalm 91:1-2″He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

So, exactly what does it mean to dwell in the Secret Place of the Most High? Well honestly for a long time, I didn’t put too much thought into what dwell or the Secret Place meant except that it was being in relationship with God. However, to dwell in God’s Secret Place means much more than that and it’s much more than just going to church on Sundays, attending a small group, praying when we are in trouble, or just reading your Bible. According to Vines dictionary, the word dwell means to “to sit down, settle down, to remain fixedly in a place. To me to dwell denotes a posture of surrender, submission and rest in God’s presence delighting in Him, longing to know Him intimately and learn from Him. The picture that comes to mind when I think of dwelling is Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus looking up at Him eager to learn from Him and be near Him. Like Mary we can choose to dwell in the Secret Place despite the distractions of life longing to hear from him, commune with Him, and learn from Him. To me to dwell is to seek God and submit to His will daily, it’s talking to Him about everything, it’s continually fixing your heart, attention and thoughts towards Him, it’s seeking His direction and guidance instead of being wise in your own eyes, it’s being filled with and led by His Spirit, and relying on His strength not our own. It’s trusting Him even when we don’t understand, it’s choosing obedience over comfort, and it’s letting go of control and letting Him take the lead. It’s praying, worshiping, hearing, reading, and doing His Word, listening for His voice, participating in the ministry he has called us to and walking with like minded believers. Finally, it’s looking to Him alone to provide all our needs, protection, safety, and security.

Well now we have a better understanding of what dwell means, what is this Secret Place and where is it you might ask? I believe that this is the inner sanctuary where God Himself resides. Some scholars suggest it’s the Holy of Holies, the Mercy seat, God’s temple, and the Psalmist refers to it as His tabernacle, pavilion or His House. It’s the place where God translated here as El Elyon, sits enthroned in His glory, brilliance and beauty lifted up above all creation. I love this name for God which means the Lord Most High God which implies that He is Highest, He is Supreme, Sovereign and in control of all. The amazing thing is that although He is all these things, He humbly lowers Himself and beckons us to enter into this place to fellowship with Him and hide away from the worries and cares of the world. I feel that it is in the Secret Place where we can truly find refreshing for our weary and thirsty souls, satisfaction for the deepest longings of our heart, joy, peace, strength and find wisdom and guidance by His Spirit for our lives. So it’s not a physical place for us per se but a spiritual position that when we choose to dwell that we have the privilege of being seated in the heavenly places with God because of our relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Sadly, I think many believers are missing out on the Secret Place either because they don’t know it’s available or they think it is for a special group of people, however, it is for every believer who longs to know Him more and is willing to invest time in pursing God with everything they have.

Psalm 91:1 part 2 “Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.“

So what does that mean to abide under the shadow of the Almighty? Well abide is different than dwell. Remember dwell means spiritually sit down in the presence of God but as we continually do this, then we begin to abide or take up permanent residence under His shadow, the shadow of the Almighty where we are covered, protected, and shielded from the heat of the battle and the raging storms. Almighty is translated El Shaddai and means that God is all powerful and all sufficient.  When I think of the Almighty’s shadow, I think of a mother eagle with its mighty and powerful wings spread over her young to protect them from predators and danger providing food, shelter, and all their needs are met. So, then we are like those young chicks concealed and covered under God’s powerful wings from our enemies and from the weight of life’s trials, always being provided for. 

Psalm 91:2 “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust”

In this next verse, the psalmist is making a profession that because He dwells with the LORD in the Secret Place and has experienced the blessings as a result that he is confident that God is his refuge and fortress, and he can trust Him.  Like the psalmist, I believe that as we dwell, this should be our declaration as well. But what exactly are we professing? Well  The LORD here is translated Yahweh revealing himself in a personal and relatable way as He did to Moses when He called him to deliver his people out of Egypt. So even though He is the Most High, the Almighty, He is Yahweh who desires a personal relationship with us to which we can respond by trusting and declaring this truth. So what does it mean for God to be our refuge and our fortress?  KJV dictionary defines refuge as shelter, protection, sanctuary, and inaccessible to an enemy. For me then refuge is a place to run to when I am afraid or in danger, a place to find shelter in the storms of life, and to hide from the enemy.  Fortress is defined as a fortified place or a place of defense so I think of the Secret Place as a well defended strong impenetrable barrier like the military that the enemy’s arrows can’t pierce and where we are shielded from his attacks. Of course, this doesn’t mean that we won’t experience life’s troubles, storms, and trials but when we do God protects us from the full weight of them bringing us peace, comfort, rest, and safety in the midst of them knowing that whatever troubles God allows it will always be used for our good and His glory. Finally, we can declare that He is My God because of our intimacy with Him, we know without a shadow of a doubt that God is for us that he cares, provides, protects and that He is faithful and can be trusted fully and He is our friend.

