Category: devil

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The Woman at the Well

The struggle is real, weekly I meet women who are living in addiction, sexual abuse, mental abuse, self-destructive behavior based in their childhood experiences and more.  From my childhood until I was 47 years of age, I was held captive by my past and struggled under many of the before mentioned circumstances.  I had accepted Jesus as my Savior however nothing in my life changed, I knew God was real however I lacked the understanding that He wanted to be part of my life daily and that through Him I would become free.  I am sharing this with you because Jesus had an encounter with a woman much like me and He not only brought salvation to her, but He changed her life forever. This is my story, it became God’s story, I am forgiven and not forgotten, loved, and valued by my Forever Father God.  I wanted to share with you today through scripture how God wants to encounter each and every one of us in this very way…bringing us into His Kingdom giving us the authority to speak life in what seem like desperate circumstances and walk in the grace and mercy only Jesus can bring.

Walk with me and open your Bible to John 4, identify with this amazing woman and how God changed her life. (Please note that these are my teaching notes, be kind to the grammar.) Pray before you begin and ask God to reveal to you something new about Him and something new about yourself.

The Woman at the Well

Verse 4 we see that Jesus “had to pass” through Samaria. Everywhere and everyone that Jesus visited, spoke to, and healed was a divine appointment not only for that time, but for today and for tomorrow. You even read this is a divine appointment…What is God saying to you?

Verse 6 It was the 6th hour or noon in Jewish time – hot, dusty, a time when everyone was inside resting, seeking shade.  The only time she would go, so that no one would see her…full of shame, guilt, based on her life and her reputation.

Verse 7 Jesus asked her to “Give Me a drink” an invitation to truth, God’s way of putting you to work…Jesus is asking us to give Him something daily, our faith, praise, worship.

Verse 8 no one else was there.  The is a private, personal between meeting between Jesus and the woman…like He desires to have with each of us…one on one…intimate and personal.  His calling to her was not for anyone else but her.

Verse 9 The woman is unsure,  unworthy, she knows who she is and how she lives, the label the world has put on her, the lie that she has no choice. God sees beyond our circumstances, our physical form to our spirit…remember we are all His creation and we all belong to Him.

Verse 10 If YOU Knew…open the flood gates here it comes “truth” gift from God, Jesus is inviting her to ask, an invitation from God the Father. “Living Water” in the Greek means Life Rain…continually feeding us truth, nourishing, growing, steady…provided from heaven for you intimately and personally.  Think about rain and the different ways we experience it…

Verse 11 She is not getting it…”Sir you have nothing to draw with” she is only seeing the physical, worldly way not the supernatural truth of this “Life Rain” how long did it take you? Have you really gotten it, are you experiencing a constant rain?  Are there times of desert, dry, scorching dryness in your life? Are you held captive by the devils lies that you are not worthy of God’s love?  Do you live on the outskirts of Christian Life?

Verse 12 She is asking Jesus. Who are you? This man is speaking to her, there is something different about Him. She is moving from the world truth into the spiritual truth.

Verse 13 Jesus shows her and us that we are all the same, loved and cherish by God who created us. The “Life Rain” he is offering is for everyone.

Verse 14 Now here is the invitation to drink…Whoever drinks…never thirst again…forever changed, transformed…ask Jesus, ask God, forgiven, washed clean by this life rain… it brings, forgiveness, hope, mercy, grace.

Verse 15 The woman is still thinking only in the physical instead of thinking “Yes God”…we must hunger for it, yes taste and drink…this water this rain will fill you up and continue filling you until it spills out on to all of those around you…shared truth…your story is now and forever His story living in you.

Verses 16-18 Jesus now brings the hammer…I know you! Truth of his power and knowledge. This truth is revealed to her by Jesus recounting her life…She thinks how? He doesn’t know me?  You see God know every word that you have ever said, every thought, action, yes mistake, situation, sin…nothing is hidden from God.

