A Birthday Message to My 13 Year Old Granddaughter on Role Modeling

 

To my oldest, and first, granddaughter, my precious Hannah-Abigail on her 13^th Birthday

 

A short time ago I learned something I was not aware of. My sisters told me they had always looked up to me as kids, I wish I had realized that when I was a teen.

You have been chosen by God to be in a leadership role…as a godly role model for each of your younger sisters.  God chose your birth order for a reason.  He knew you would have leadership qualities because He designed you and wired you for His purposes.

Even though Selah will also look to Berea, and Berea to Lydia, and Lydia to Moriah, and Moriah to Tabitha, and Tabitha to you, you still lead the pack.  What you model, they will each model to the ones younger than them.  Your role therefore is most important because you lead from the top all the way to the youngest.  For this reason, you must rely on your Leader always, the Holy Spirit.  There will be times when you realize you messed up. This happens to everyone, except Jesus.  These times will be times of opportunity to role model humility, prayer, and forgiveness.  This will be one of the most important areas to role model because it is the most difficult area… as pride must go, ( James 4:6-8).  The Holy Spirit will enable this as you pour out your heart to God and be still and listen to what He puts into your heart.  This is a place of honor God has set you in, and designed you for, and an opportunity to role model the heart and ways of a godly young woman whose heart and eyes are set of Christ Jesus, who is everyone’s role model, to reveal what His Father was like.      

Happy 13^th Birthday, Hannah-Abigail

Love, Hugs and Prayers from your Grandma Law

 

Role Modelling...   This is an area we could do to practice more in.  Since we will not be perfected until Jesus returns, we are going to still have some mess ups every now or then.   Without our focus 100% on Jesus all the time, it's bound to happen.  What are the areas that we are most likely to mess up in, and how do they effect other areas of our life and those we are in contact with?

If we remember that when you throw a pebble into a pond it has a ripple effect. Therefore our attitudes, words, and actions don't just effect us and maybe one other person; they effect many people such as the person's family, and anyone that person may lash out at in response to the anger or  pain we may have inadvertently caused them.  This, I believe, is why God's Word tells us in several places, one being Romans 12:1-2, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.... then we will be able to know what God's good and perfect will is. According to Jesus it is sanctification through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. In John 17:17, in His High Priestly prayer, He says, "Sanctify them by Your truth; Your Word is truth."

Attitudes come before the words or actions, therefore attitudes need to be worked on first.  This is a very good reason in itself to be in the Bible, particularly the New Testament to learn Christ-like attitudes and to begin replacing old attitudes with the new ones progressively.  In this way, with the help of the Holy Spirit, our character will progressively grow more and more Christ-like and will attract more people to want to know Christ Jesus.

I pray each of you and your families will have a very blessed Christmas as we remember why God came to this earth as a baby... so He could die for us, in order that we would live for Him.  I pray also that this coming New Year will be one where we will see loved ones coming to Christ Jesus in faith for His saving work on the cross and proving He was God by rising from the dead.

Let all of us pray for genuine repentance for love ones and others we know, and for a saving faith in Christ Jesus so that they too, can know Him and have their hope anchored in Him.  For as He rose from the dead, one day we shall also rise to be with Him when He comes in the clouds for His own.

 

God Bless you all,

~Annie~

A letter to my daughter… edited for the blog

I thought I would tell you about a funny incident in the grocery store the other day.  It might give you a smile. 

My sister picked me up to go get some groceries.  I knew she likes to get home fast to her cats so I try to hurry as fast as I can.  Now because I have a walker my sister pushes the grocery cart.  She got a few things then parked the grocery cart across the aisle from where the carrots, squash, and potatoes are. I picked up a couple bags of carrots and started tossing them across the aisle into the cart so I could get things done quickly.  A lady was walking down the aisle at the same time as the carrots were airborne in front of her...barely missing her. She said, “Woe, flying carrots!”  I didn’t see her before I let go of the carrots, so was quickly apologizing to her.  (I was kind of stressed that morning before this happened.)  Then the lady disappeared.  I threw four squashes into the cart (looking first this time), then was going to get a bag of potatoes.  I picked up a bag of potatoes and was just getting ready to toss them across the aisle into the cart when that same lady suddenly appeared again from the opposite direction. I was still holding the potatoes when I noticed her moving toward me.  She walked right over to me and said very innocently, “What are you going to do with those?”  She sounded like a comedian the way she said it.  I just cracked up and started laughing. She was kind of saying, “I hope you are not thinking of throwing those at me too.”  Some other people who had seen it were laughing too.  She was dressed like a business lady and was serious looking but, obviously, had a good sense of humor.  I’m guessing she was probably about mid-forty. She kind of made my day.  It gave me a lift which I needed.  When I look back on it, I guess I must have looked like I was in some kind of contest to see how fast I could fill the cart with groceries.