Well, I don’t know about you but these truths about God brings me great comfort and peace knowing that not only is He creator, He is Highest above everything and the Most Powerful but that He also welcome us with open arms as a tender father and a friend into His Secret Place offering us shelter, protection, security, and provision and a hiding place away from the cares of the world. However, this is only a taste of what is in store for the dwellers in the Secret Place, there are so many more benefits to being a dweller which are outlined in the rest of this passage below but I feel that these beginning two verses are the key to understanding and receiving them. For me though the best part of dwelling in the Secret place is being close to God, experiencing His peace and joy not found anywhere else, its knowing He has my back at all times, it’s knowing that I can talk to Him anytime I want and he listens, it’s waking up with a song in my heart as He is singing over me, it’s knowing that he will deliver me out of all my troubles, and that everything that ever happens to me has to pass through Him and everything will turn out for good and for His glory! So for me, the Secret Place with God is where I want to be where I find peace, joy, comfort, and safety and He is waiting there for anyone who wants to come with open arms to welcome us in.

91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

³ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
And from the perilous pestilence.
⁴ He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and ^]buckler.
⁵ You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
⁸ Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
¹⁰ No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
¹¹ For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
¹² In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
¹³ You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
¹⁵ He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.

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I don’t know if you believe in curses or not. I sure didn’t know anything about the supernatural realm or the dark side growing up until I started walking with Jesus and he opened up my eyes to realities that I never knew existed. Scripture actually has plenty to say about curses from the very beginning when sin entered into the world through one man.

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned”.

Next we see in Genesis where God cursed the serpent (the devil) first but then went on to tell Adam that because of his sin there were curses as a result.

Genesis 3:14 “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all he days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush you head and you will strike his heel”

Genesis 3:14″Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying You shall not eat of it” Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life”.

Not only that, in Deuteronomy God warns His people that if they do not listen to His voice and they choose to disobey that they will be overtaken by curses.

Deuteronomy 28:15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all of his commandments and His statues which I command you today, that all theses curses will come upon you and overtake you.

Then he proceeds to list them which I’m not going to do but you get the picture and certainly see that curse is not a new word. Right now, you might be asking yourself, what is the point of this post? Well the point is that curses do exist and they can actually be passed down in families through the generations and if not dealt with can continue to wreak havoc in your life and scripture confirms it, however, if we turn to Jesus because we are under the blood,, they can broken and we can be free!

Numbers 14:18 ” The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation”.

This might seem harsh because God is so merciful and forgiving that this can’t possibly be true. Well, yes He is but sin opens the door for the demonic and Satan knows his legal rights and when a door to sinful patterns is opened in a family no matter where it starts, if not dealt with will continue to pose a problem. To illustrate this, I will use an example in my own life that continued through the generations until I turned to God and he delivered me from it. My father, two of my uncles, my grandfather were all alcoholics and what was the result, you guessed it, although I wouldn’t consider myself an alcoholic, I did become a substance abuser until God miraculously delivered me out of 11 years ago. Of course, you don’t have to be an addict to be dealing with a generational curse, it could be divorce, adultery, anger, and codependency (which is one of the worst in my opinion) and I definitely struggle with that, in fact, it goes hand in hand with addiction. Others could be lust, depression, suicide, mental illness, infirmity, accidents and so on and so on the list is endless. However, some curses aren’t so easy to pinpoint where they originated from. For instance, they could stem from words spoken over you by someone else or even you yourself speaking curse words. The Word has much to say about the power of words. Think about it, God spoke the world into existence and since we are made in His image, we too have creative power in our words to bring life or death into our lives. Words are serious business and although we can’t control what others have spoken over us, we can control our own words by the power of the Holy Spirit. If we don’t we can bring consequences in our life that we don’t want. Remember this, the enemy doesn’t fight fair and he will use your words to bring destruction into your life but God can use our words to bring blessing into our lives instead.

Genesis 1:3 “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light”

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat it’s fruit and bear the consequences of their words”

James 3:6″ The tongue is a like a fire. It is a world of evil among the parts of our body. It spreads evil through your whole body and starts a fire that influences all of life. It gets this fire from hell”.