Verses 19-20 The woman still cannot perceive who Jesus is and what He is truly offering, she thinks He is a prophet or religious man. She starts in speaking of religious ritual “worshipped in this mountain” conditions for worship…excuses, rules, ritual, specific place.  She knows if she even dared to show herself in the temple she would be rejected even stoned because she is a Samaritan and a prostitute. Are you suffering under a religious spirit? You have told yourself I will never be accepted in church, never belong? Sadly, today there are churches still making religious law their guide and not God’s truth that He loves ALL people. Jesus gave is life for ALL.  I want to say right here that the devil knows scripture as well or better than we do and he uses it to corrupt and distract, man uses rules and ritual, outward appearance and lifestyle to judge when scripture clearly tells us that only God knows the motives of the heart and only God can be the judge. Only God has the power to bring someone to Him, our responsibility is to share His truth, by Loving God and Loving People. Remember, a truth believer and follower of Jesus Christ seeks to have a personal relationship with Him…

Verses 21-22 Jesus rebukes this thought, your thinking is wrong, the truth of God has been corrupted by man’s limited knowledge, God is not a place, He is not found in a pastor, denomination or ritual ”neither in this mountain or in Jerusalem” …He is in His Word, He is Creator, Father, All Knowing and Seeing, Forever…Never Changing, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow…SUPERNATURAL Hebrew 4:12 says that truth is reveal through God’s Word living and active able to separate your flesh (sin, worldly thinking) from your spirit. Our worship for the One True God dwells within us coming through us in our attitude and actions.

Verse 23-24 Now is the time, praise and worship Him who lives in you and brings nourishment to your spirit daily.  This truth is for everyone God calls to worship Him in Spirit and Truth

Verse 25-26 Truth revealed to all…”The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

Verse 27 The disciples recognized the importance of this teaching and so they did not question her or disrupt what Jesus was sharing with her…if you are familiar with the disciples they often would attempt to protect or distance Jesus from people.  I believe it is very significant that they said nothing as if they recognized the importance of “this encounter”.

Verses 28-29 At this moment God’s truth became hers and she could not hold back from sharing with anyone who would listen…determined. Her life was forever changed.  Freedom from the shame and guilt, sin forgiven, a new life reborn in Jesus.  Just for a moment close your eyes she her running back to the town and encountering people in the street, no longer afraid of what they would say or do.  The freedom she received from Jesus gave her the authority to walk in God’s righteousness and truth. Verse 29 says “Come and see this man who knew everything about me and has given me a new life, declaring I am forgiven, come and experience this truth for yourself HE IS THE CHRIST! Our Savior! God in the flesh!” paraphrased

Verse 30 The people responded…God used her to share the truth, to bring people to Him so that they might receive the “Life Rain” He was offering.  Later on, in verses 39-42 We see that many came to Him and they asked Him to stay with them. Because of the women bringing them to hear for themselves many were saved.  Not on her word alone, we must believe from our own hearing and come to Jesus as He calls us. Through this broken woman, Jesus brought truth to an entire region and the people of that area declared that “Jesus is the Savior of the world”.

I have saved these verses for now because this truth is for many. In verses 31-38 Jesus disciples still had not grasped who Jesus was and their responsibility as believers and disciples. The woman heard and responded, shared truth, allowed the life rain to change her, she took that truth and sow for the harvest.  Many hear the truth of Christ and even follow that message to church; however it gets hung up right there. The disciples witnessed Jesus in action and yet walked in ignorance of what He was calling them to do…it took the cross and resurrection for them to truly grasp all Jesus had been teaching them as they walked with Him side by side daily.

What can we learn from God’s writing here? This woman responded to God’s call in her life, first she had to allow the “life rain” Jesus was offering to wash away her past and see herself through God’s eyes.  To claim her identity in God not the world.  This claiming is where her strength came from, right now you must let Jesus direct your every thought and action.  Feelings and attitudes often are attached to the past.  The devil will use this to set you off course, distract and teardown the grace God has given you.  Use God’s Holy Word as a guide in every thought and action, let Him show you areas in your life that the devil is using to keep you for your true freedom and purpose.  If God has forgiven you and forgotten you MUST also…there is a tendency to continually analyze yourself, comparing yourself to others around you. To listen to the “well meaning” you must remember that the devil works through Christians as well as the world.  Do not let this endless cycle of self-evaluation kill your confidence and distract you from your unique personality and the special purpose God has given you alone. Jesus is calling you to be His church, to represent and present His truth and love to a fallen world.