 

Even this could have been a God-incident... the laugh was such good medicine as I was so stressed about a few things which I have no control over. It helped me to relax some and be able to concentrate on God’s Word when I got home.

 

After being in His Word it  helped even more to talk to God, pour out my heart to Him (Psalm.62), and tell Him what my fears were, and why, and then listen.  He brings passages to mind to remind me that it doesn’t matter what other people are doing, He is in control even of that. All the results are in His hands and He is right there with me so I am not going through them alone.  Whatever difficulties He allows into my life are for a purpose, a very good purpose...even if I cannot understand how right now.  He knows what He is doing, and I need to keep my focus on Him, knowing there is an eternal purpose for everything that happens, and when it happens.  Our part is to learn, grow, trust deeper, get our sight fixed back on Him and enjoy His presence.  He is our Abba and we are is children, so we are to run to Him and tell Him how we are feeling, discuss our problems with Him and be still and listen to what passages He brings to our heart, or maybe a principle or commandment.  Pray His Word back to Him too, and listen. We live in a rush, rush world and find it difficult to sit still long enough to listen, but we need to make some time to be alone with Him each day, even if it is short periods sometimes.  It is good to have a notebook and Bible to write down what God is bringing to your heart and mind after you pour out to Him and sit silently listening to what He brings to your heart. Write it down afterward and meditate on it.  How does God want to work this out in me?  Just ask questions and listen...  It is at these times I feel most close to God.  He wants our heart-felt needs to be brought to Him and He wants us to be honest to the core with whatever the fears or the needs are.  This is worshipping Him in Spirit and truth.  This is what He wants, all of our heart right to the depths of it laid out before Him to heal the broken places so that He can bring times of refreshment. Then we can truly give Him heart praise and thanks for being our Abba through what Christ has done for our benefit and salvation.  This is why He has given us the Holy Spirit to counsel and enable us through anything we must endure.  We have Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with us at all times.  We just have to be more careful sometimes about quenching Him rather than crying out to Him, or pouring out our hearts to Him and listening to what He wants us to remember. He knows we will not be perfect before Jesus returns and that is why we need to keep returning to him for comfort, direction, forgiveness, to humble ourselves, to pour out our fears and our prayers for others, and to feel so grateful, so thankful, from our hearts that He is there for us 24/7 and ready to give us the hug we need and the Fatherly advice, encouragement, and reminders.  He brings us to the cross always, and brings us to praise and a worshipful heart set after this because of His amazing love, mercy, and grace.

 

As I remind you of this, I am reminding myself at the same time.  I need to hear it over and over, and over, as many times as I will need it for the rest of my life. 

 

This was part of a letter to my daughter.  I thought I would use this part as a post for now as my life has been under much pressure lately and I didn’t know what to write for the blog yet.    I pray these words will lighten someone else’s heart and encourage their spirit so that they too will find their refreshment and hope in Him in their time of need.

 

 

 ~Annie~

 

 

The Power of Faith Is...

 

 

The power of faith is...





the foot of the soul - so it comes to Christ

the hand of the soul - so it receives Christ

the arm of the soul - so it embraces Christ

the eye of the soul - so it looks upon Christ

the mouth of the soul - so it feeds upon Christ

the lips of the soul - so it kisses Christ

 

 

Faith is infinitely precious.  It grips the unfailing promises of the God of salvation.

The fruits of faith are precious:  We are justified, Romans 5:1; sanctified, Acts 26:18; It is by faith we live, Romans 1:17; stand, Romans 11:20; walk, 2 Corinthians 5:7; wait, Galatians 5:5.