However, words aren’t the only place that curses can stem from, many other sins, places and, other unknown origins that are hard to determine could be the culprit and they can result in repeated patterns that just don’t seem to go away. Disclaimer: I’m not by any means saying that everything we experience is a result of a curse, I’m just telling my story and I would seek the Lord always for guidance. However, for me one such pattern, is that for as long as I can remember, I have had the tendency to have car accidents, traffic tickets, and mishaps all the time. In fact, in 6 months, I had an accident, two weeks later, my brakes mysteriously broke apart and wound up tangled in my tire and then 3 weeks ago, my son had this accident. Granted, I know everyone has these types of things happen but when they are a repeated pattern that leave you in the same predicament time and time again, you might want to look a little deeper because it’s abnormal and there could be a curse at work somewhere in your life. Not only that I sometimes will have these random flashes of thoughts about accidents come into mind seemingly out of nowhere, again not normal. To continue, one particular incident is that I used to have a red car and I can’t even count the number of tickets I got in that car and so I believed the myth that red cars are a magnet for cops, tickets and accidents and I actually voiced this frequently (cursing myself) so I avoided getting a red car like the plague. However, recently my son totaled my car and I was again left without a vehicle for the 6th time since 2008, (see the pattern). In fact, it seems that every time, I would get deliverance and freedom in a major area that the enemy had a stronghold, I would wind up in this same predicament without a car and on foot. Sounds crazy but this is a true story. Consequently, I was a little bummed being in this same situation but still clung to faith that God was going to show up like He always does and do something Big!. Well He did and He led me to a beautiful red car that I saw on the lot during car shopping. However, I thought to myself and actually said again out of ignorance, “oh I wouldn’t get a red car because it’s a cop magnet and I’m afraid I would get a lot of tickets and frankly was scared of being in more accidents plus I thought that I wouldn’t ever be able to afford it anyway. (cursing myself again) After looking though, I was down to only that car to choose from if I wanted to get the kind of car that I wanted, so I decided to test drive it and God gave me amazing favor arranging the payments where I could buy it and everything was great except I had these tormenting and harassing thoughts about buying a red car. I thought why would God put me in that situation so I would drive in fear, after all, if it was any other color I wouldn’t even question it. It was crazy! Well God was about to show me something I could have never imagined, there was a much bigger picture happening because he was using this accident to deliver me from something that I had been dealing with all those years and putting and end to it so it wouldn’t go on to affect my son. Those thoughts were from the enemy trying to steal my blessing and my deliverance. In fact, as I was having these conflicting thoughts, He brought Isaiah 43:18 to remembrance.

Isaiah 43:18 “Do not cling to the events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already, you can see it now”

So I took a leap of faith, as I knew in my Spirit this was God at work and bought it. Afterwards, I took my concerns to fellow prayer warriors and we began to pray. Wow as she was praying, God revealed that old things are passed away and that He was breaking this curse and these words that I and others have spoken over me and that this red car represents the blood of Jesus and protection under His blood while driving. Isn’t God amazing that He was using something like a red car to symbolize that I was covered under the blood and that He was doing a new thing, and He was reversing a curse that I had been living under to a blessing as a child in the Kingdom of God. Now when I get in it all I can think of is being under the blood and His hedge of protection around me instead of being surrounded by fear. In fact, I took a second look and it is actually the color of blood! Scripture says that because of the Lord’s great love for us that He will turn the curse into a blessing and that it is by the blood of the Lamb that we overcome the enemy and that when we are in Christ, we aren’t anything like our old self but a totally new creation in Him.

Deuteronomy 23:5 “Nevertheless the Lord your God, turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you”.

Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new”.

That’s what I love about the Lord, that He is so merciful and gracious and won’t hold your past against you but when you turn to Him that He will turn it around, make you completely new, and turn your curses into blessings and you will be protected under His blood just because He loves us! 