I speak these words over myself as well.  Jesus let these Words of Truth sink in deeply and fill my spirit. I claim who God created me to be and I daily speak life into myself and those around me.  Daily we must make sure God is going before us in every decision and that we are walking in His will.

Isaiah 54:17 says ““No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord.” NASB

2 Corinthians 10:5 says “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” NASB

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 NASB

Blessings, Laurie

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Fight the Cause and NOT the Symptoms

Are you lost to the symptoms? What are symptoms? When you have a cold, the symptoms can be the running nose, cough, lack of energy, achy body. The word symptom means  “a sign of the existence of something, especially of an undesirable”.

Let us talk about the “existence of something”, I was listening to a teaching by Pastor Rick Renner and I want to share with you how it spoke to me.  Today we will be in Mark 4, Jesus had been teaching and healing throughout the Galilean region and people were coming from all over.  His disciples were with Him. This is important because they had every opportunity to  absorb all that Jesus was teaching, at the very least the truth of who He was and who they were in God’s kingdom. Much like you and I we have the historical account and teaching, the whole truth.  We should know without a doubt our position and authority, yet we let the “symptoms of life” stall and distract us.

In Mark 4 beginning in verse 35 Jesus says ”Let us go over to the other side.” Jesus knows He has an appointment, there is need and He must go and deliver an entire region from a demonic stronghold.  No encounter and no where Jesus went was ever by accident or mishap. Every step, every word had purpose and is still affecting God’s Kingdom today and forever. So, they set out in a boat to cross over to Gerasene. It was a beautiful night, not a cloud in the sky as they left.  They sailed into the night and Jesus in verse 38  was sleeping in the stern of the boat on a cushion. After a while scripture says, “there arose a fierce gale of wind”, this word “arose” in the Greek means something off guard, unexpected, by surprise.  These were experienced fisherman, Jesus’ disciples and they would not have risked going out onto the lake if there was a storm brewing.  In verse 37, the word used in the Greek to describe this “great wind” is a turbulence, invisible force, not natural and this wind caused waves to break over the boat so that it was all the disciples could do to keep water from filling and sinking the boat. It is so important to look at the Greek during this portion of scripture because the truth comes alive here…my Bible says breaking but the Greek the word is “beating” meaning by someone or some unforeseen force, entity, not natural. It is the devil that is attacking and trying to keep Jesus from crossing.  Keep in your mind that the waves and water are the symptoms and the wind is the devil or the cause. Remember earlier I shared that Jesus had an appointment to break a demonic stronghold and free an entire region. Let’s go back to the storm for a moment, the disciples are frantic, Jesus is sleeping and they are at their wits end, not understanding what is truly happening, fear sets in, it’s hopeless, they look to Jesus and He is sleeping through all of it. Jesus is resting, knows the outcome because God has set Him on a mission. Finally, in verse 38 the disciples woke Him, once again my Bible says simply “woke Him” however the Greek says they resurrected Him, demanded and like whining children declared “Don’t you care?” “We are going to die!” This “don’t you care” is translated in Greek to say, we are unraveled, undone, life is coming apart. Don’t you care about our current situation?

Here it is…the true teaching in this scripture the deeper revelation God is showing us today. Jesus’ response…verse 39 “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.”  And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.”  This word “rebuke” the wind holds the key…Jesus spoke first to the devil and the word rebuke in the Greek is to embarrass or humiliate.  The devil is a prideful creature, so Jesus calls him out…with authority. He defeats the cause and then He hushes all the symptoms…the water.  The disciples thought the problem was the water, that which they could see and touch but Jesus knew the truth, Ephesians 6:12 says we fight against the unseen.  Jesus addressed the source, the devil and once that was accomplished all the symptoms subsided.

Here is the question we must answer daily and the one the disciples had difficulty answering. Verse 40 “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  They had witnessed and heard His teaching firsthand, saw with their own eyes the miracles and yet when a spiritual attack came, they were unable to discern and act with authority over it.  The disciples thought the problem was the water and waves, they were fighting the waves, bailing water, trying desperately to find their balance in the waves (symptoms) instead of going directly to the cause and saying “NOT today devil!, I claim the authority that Jesus has given me!”