 

It is by grace we surrender our will to the living transforming Word of God.  Without faith it is impossible to please Him Hebrews 11:6.

 

Faith should be progressive.

 

Faith grows through our growing knowledge of God, and of the fullness and faithfulness of His Word.

 

Faith must be fed and inspired.

 

The manner of its growth is from faith to faith, Romans 1:17.

 

Faith shall be triumphant.

 

Faith lays hold of the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

 

Victorious faith overcomes the world, 1 John 5:4.

 

 

This is taken from Handfuls on Purpose by Smith and Lee

 

 

~Annie~



Selah! Think about it...

 

 

 SELAH!

This  word, Selah, is found 74 times in the Book of Psalms, and three times in the Book of Habukkuk.  It is a Hebrew word, the meaning concerning of which few can agree. The Translators of the Bible were somewhat puzzled with it, so they passed it on as it was, only putting it in English dress.  What a lesson for those who have puzzling and bewildering providences which sorely try their faith and patience. What must we do with them?  Why, just what the Translators have done…don’t worry about them, but leave that to the Lord who, someday, will explain.  At the present He says, “What I do now you do not understand, but you shall understand hereafter (John 13:7). In the meantime just trust Him.

 

 

   Is it a musical rest note?



That is the opinion of many.  And this suggestion fits in with many Psalms, such a

Psalm 7, Psalm 5, and others.  There is a need in our lives for frequent rest

pauses. The daily quiet time and the Lord’s Day are two such times.  While there

is no music in a rest, the making of music is in them, and without them there could

not be much harmony.  Could that be why there seems to be discord in so many lives?

 

 

                                                                                                                                             

   Is it a note of exclamation?

The late Pastor Archibald G. Brown, who succeeded Thomas Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle strongly held to this view, and several Hebrew experts assured him that he was right in his declaration.  He held to the view that it could be rendered, “Think of that!” and he preached an interesting sermon in exposition.  Read, for example, Psalm 3, and when you come to Selah, instead of repeating the word, say “Think of that!” and you will fall in love with this helpful interpretation and explanation.

 

 

 

    Was it a musical sign to indicate to the musician that we should get on to a higher key? 

 

This is also a helpful suggestion and works well when adapted in the reading of some of the Psalms where “Selah” appears.  For example, look at Psalm 4; how doleful the Psalmist begins, and everything seems to be in the minor key, until we reach the sign, Selah.  Then how differently things become, when everything begins to move on a much higher level.

This was taken out of Handfuls on Purpose by Smith and Lee.

 

 

 

Selah, the name of my youngest granddaughter.

Selah, a time of refreshment, drawing close to God, bringing harmony into the equation, thinking of how God may see the situation from His perspective, and therefore, in trusting Him, gaining a steadfast peace.

 

~Annie~

 

A Message to My Readers

I have been going through a series of issues this past month of September and into October which have been keeping me very busy.  First, my laptop was stolen when my apartment unit was broken into while I was in the kitchen speaking on the phone with my son. A week later I discovered my identity had been stolen and my online banking had money taken out of it.  The person(s) who stole my laptop also used my emails and were attempting to get into other places I had shopped. They changed passwords, I guess by saying they forgot their password, and because they had my laptop and my email, they were able to have the temporary password sent to my email address.  I didn't realize this until I was able to get another laptop.  I have been changing my old passwords, re-encrypting my wireless, putting on a much stronger password, and beefing up security by not just using antivirus software, but going to Anti-virus with security against hackers and such.  It had been frustrating as every time I changed the password I would still have trouble getting into my accounts, even my email.  I think they are finally OK now.

I just had eye surgery for cataracts and by the third day after, I could see so much better.  I could read a book, the calendar, my mail, and even the computer without glasses!  I was ecstatic.  That was the third day after surgery. The morning of the fourth day I awoke to a different vision.  I could not read anything, book, or computer without enlarging the print. Now, I am also getting a shadow printout of every word I type.  Even my eyeglasses don't help anymore because of the change.  I don't know why this has happened, except maybe I overused my eyes on the computer while tracking the person who kept changing things and trying to set up better security.  Maybe this is normal to have a change. I don't know. I do know that it isn't as bad as it was.  There is still some change and I am very grateful for that.  Once I am able to get new glasses I should be able to see even better.  I also have Macular Degeneration so that might be partly responsible too.