This past weekend I was left with the duty of watering my son’s plants so I was worried because gardening is not my forte, however, I do enjoy the fruit of his labor and watching him grow in his love for horticulture so I set out to do my best to keep them alive over the weekend. So, after returning home after a very long hot day, as I was watering his zucchini plants I panicked because I noticed they were leaning over really bad and I didn’t have a clue what was wrong with them.  However, I thought maybe they are just thirsty and need water since it had been such a hot day. So, I proceeded to water them generously until I felt that they had sufficient water. As I was doing this, I prayed over them for the Holy Spirit to breathe His life onto them so that they will regain their health and stature and will continue to grow and bear their fruit.  Well the next evening, when I went back to check on them, I noticed that they were standing back upright and blooming and looked completely different than they did before.  So, I thought to myself, hmm I guess water was what they needed to bring them back to life and God answered my prayer.  Then I thought isn’t that how it is with us, sometimes we feel lifeless, thirsty, weary, weak and in need of refreshing and to be brought back to life just like those zucchini plants? And just like the only thing that helped the plants was water, the only thing that will help us is the living water found in Jesus. He spoke to the woman drawing water at the well.

John 4:13-14 “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life”

John 7:37 He says “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart”.

I don’t know about you but marching out this faith walk can get tiresome and I find myself feeling weak, parched, lifeless, and thirsty just like those plants.  I mean let’s face it life is hard with all the battles, problems, trials and issues and without Jesus living water we will quickly start leaning over just like those plants in need of life and strength. But just like I watered those plants, we can go to Jesus and He will fill us up with His living water, His Spirit, that will breathe new life on us, strengthen us so we can thrive and continue to bear fruit and we will be like that garden. Jesus tells us in the Word that that when we depend on the Lord, he will guide us, satisfy us when we are dry and make us strong and that we will be just like his garden well-watered and never run dry.

Isaiah 58:11 “And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never goes dry. 

I’m sure that you have heard the saying “The definition of insanity is repeating the same things over and over expecting different results”.  Well does that mean we are insane as in the way we think of clinically insane? Well yes and no. The medical term insanity refers to being of unsound mind, severely mentally impaired, exhibiting a severely disordered state of mind; most likely a danger to ourselves and others. Well hopefully we don’t fit that clinical definition, however, aren’t we acting insanely when we keep repeating the same thoughts, actions, behaviors, choices over and over again hoping that we will get a different outcome? I mean if you think about it that sounds pretty unsound, disordered and insane doesn’t it? So, if this is true why do we do we keep up this insanity? Well Scripture tells us that we are all born with the innate nature to sin and act foolishly without God’s intervening grace and power.

Psalm 51:5 “I was born to do wrong, a sinner before I left my mother’s womb”

Jeremiah 17:9 “No one can hide it’s evil as well as the human mind. It can be very sick and no one really understands it”

Romans 71:18 “And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it”

Proverbs 26:11 “Like a dog returns to his vomit, a fool does the same foolish things again and again”

So,I think God makes it pretty clear that our natural nature and our minds are bent toward wrong and acting foolish.  I know no one likes to be called a fool or insane but that is exactly what we are acting like when we keep repeating the same things over and over expecting different results. To help us better understand what I’m talking about I’ll give you some examples:  For instance, do you end up in dysfunctional or harmful romantic relationships or friendships with toxic people like narcissists, addicts, abusers, controlling and manipulative people or codependents over and over again only to get out of that relationship and find yourself in another one? You may find yourself thinking “It will be different this time?” or we can just be friends so no worries? Then without any hesitation, boundaries, or determining if the person is appropriate, you rush headlong into it. Or maybe you struggle with some type of addiction whether it be alcohol, drugs, gambling, pornography, sex etc. and you try to stay clean and can manage to refrain for a time through will power, a recovery program, working the steps or some other means only to find yourself going back to those same addictions, choices, behaviors over and over? Still don’t relate? What about worrying incessantly about your life, finances, circumstances, spending sleepless nights tossing and turning rather than giving it over to God? What about helping someone over and over who won’t take responsibility for their own lives and expecting that they will change? Or maybe when we get hurt, offended, or things don’t go our way we react with anger and rage or plot revenge or the other extreme we might stuff our feelings down like they don’t matter, eventually explode and repeat the same patterns over and over? All of these things are foolish patterns we repeat over and over expecting a different outcome.  It doesn’t even really matter what the behavior is if it is bringing negative consequences to your life, stealing your joy and peace, or hindering your walk with God it is a problem.  To complicate matters, our human tendency is to try and fix these problems and behaviors on our own whether it be through the use of self-help books, white knuckling it, switching to another equally destructive behavior to replace it, diving into religion, storing up knowledge or even attending recovery programs going through the motions but with no effort to change or acceptance of our depravity and powerlessness all of which bring little to no success or lasting changes. But why do we do this you might ask? Well as I stated previously Scripture says that we are sinful and foolish by nature and we cannot free ourselves because we are powerless to do so. 