So here it is…Jesus tells us to call to Him, use your faith, believe without hesitation, do not look at the physical, your circumstances, situation.  Step out in faith and declare who you belong to… Notice that Jesus responded immediately to their request, He didn’t wait, He didn’t wait for them to gain understanding or to take action on their own…He did it! Jesus destroyed the devils attempt to gain a foothold and cause them to be further distracted from the mission in front of them.  Your life is that mission, to represent and to present His truth! To walk in the authority and rebuke the devils attempts.  We MUST learn to let our faith guide us. Whatever the devil does Jesus is going to go above and beyond.  We must believe that once the unseen, the cause is dealt with the seen, our symptoms will be defeated, and peace will come. Do not let fear keep you distracted and unable from receiving and fulfilling your mission.

Blessing, Laurie

JesusTruth 5/5/2020

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Fight the Cause and NOT the Symptoms

Are you lost to the symptoms? What are symptoms? When you have a cold, the symptoms can be the running nose, cough, lack of energy, achy body. The word symptom means  “a sign of the existence of something, especially of an undesirable”.

Let us talk about the “existence of something”, I was listening to a teaching by Pastor Rick Renner and I want to share with you how it spoke to me.  Today we will be in Mark 4, Jesus had been teaching and healing throughout the Galilean region and people were coming from all over.  His disciples were with Him. This is important because they had every opportunity to  absorb all that Jesus was teaching, at the very least the truth of who He was and who they were in God’s kingdom. Much like you and I we have the historical account and teaching, the whole truth.  We should know without a doubt our position and authority, yet we let the “symptoms of life” stall and distract us.

In Mark 4 beginning in verse 35 Jesus says ”Let us go over to the other side.” Jesus knows He has an appointment, there is need and He must go and deliver an entire region from a demonic stronghold.  No encounter and no where Jesus went was ever by accident or mishap. Every step, every word had purpose and is still affecting God’s Kingdom today and forever. So, they set out in a boat to cross over to Gerasene. It was a beautiful night, not a cloud in the sky as they left.  They sailed into the night and Jesus in verse 38  was sleeping in the stern of the boat on a cushion. After a while scripture says, “there arose a fierce gale of wind”, this word “arose” in the Greek means something off guard, unexpected, by surprise.  These were experienced fisherman, Jesus’ disciples and they would not have risked going out onto the lake if there was a storm brewing.  In verse 37, the word used in the Greek to describe this “great wind” is a turbulence, invisible force, not natural and this wind caused waves to break over the boat so that it was all the disciples could do to keep water from filling and sinking the boat. It is so important to look at the Greek during this portion of scripture because the truth comes alive here…my Bible says breaking but the Greek the word is “beating” meaning by someone or some unforeseen force, entity, not natural. It is the devil that is attacking and trying to keep Jesus from crossing.  Keep in your mind that the waves and water are the symptoms and the wind is the devil or the cause. Remember earlier I shared that Jesus had an appointment to break a demonic stronghold and free an entire region. Let’s go back to the storm for a moment, the disciples are frantic, Jesus is sleeping and they are at their wits end, not understanding what is truly happening, fear sets in, it’s hopeless, they look to Jesus and He is sleeping through all of it. Jesus is resting, knows the outcome because God has set Him on a mission. Finally, in verse 38 the disciples woke Him, once again my Bible says simply “woke Him” however the Greek says they resurrected Him, demanded and like whining children declared “Don’t you care?” “We are going to die!” This “don’t you care” is translated in Greek to say, we are unraveled, undone, life is coming apart. Don’t you care about our current situation?

Here it is…the true teaching in this scripture the deeper revelation God is showing us today. Jesus’ response…verse 39 “And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.”  And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.”  This word “rebuke” the wind holds the key…Jesus spoke first to the devil and the word rebuke in the Greek is to embarrass or humiliate.  The devil is a prideful creature, so Jesus calls him out…with authority. He defeats the cause and then He hushes all the symptoms…the water.  The disciples thought the problem was the water, that which they could see and touch but Jesus knew the truth, Ephesians 6:12 says we fight against the unseen.  Jesus addressed the source, the devil and once that was accomplished all the symptoms subsided.