I am going to ask my readers to please be patient with me not getting posts on for awhile as I still have another eye to go. My other eye is going to be more complicated because of a birth defect, and if there are complications, the eye doctor said he would send me to a university hospital in London, Ontario to have it redone.  I would appreciate prayers that there will be no complications and that my eyesight is restored.  It will be the end of October to mid-November before my eyes will be healed and I am able to get new eyeglasses for distance, and possibly for computer and other reading.

In the meantime, I hope you will look over other posts that are on my blog site and still gather information you may have missed, overlooked, or just read part of in the past.  I am looking forward to getting back as soon as possible to regular posts.  There is also a "search" bar on my blog where you can search for key words or phrases and it will pull up all those words or phrases that are in any of the 77 blog posts that are already on the blog site.  It is just to the right of the post.

I will try to work on some blog posts so I can get some out earlier, but don’t want to promise they will be out at a particular date before I am finished up with the cataract surgery and healing.  As soon as I am able, I will post when I will be starting back on a regular basis. Maybe I can do a shorter post for a time until I am finished with the cataract surgery, healing, and get new glasses.  I will do my best.

Thank you all, for your patience…

I will be back as quickly as I can as I also miss doing the blog posts.

I know that God uses all the tests and trials we go through to build up our faith as well as our character, and even our relationship with Him. It is through the tough times that we learn our greatest lessons, call out to Him from the depth of our heart, are more attentive to Him, and have more practice praying for our enemy to come to know Christ Jesus as Savior and Lord. It is also during the times of testing that we recognize our weak areas which need to be strengthened or changed.

Thank you for your patience.

Grace, mercy, and peace to every person who reads my blog.

 
~Annie~

God is Omniscient (All Knowing)

Omni means “all” and God is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient.

In other words, God is all powerful, all present, and all knowing.

 

God not only sees us, but sees into our hearts, and knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knows why we say what we say, do what we do, and go where we go. He knows every detail and thought and action of our past, and our present. He also knows every detail, motive, thought and way that we will take, and He still loves us. Psalm 33:13-15, tells us that from heaven the lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth…He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

God watches us and considers everything we do… this is something I need to keep uppermost in my mind.  God knows that our minds can wander to places we should not go, that we sometimes have thoughts we do not want to have, that we try fixing things ourselves before we turn to Him, making our plans without His input, doing things the way we think best without His perspective or direction, and feel wise in our own eyes.   Then we find our plans did not go the way we thought they would, we made a worse mess of the thing we were trying to fix, and we feel lost, and maybe even hopeless.  We cannot see our way out of the mess we have gotten ourselves into and have nowhere  to turn.  It is then we finally get around to calling out to God, pleading with Him to please clean up our mess, or at least show us how to get things fixed up.

First of all, how did we get in the mess in the first place?  Perhaps we were being wise in our own eyes and did not inquire of God (through His Word), or request His help through the Holy Spirit who is our Counselor.  Why do we not always do this?  If we think back in retrospect, we have 20/20 hindsight and remember when things turned out better than expected when we trusted His wisdom and grace over our own. They may not have always gone smoother, but the end result always came out better. How do we forget so easily?

 

It is amazing how we still tend to think we know what is best for us, and the best way to attain the things we believe we need to make life more enjoyable and profitable in all ways. God, alone, knows all things from beginning to end and all the details in between.
God, alone, knows every detail about us from our actions and words, and our thoughts, before we even think them. And even to the deepest recesses of our inner being He knows what motivates us, why we do what we do, and think the way we do. He uncovers the secrets of our hearts and He, alone, knows what is best for us from an eternal perspective. He knows how our attitudes and ways affect everyone around us to some degree, whether for good or bad. He, alone, knows beforehand how the results of our own thinking and planning without His wisdom and direction will turn out.  He is never surprised, but waiting for us to wake up and realize… we are not the managers of our life anymore, He is.  Christ Jesus purchased us with His own blood, and we now belong to Him.  He is our Master and we are His bondservants who are to be living for His will, not ours.  Until we get this straight in our minds and hearts, we will continue to mess up, and when we do, like ripples in a pond after a stone is thrown in, our choices effect everyone involved in some way with our life.