Romans 8:37 “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to “God’s law nor can it do so”

Romans 5:6 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly”

Sounds like we are pretty helpless and powerless to change in our own strength and willpower.  So, what’s the answer? The answer is simple, the only way we can get free of our foolishness and repetitive patterns is through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:3 “For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of the sinful flesh to be a sin offering”

Romans 8:11 “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of the Spirit who lives in you”

Wow! Now that’s exciting news there is hope that we can change if we put our trust and faith in Jesus Christ and His power not our own. However, as I stated earlier our sinful nature and patterns are deeply ingrained in us and our mind can easily be deceived into thinking that we can do it on our own or don’t need help. This is pride and it keeps us from admitting that we are powerless over our behaviors and tendency to do wrong. Pride will keep us from getting the freedom we so desperately need because God can’t help us if we don’t humble ourselves and admit that we struggle and can’t do it on our own.  Therefore, we remain trapped in these vicious cycles that repeat over and over believing that someday they are going to miraculously change without any surrender or willingness to do it God’s way.  Pride is actually what caused Satan’s demise and if we let it, it will bring us down too and keep us from getting free. 

Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall”

Proverbs 29:23 “Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor”

However, due to pride many people will stubbornly insist on their own way and eventually have to come to the end of themselves before they will ever admit that they may be need help, have character flaws or need to change. Not only that life and our choices always have a way of bringing us to our knees after we have lost time, relationships, money, and health, career, self esteem and if that doesn’t work, God himself will humble those who exalt themselves and is able to bring down those who live proudly. Remember Nebuchadnezzar was humbled due to his pride thinking that he was in control and powerful.

Daniel 4:37 “And those who walk in pride he is able to humble”

Other foolish and insane mindsets that will hinder our healing is self pity, fear and denial.  The man at Bethesda laid by the pool for 38 years in self pity and as a victim blaming others for his condition rather than asking for help and doing his part to receive healing. Now that’s insanity!

 John 5:7 The sick man answered Him, ‘Sir I have no man to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me”

Yes, Jesus did help him but he didn’t condone his self-pity and actually asked the man if he wanted to be made well.

John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been in that condition for a long time, He said to him, Do you want to be made well”?

Not a question you would think Jesus would ask someone who has been suffering for 38 years but He did I think to make the point you have to stop making excuses, get off your pity pot, stop blaming others and admit that you have a problem and need God’s help to get well. Fear is a mindset from the enemy that can keep us stuck and insane especially fear of what others think if we aren’t perfect or fear of change; what if it’s hard. Let’s face it know one wants to be exposed and most of us don’t like change but it’s necessary to take that step out of fear into faith so that we can get the freedom that God wants for us.

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind”

Proverbs 29:25 “Fear of man is a dangerous trap, but to trust in God means safety”

Denial is a dangerous mindset that we don’t have a problem, its not that bad or it will just go away on its own. However, that is deception because denying our struggles will only prolong our insanity and we will stay in bondage. After all, admitting that we have sin, character flaws or struggles doesn’t make you a bad or defective person, it just confirms you are human and in need of God’s grace and power.

1 John 1:8 “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth”

I know a lot of puffed up religious, spiritual and knowledgeable people probably wince at the idea but yes even you.  No matter how long you have been a Christian, how much Bible knowledge you have and can recite, how many times you go to church a week, how many ministries you serve in, we are all in need of some type of pruning, reconstruction, molding, shaping to become more like Him and rid ourselves of unwanted behaviors that keep us stuck. If all of this sounds harsh; its just the truth and avoiding the truth won’t change it.  I know because I struggled with things I needed to change and thought being obedient, having a lot of knowledge, being a counselor and helping others was enough but it wasn’t and God gracefully and purposely allowed me to stumble and fall right into his grace and loving arms.  Looking back, I might have could have avoided this catastrophe if I had admitted I needed help but fear and pride kept me from admitting that I needed change.  However, I am so thankful that God always meets us right where we are at and tenderly reminds us that we can’t do anything without him and leads us to freedom when we surrender. So, don’t miss out on God’s best for your life by remaining in fear, pride, denial or self-pity, and reach out for the healing that comes from Jesus so that you can put a stop to the insanity of repeating unhealthy behaviors that keep us stuck and move forward into freedom and your purpose with God. Even though its hard work, as long as you have a teachable spirit, are willing to do what God requires and remain hopeful and steadfast, with Jesus on your side, what was impossible in your own strength is possible with Him. 

Have you ever just been going about your day and a feeling of dread just comes over you out of nowhere? Well that’s what happened to me today. Recently I have been seeking a deeper experience with God and have been immersing myself in His promises for more than just head knowledge or a sword for spiritual battle but for it to become deeply rooted in my heart and soul. Specifically, I have been studying the promise of protection and safety for the godly found in Psalm 91 which is what I was doing at the time. Oh my gosh, it is so rich and there is so much to receive from it that you can spend a day or even a week on one verse letting it soak into your spirit and soul. In fact, my next post will be focused on just Psalm 91 itself in depth and the beauty of the promises it holds for the godly. However, back to today, I was studying the passage and all of the sudden I started feeling nauseated, dizzy, feeling really bad, and a confusion of sorts just started seeping in but nothing I could pinpoint exactly.  I thought to myself, I know there is nothing wrong with me so why am I feeling this way? This is important to know because I am 2 weeks out from my hernia repair with miraculous results and the best part is that I had a lot less anxiety and fear this time about undergoing the procedure and have had a quick and painless recovery. This is a far cry from last surgery in July when I had my gallbladder removed and gastritis.  I had a lot more pain, which is to be expected, but I also had intense fear and anxiety about my recovery and found myself back in the ER a few times for residual symptoms.  The enemy was having a heyday keeping me wrought up, anxious and fearful about my health and I vowed then that I will overcome the spirit of fear and kick anxiety out of my life! Since then God has helped me do just that helping me get free me from fear, anxiety and giving me a peace that is definitely beyond understanding as I continue to seek Him for deliverance. Don’t get me wrong I still struggle with some anxiety in this area but I have a gotten a lot better and when I found out about this additional surgery I was ready to conquer it with no fear this time! That’s what is so awesome about God that when we experience these trials that like His Word says in Isaiah 41:10, He is making us stronger and hardening us to difficulties so that they won’t even phase us anymore which is exactly what happened from one surgery to the next.

Isaiah 41:0 “Fear not, [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [Victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.”

So that’s why I was surprised today that I started suddenly feeling bad and of course my mind started going down that rabbit trail of anxiety looking symptoms up online, reading about hernia mesh complications and so forth. In fact, I didn’t even realize it had already gotten to be lunch time and left for lunch feeling anxious and confused. But why? I know God is not the author of confusion or fear, where did this sudden attack come from? Why was I perfectly fine one minute and then feeling bad the next? You can believe that any time a sudden feeling of terror or confusion comes on you it is an arrow from the evil one who always has his bow drawn for attack.  That’ s why, as I mentioned in my previous post on the Battle of the Mind, that it is imperative that we have our armor on every day and are prayed up so that when these arrows start flying that we aren’t caught off guard. This morning I woke up late, didn’t pray my armor on so I was momentarily blindsided however, when I got in the car, I asked God what is going on, called a friend, told her the fear and confusion I was feeling and asked her to pray with me knowing that two are better than one when fighting the enemy. As we were praying the Holy Spirit brought to remembrance Psalm 91:7 where he promises that “though a thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand are dying all around you, these evils will not touch you”.

Psalm 91:7 “Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying all around you, these evils will not touch you.”

So  how does this verse relate to this situation? Well the enemy of anxiety had me researching the negative reports online, the what if’s, could be’s, or what might happen? and God reminded me that I don’t need to look at that those negative reports or claim those negative things over myself that I can stand on His truth and His report that although eleven thousand might succumb to these misfortunes that I am the one left standing in victory because of His protection! Hallelujah! This was confirmation because I had just heard one of my favorite pastors say the same thing the night before, that too many Christians claim negative things over themselves rather than what God says about them! If we know we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, we can rest under the shadow of the Almighty (under God’s protection and cover) no matter what happens. We also don’t have to fear the arrow that flies by day; in this case today sickness because when we are rooted in truth, we can turn to God and discern these thoughts and symptoms  as an arrow from the enemy, reject them and replace it with the truth that there is nothing to fear and peace returned.

Psalm 91:1 “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”

Psalm 91:5 “You will not fear the terror of the night or the arrow that flies by day”

That’s what I love about God’s Word that when we hide it in her heart that it brings us comfort. Psalm 23:4 says Your rod (His Word) and Your staff (Holy Spirit) they comfort me and that’s what it did, the truth of God’s protection comforted me, brought me back to His presence, out of confusion and anxiety, and the symptoms left as quick as they came.

Psalm 23:4″ “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me”.