After we trust Jesus Christ with our salvation by faith in what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross and through His shed blood, we belong to Him, and no longer to our self. He gives us the indwelling of His Holy Spirit, as our Counselor and Helper, and has given us His Word, the Bible, for our knowledge of Him and our direction in life. Why? So we will know how to work out in our lives what He has already put in.  Our spiritual lives are lived progressively, day by day, growing in grace and knowledge and filled with love for God and for the brethren.  Everything we do must be done in love or it doesn’t count, and if we don’t love our brother, we need to question the sincerity of our faith.  If anyone is concerned about this, ask God to change your heart to be like His heart on that matter, and all matters. He wants our sincerity. Our sincerity is proved in our heart desires, which God can see. Jesus wants us to honor Him in all we do and say, and to have a loving, forgiving spirit toward all, including our enemies, and to pray for them to come to know Jesus.

Sometimes, I wonder why God puts up with me. I am a slow learner and forget at times what I should remember.  I am not as obedient yet in all things, as I want to be, but am persevering day by day to grow more in grace and knowledge of God and His mercy, grace, love, and even His justice.  I want to know Him, His character and love in a deeper way, but I also need to learn to trust Him in a deeper way, too.  I do know that as I learn to know His character and His ways better, my love and trust are actively growing, even if slowly.  I thank Jesus for putting His perfect sinless life (His righteousness) to my account and for paying the penalty for my sins because there is no way I could possibly, no matter how hard I tried, or how much I wanted to be perfect, attain it myself.  Since there will be no sin in heaven, the only way we get there is through Jesus Christ and His shed blood and His sinless life. He paid our debt in full and when the Father looks at His blood bought adopted children, He sees His Son’s righteousness covering us.  Hebrews 9:22 says “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”  That’s why only God could save us, and why He became a man who lived a sinless life (the perfect Lamb without blemish), then offer up that life as a sacrifice for all of us who would put our faith and hope in Him and willingly exchange our old life for His life. How? By progressively taking off our old grave clothes and progressively putting on Christ daily.

 

Biblical references to check out

Psalm 33:13-15

Hebrews 9:22

1 John 1:8,9

1 John 3:14

Romans 7:4-6

Romans 8 tells us how we are to rely on the help of the Holy Spirit who uses the Word of God to bring to our memory what we have been learning from it, and to give us direction through it. In this way we are no longer under the law, but rely on God's grace, as the Holy Spirit and the Word of God transform our thinking and direct our ways..

 

God watches over us and considers everything we do... and He wants us to remember and consider what His Son did for us... when we find it difficult to forgive from the heart and pray for those who hurt or even persecute us.

 

 

 

~Annie~

 



The Real Holy War

 

(Galatians 5:16-26)

 

The Real Holy War

 

 

In military battles, victory is won when the enemy is killed, captured, or gives up and retreats. But in the spiritual life, the enemy is invisible and the heart, soul, and mind are the battlefields.  Victory is won when the sinful nature is put to death.

 

The armor of God protects the believer from Satan's every attack. However, as we study the Bible it becomes clear that we have more than one enemy. John speaks of three adversaries that plaque Christians: the world, the flesh, and the devil.  Satan brings individual attacks, but the flesh attacks us through our internal desires and the world through external influences.  Each area needs a unique strategy. In order to gain victory over the devil, we have to put on the armor, fight the war, and resist him. To gain victory over the flesh, we have to learn what it means to walk in the Spirit.  To gain victory over the world, we must have faith in Jesus Christ who has already overcome the world.  To put it another way, to be victorious over Satan, we have to fight; to be victorious over the flesh, we have to flee; to be victorious over the world, we have to forsake its influence.

 

 

The Inner War

 

There is an inner war that goes on inside every one of us, a war between the flesh and the Spirit. Galatians 5:17 says it this way, "The sinful nature (the flesh) desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is contrary to the sinful nature (the flesh); and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."  ...When the old and the new nature both want to use the body for their own advantage, there is conflict.  Because of the old nature there is an avenue whereby Satan can approach us with temptation. The flesh, the old nature, provides Satan with opportunities for attack.  We are in the flesh, all of us, until we become Christians. Then we receive the Spirit of God and are transformed by His power.

 

 

The Flesh is Weak

 

Roman 6:9 warns us that the flesh is weak. It doesn't have any strength to merit God's favor. So when God gave the Law to man, he could not maintain it. Men could not attain holiness by perfectly obeying rules. Why? Because the flesh is weak. That's the reason Christ had to come to bring grace, because there wasn't even one person who could live up to the high standards of the Law. The flesh is too weak and we all sin.

 

Someone has written:

Run and do the Law demands,

Yet it gives me neither feet not hands.

But better news the gospel brings.

It bids me fly and gives me wings.

 

 

The Flesh is Worthless

 

 

Paul says in Romans 7:18, "For I know that in me, (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells."  He acknowledged that there is nothing good in his flesh apart from God, an idea that flies in the face of all humanistic thinking in our culture today. We are told that we can improve the flesh, make it better until ultimately it will be perfect.  Yet John 6:63 tells us, "the flesh profits nothing." It is worthless.

 

 

The Flesh is Warring

 

Romans 8:7 reads, "The carnal mind is enmity against God."  The flesh is weak and cannot hold the law. It is worthless and cannot help us. And it is at war with God and His Holy Spirit. There is a war going on inside of each of us, a war that is between the old man and the new man. The old man is without hope and dead to God, the new man hast eternal hope and been made alive in Christ Jesus.  "The flesh is contrary against the Spirit," Paul wrote in Galatians 5:17. All of us struggle with this inner battle.

 

 

 

The Flesh is Without Righteousness

 

Try as we may, the flesh doesn't have the ability to produce righteousness in a Christian's life. A person who lives in the flesh cannot please God and it is futile to try. "Are you so foolish?" Paul asks in Galatians 3:3. "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect in the flesh?" He was writing to a church who thought once Jesus had saved them, they could add to His work by fulfilling the old Jewish Law. Paul told them in essence, "You can't do anything by your works to make yourself perfect, since the flesh is without ability to produce righteousness.

 

 

 

The Flesh is Wounded Mortally

 

 

"Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin" (Romans 6:6).  The flesh, which is the old man, was crucified with Christ.  His death makes it possible for us to be at peace with God and to experience true righteousness. But the old nature wasn't eradicated, just mortally wounded. It is still alive and at work within you. Your flesh still produces sin in your life. Galatians 5 calls them the "works of the flesh," and lists several areas, like sexual sin, spiritual sin, self-centered sin, and societal sins. As you look through the list you'll see what the flesh produces: adultery, fornication, idolatry, hatred, discord, envy, rage. Those are the expressions of the old man.

 

When you became a Christian, you didn't lose that old nature. You still have it. Christ comes into your life and gives you a new nature, and the two enter into a holy war. Paul put it this way in Galatians 5:17: "For the flesh is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit is contrary to the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. A Christian has a much harder time with inner struggles than a non-Christian because we have these two natures at war within ourselves.

 

This war between old and new natures is the subject of Paul's letter to the Romans. He knows he has been changed---his heart's desire is to follow God---but he finds himself struggling against the flesh. In Romans 7:22 he writes, "I delight in the law of God according to the inward man." That is the normal desire of Christians. There should be a desire in you to love God. There should be a sadness over sin and a wish to please Him. But Paul says, "I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members" (Romans 7:23. Even though his heart's desire is to please God, it doesn't automatically happen. There is another force inside---the flesh--that prevents him from pleasing God. He has the desire to do good things, but his performance doesn't measure up. That's why he says, "For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice" (Romans 7:19).

 

There is a holy war going on inside every believer. You will face that fight every day, but it doesn't have to be one sad experience after another. There is hope for victory. God has given us a  battle plan.

 

 

Winning the Inner War

 

 

In Galatians 5 we are given two keys to gaining victory over the flesh. One of them is negative and one positive. Notice the 24th verse: "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."  There is a truth often misunderstood. It is not a positional truth, like the fact that we have been crucified with Christ and had the penalty for our sins paid. It is a description of an action---we have taken the flesh and done something with it.

 

 

Crucify the Flesh

 

 

While it is a fact that our old nature was positionally crucified when Christ died, it is only true for us when we reckon that truth and apply it in our daily lives. You can believe in your head that Christ crucified the flesh, but if you don't reckon it true and apply it on a daily basis it will never be effective in your life.  This is not merely head knowledge; it is the cooperation of your spirit with what happened when Christ died.