Not only that God turned this situation meant to instill fear and anxiety in me around for good, to confirm and perform the exact Word that I was studying for good and for His glory! Wow! Talk about getting tested right in the middle of the lesson! How awesome is our God though watching over His Word to perform it and that it never returns to Him void!

Jeremiah 1:12 “Then the Lord said to me, You have seen well, for I am watching over My Word to perform it”

Isaiah 55:11 “So will My Word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to me void [useless without result], Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it”

So if like me you find yourself being struck with the arrows of fear and anxiety when the unexpected happens, let’s choose to believe that when we dwell in God’s presence, we are promised protection and cover,have nothing to fear and send the enemy running!

Let us pray

Father, we come to you and we thank you for Your Word and that you delight in performing your Word! We thank you that it tells us that if we dwell in the secret place of the Most High God that we can rest under your shadow Almighty God. We thank you that because of this, we don’t have to fear the arrow that flies by day and that though eleven thousand may be down all around us that we are safe under your care.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

This is list of some of the common strongholds that many people struggle with as referred to in my previous post Battle of the Mind! This is by no means an exhaustive list as there are many other examples. For every lie we struggle with there is a truth found in God’s Word to contradict it.

LIE- I am worthless

TRUTH- Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love for us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us”

LIE- I am not loved

TRUTH- Jeremiah 31:3″The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness”                                                                                        

LIE- I will never amount to anything

TRUTH- Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago”

LIE-People must approve me

TRUTH- Galatians 1:10 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would be a servant of Christ”

LIE- I can’t succeed

TRUTH- Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your actions to the Lord and your plans will succeed”

LIE- I am a mistake

TRUTH- Psalm 139:13 ” For you created me in my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, your works are wonderful and I know that full well”

LIE- I must perform well for God to be pleased

TRUTH- Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast”

LIE-Mistakes are unacceptable (perfectionism)

TRUTH- Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them”

LIE-I will never recover from my mistake

TRUTH-Proverbs 24:16 “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again”

LIE- God is distant, unloving or uninterested

TRUTH- Psalm 103:8 “The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love”

LIE-God is punishing me

TRUTH- Psalm 103:10 “He does not punish us for all our sins, he does not deal harshly with us as we deserve”

LIE-I am a victim of my past or what’s been done to me

TRUTH- Romans 8:37 “No, despite these things, overwhelming victory is ours who Christ through loved us”

LIE- I can’t get over my past

TRUTH- Philippians 3:13 “No dear brothers and sisters I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead”

LIE- My life stinks and it will never get better, its hopeless

TRUTH- Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord, plans to prosper and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”

LIE- I won’t be able to provide for my needs

TRUTH- Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”

LIE- I am terrible and God can’t forgive me

TRUTH- Romans 8:1″Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus”

LIE-I’m afraid people won’t approve of me

TRUTH- Proverbs 29:25 “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe”

LIE-I can get away with my sin

TRUTH- Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows”

LIE- I can’t resist temptation

TRUTH- 1 Cor 10:13 “But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it”

LIE-I don’t need accountability or help

TRUTH- Proverbs 16:18 “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall”

LIE- I can’t change

TRUTH- Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”

LIE- I am afraid

TRUTH 2 Tim 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”

LIE- I can’t be happy when life is not good

TRUTH- James 1:2 “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds”

LIE- Christian’s shouldn’t get angry

TRUTH- Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while your angry and do not give the devil a foothold”

Do you ever wrestle with your thoughts? thinking thoughts you don’t want to think or that you know are contrary to God’s truth? If so, don’t feel alone, we are all engaged in spiritual warfare; the world is the battle ground, and the battle is in our mind! For years, I struggled with thoughts of fear, anxiety, worry, doubt, insecurity, condemnation, pride, perfectionism and many other self-defeating and ungodly thoughts. I believed that these were my thoughts, this is just who I am, and I would have to live this way forever! What’s worse, after turning my life and will over to God, I still found myself struggling with these same types of thoughts. That’s when I found out that there was actually a battle going on for my mind and Satan was behind it.  All these years, he has been studying me and been setting up strongholds (lies) in my mind to keep me in bondage to unhealthy thought patterns and they don’t disappear just because you’re a Christian. You can be a Christian and still have a mind full of toxic and ungodly thoughts that can hinder your walk, thwart your purpose and leave you feeling weary and defeated. The thoughts that I am referring to aren’t regular every day thoughts, they are strongholds which have been burned into our brains over time and they are fiercely guarded, defended, and secure in our minds. Vines Dictionary calls these strongholds fortresses; think military stronghold fortified against outside influence. I don’t know about you but this makes me really mad that he has been stalking me to exploit the vulnerable and weak areas of my life where he can set up these lies in my mind about myself, God and others. He uses our childhood experiences, hurtful words spoken, generational patterns, damage from relationships, trauma, betrayal, whatever he can to influence our thoughts, feelings and behaviors and to convince us of his lies and keep us in bondage. He is subtle, crafty, and stays hidden so deception is his master weapon to deceive us into thinking his lies as our own thoughts completely unaware of the war waging in our mind. He knows that if we get wise to his schemes and win this battle in our mind that we will win it in life and he will do anything he can to stop us from becoming all that God created us to be. Well thankfully for us, we don’t have to be deceived anymore because God tells us it is him we are fighting in His Word and how to defeat him.

Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”

Now we know who we are fighting, how do we win it? The answer is through Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit! Yes, He is the only way because it is Jesus who overcomes and through Him, we too can overcome! Hallelujah! Sunday at church, during worship we sang Victor’s Crown declaring these exact words:

“Every high thing must come down!
Every stronghold shall be broken!
You wear the Victors crown!
You overcome!  You overcome!”

Wow what joy filled my spirit because lately I have been battling with anxiety, fear, condemnation, shame, and insecurity as I try to move forward in my ministry. During worship, I heard the Lord saying stop trying to fight this battle on your own give it to me! At that moment I determined in my heart to stop fighting in my own strength, put down my human weapons, and pick up the only weapons that will work, God’s weapons as we are told in His Word and kick the enemy out of my head!

2 Corinthians 10:4,5 “The weapons we use are not human ones. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s strong places. We destroy people’s arguments, and we tear down every proud idea that raises itself against the knowledge of God. We also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ”

That’s right, no amount of positive thinking, human reasoning, trying not to think a thought, or psychology will work; we must rely on God’s power to bring them down. So, after service, I sought prayer for a strategy from God to tear down these strongholds because no soldier goes into battle to fight their enemy without a strategy and neither should we! Actually, God is so awesome he already tells us what His strategy is in His Word and if we want to have victory, we must use it. However, before we engage in combat we have to first submit to God because we can’t resist the devil if we aren’t submitted to God! It’s impossible!

James 4:7 “So then, submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you”

After we’ve submitted to God, we must put on God’s armor every day not just some days because the days are evil and we are in a fight for our minds and our life. The armor includes; walking in truth, right living, shoes of peace, shield of faith, helmet of salvation, sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God! This is actually the armor that God himself wore and he gives it to us to use as warriors in Christ!

Isaiah 59:17 “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak”

 Ephesians 6:13-17 “Therefore, put on the whole armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

Another imperative is that we must renew our mind daily to the truth of God’s Word so that not only will we know His truth with deep conviction and be able to spot deception but the Holy Spirit will be able to bring that truth to our remembrance when the lies are raised up in our mind and wield it as a sword against Satan just as Jesus did.  After all, if Jesus used the Word against Satan, how much more do we need to use it!

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will”

Matthew 4:4 “But Jesus told him, “No For the scriptures tells us that bread won’t feed men’s souls: obedience to every word of God is what we need”

Also, prayer everyday and about everything is a vital weapon in our arsenal as it’s accesses all the other weapons, is our direct communication with God and our power source and without it, we are left to our own defenses. Yikes! Also, its essential to walk with like-minded believers for accountability, encouragement, support, to confide in, and to build each other up in love and truth because Satan would like nothing more than for us to isolate when we are struggling just like a wolf would a stray sheep, an easy target!

Ephesians 6:18-19 “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”

Finally, one of the most powerful weapons in our strategy, is worship and praise with songs of victory and thankfulness! King Jehoshaphat showed us how powerful a weapon worship is when Judah was attacked by the Moabites and the Ammonites. As soon as they began to praise and worship, the Lord caused their enemies to be defeated and they destroyed each other. Plus, when we worship God, it invites the Holy Spirit’s presence and His power into our minds and our circumstances. Best of all, Satan hates it when we worship God and he flees!

2 Chronicles 20:22 “As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated”

Psalm 100:4 “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name”

Well, I don’t know about you but I am ready to break these strongholds in my life, fed up with listening to Satan’s lies, and ready to go to war! If so, let’s call on the name of Jesus, suit up in His armor, use the spiritual weapons that He has provided. and take our minds back from the enemy!