 

The story is told of two men looking at a turtle, still moving though its head was cut off. One of he men examined it and said, "It's dead, but it don't believe it." That's the problem with most Christians. Our old nature died with Christ, but we don't believe it. We keep moving to take it off the cross and use it. We don't recognize that the flesh has been crucified.

 

 

Walk In the Spirit

 

 

The Holy Spirit is mentioned three times in Galatians 5. Verse 16 says, "Walk in the Spirit." Verse 18 reads, "If you are led by the Spirit." and verse 25 says, "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." So you see, we live in the realm of the Spirit.  As Christians we understand that He is actively involved in our lives. We are led by the Spirit, who guides and directs us in how we should live. Having nailed the flesh to the cross, you yield to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. You find out wear He is leading and you follow Him.

 

Do you see how you can gain victory over the flesh? You look at those influences in your life that clearly come from the old nature, the ones that are corrupting you and keeping you from having joy in your life. Deal with them ruthlessly, count yourself dead to them, and begin following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Soon you'll find the fruits of the Spirit in verses 22-23 replacing those character traits of the old man. that's what happens to a Christian: God replaces the old character with a new one. Life change for a Christian is not a matter of stopping things, of pulling out the weeds that have grown in the garden of your life. It is a  matter of letting God start some new things by planting seeds to grow a harvest of righteousness. God doesn't tell you to give up something without telling what He is going to replace it with. Romans 13:14 says, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

 

Don't allow yourself to enter a situation where the flesh is going to take control. Submit to Christ, and ask God to deal with those areas of your life in opposition to Him. James tells us to "Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). If you spend all your time trying to resist the devil, he's not going to flee. But if, while resisting him, you submit to God, Satan will be defeated.  If you spend all your time crucifying the flesh and never yield to the Holy Spirit, you're going to lose the war. But if in the process of crucifying the flesh you are also yielding to the Spirit, you are going to find victory in the war, that holy war going on in your life.



 

Taken from David Jeremiah's study guide, Spiritual Warfare, 2002

 

This concludes the David Jeremiah's, Spiritual Warfare. There is much more in the study guide with lots of Scripture references if you would like to obtain a copy. Just go to

turningpointonline.org

 

~Annie~

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Praying Always With All Prayer

Ephesians 6:18

 

 

Praying Always With All Prayer
 

Both before, and during, military campaigns, clear and strategic communication up and down the chain of command is essential to victory. So in spiritual warfare, prayer is the way we receive guidance from our Commander-in-Chief as we engage the enemy.
 

Throughout Scripture there are illustrations of the power of prayer in battle. Moses prayed on the mountain and God gave Joshua the victory over the Amalakites. Joshua prayed and the walls of Jericho fell before him. Gideon prayed and his 300 soldiers routed the Midianite hordes. As you study the Old Testament you will see that when Israel fought in her own strength, she was defeated. But when she cast herself upon the Lord and trusted in His might, victory always followed. King Hezekiah, after conquering the Assyrians, said in 2 Chronicles 32:8, "With us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles." The Lord is with us, fighting. That is the message of Ephesians 6:18.

 

 

The Persistence of the Warrior's Prayer
 

Notice how many times the word "all" occurs in this passage:  "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.  Paul said, "Pray without ceasing." "Praying always" means that we keep a constant attitude of trust and communication with God at every moment. You are always to be available to God as He is to you.

Satan will use every device to keep you from praying. He will cause fatigue, doubt, discouragement, and depression to seep into your life to keep you from your true source of power. That is why you need to be praying regularly, not just when you feel like it. The enemy wants to keep you out of touch with God and occupied with other matters. But you must be constantly in prayer because you are constantly in danger.

 

 

The Possibilities of the Warrior's Prayer

 

What does it mean to be "praying always with all prayer"?  First, it means that we are to pray on all occasions. You can pray in public worship, in prayer groups, and in private. Second, it means that we are to pray in all places. We should be praying in the car, in the classroom, in the office, around the family table. We are to pray in both prosperity and adversity. We are to pray morning, noon, and night. Third, we are to pray for all things. Pray for personal needs, family needs, business needs, church needs, All things should be bathed in prayer. Prayer, talking with God should come as naturally as breathing. "Lord, show me what to do." "Father, help me to understand Your will at this moment." The possibilities for prayer are endless. We can pray on all occasions, in every place, at all times, for all things.

 

 

The Petition of the Warrior's Prayer

 

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication. We ought to ask God for what we need. James 4:2 says we have not because we ask not. We ask in prayer because that is the only way God is going to work on our behalf.
 

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great British preacher, once said, "Asking is the rule of the kingdom. It is a rule that will never be altered...God will bless Elijah and send rain, but Elijah must pray for it.  God will deliver the Jews, but Daniel must pray for it." When the Bible tells us that we are to pray always with all prayer and supplication, it means that the things we have need of we are to ask God for.  Asking is the rule of the kingdom, and God has he resources to meet your need.

 

The Power of the Warrior's Prayer

 

"Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit."  The power of your prayer is the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in you. He determines not only the character but the content of your prayer. Have you ever wondered if what you pray is the will of God"  Well, the Spirit who wrote God's Word lives in you will direct you to the things of Spirit's power that we can pray in the will of God.

As you spend time with God, through prayer and Bible reading, the Spirit makes clear what God's will is. You come into agreement with Him and pray in the Spirit's power, and you will see mighty things happen. There is power in a warrior's prayer.

 

The Precision of the Warrior's Prayer

 

"Being watchful to this end...The warrior must be watchful of his prayer life. In other words, he must diligently pray and be vigilant, permitting nothing in his life to disrupt his prayer life. Prayer begins hours before you get on your knees. It begins in the decisions you make. The prayer warrior guards his time, plans his schedule, watches for everything that feeds his prayer life, and guards against everything that hinders it. That is what it means to be watchful.

 

Jesus reminds us to watch and pray. In Mark 13:33 He put it, "Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation."  Do you remember how Nehemiah defeated the enemy by watching and praying? In Nehemiah 4:9 he states, "We made our prayer to our God and we set a watch."  (The word "watch in Greek literally means to be awake).  Here it means to be on the alert spiritually, staying awake in prayer, vigilant for the enemy's attacks. Peter went to sleep when he was supposed to watch and pray, and he ended up getting into trouble. That is one of the reasons I (David Jeremiah) often walk and pray, because it keeps me alert and focused while I speak with God. Colossians 4:2 says, "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving."

 

The Perseverance of the Warrior's Prayer

 

"Being watchful to this end with all perseverance." We need to continue praying, for when we stop praying we are headed for trouble. Romans 12:12 puts it, "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.  We need to hold on, not quitting or yielding to discouragement, and not being distracted by outside pressures. Prayer will never be an automatic thing but it must be a matter of personal discipline. We have to take time to be holy, to exercise ourselves unto godliness. No matter what it takes, we must persevere in prayer or we will fall out of communication with our Commander and become a casualty of war.

 

You might be discouraged about your prayer life. Satan likes to convince you that you have blown it and should no longer pray. He likes to get you to cancel your prayer time due to outside pressures. But we must learn to persevere because prayer is crucial for our survival and success on the battlefield.

 

 

The Purpose of the Warrior's Prayer

 

"Praying always...for all the saints, and for me." The purpose of our praying is that we might pray for others. We are to pray for each other corporately. Perhaps that is why the Lord's prayer begins "Our Father," and not "My Father" We are not going into battle alone, but as part of God's army, and we are to uphold one another in prayer.

 

If you study the prayers of Paul in Scripture, you'll find he always prayed for his friends. There are some examples of Paul praying and asking God to grant his friends wisdom, power, love, comfort, and the knowledge of God's will.  We ought to pray like warriors and ask God to grant each other power and strength and wisdom.  Perhaps we need to begin asking the Lord to help each believer put on the armor of God so that we will be ready for the battle with the evil one.

 

The Christian is built to run on prayer. If he doesn't pray, he won't run. You can try putting anything you want into the engine of your life, but if you are a Christian, the only thing that will work is prayer.



Taken from David Jeremiah's study guide, Spiritual Warfare, 2002

Next, The Real Holy War (where the heart, soul, and mind are the battlefields).

~Annie~