Here is the question we must answer daily and the one the disciples had difficulty answering. Verse 40 “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  They had witnessed and heard His teaching firsthand, saw with their own eyes the miracles and yet when a spiritual attack came, they were unable to discern and act with authority over it.  The disciples thought the problem was the water and waves, they were fighting the waves, bailing water, trying desperately to find their balance in the waves (symptoms) instead of going directly to the cause and saying “NOT today devil!, I claim the authority that Jesus has given me!”

So here it is…Jesus tells us to call to Him, use your faith, believe without hesitation, do not look at the physical, your circumstances, situation.  Step out in faith and declare who you belong to… Notice that Jesus responded immediately to their request, He didn’t wait, He didn’t wait for them to gain understanding or to take action on their own…He did it! Jesus destroyed the devils attempt to gain a foothold and cause them to be further distracted from the mission in front of them.  Your life is that mission, to represent and to present His truth! To walk in the authority and rebuke the devils attempts.  We MUST learn to let our faith guide us. Whatever the devil does Jesus is going to go above and beyond.  We must believe that once the unseen, the cause is dealt with the seen, our symptoms will be defeated, and peace will come. Do not let fear keep you distracted and unable from receiving and fulfilling your mission.

Blessing, Laurie

JesusTruth 5/5/2020

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How to Destroy the Spirits of Worry and Anxiety


These spirits act purposefully to destroy and distract us, they are inhibiting our faith so that we cannot rise up and live in victory.
Are you addicted to worry? When you don’t have something to worry about do you take on the worries of someone else?
It is impossible to live in worry and live in peace at the same time…Worry is the root of anxiety. It brings physical manifestation…. illness such as hives and disease. I have been witness to divine healing over many of these manifestations when women caught in the devil’s grip are set free. Instantly, they have received freedom physically, mentally and spiritually.

The King James Version of the Bible doesn’t use the word “worry” so let’s be clear about who and what this spirit is…
Fret – In the Hebrew this means a snare, violently agitated, to grieve, be angry, burn, be hot or provoked – in the Webster Dictionary it is defined as uneasy, distressed or troubled, anxious; to be tormented with distributing thoughts.
Matthew 6:25 is a warning to “take no thought” or don’t let your mind rest in negative thought
Philippians 4:6 tells us to “be careful for nothing” KJV or in the NASB “be anxious for nothing”


Worry does not make anything better…
The devil uses the spirit of worry to torment us!


A description of worry would be “To seize by the throat with teeth and shake or mangle, as one animal does to another or to harass by repeated biting and snapping”
After a few hours of worry do you feel beaten up? Worn out? All those destructive thoughts going around and around in your head? Continually exaggerating and building, more and more until…
Matthew 6:25 – 27 puts it like this in the AMP version “Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by worrying can add one hour to the length of life.”

John 10:10 give us a clear picture of the devil and how he works however, it also gives us the promise of our Savior Jesus Christ! “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”


Let me break it down for you….
Peace is not something you can do for yourself in Galatians 5 the Bible says it is a gift of the fruit of the Spirit…Holy Spirit meaning only by abiding in Jesus Christ will we have peace. John 15:4 says “abide in me and I will Abide in you.”
No amount of self-control will bring you peace or break your anxiety. Drugs, anti-depressants, anxiety medication, sleeping aids only “Dumb you down” interfering and clouding your ability to hear from God or receiving His healing, supernatural power.


So what is this abiding Jesus is speaking of?
First, it is a union we are actively pursuing to understand because the work was already done at the cross our part is to be in a personal intimate relationship with Jesus. We are united to Jesus by faith by believing Jesus has cleansed us by paying the price through the whipping post and cross. He then went to hell and claimed the keys to God’s Kingdom here on earth to give us authority over the devil. Are you getting the whole picture?


Second, this relationship is built on our obedience and pursuit of Jesus. John 17:7 says “If you abide in me and my Word, I will abide in you.” Colossians 3:36 says “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” Ephesians 5:18 tells us “be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
You MUST allow His Word to fill out minds, surrender our will to His Will for us…our relationship to Jesus is intimately connected to what we do with our Bibles.
As God’s Word dwells in us and the Spirit fills us, we are transformed, our prayers change – your prayers become God’s Will – truth and revelation will open your eyes!


Third and last…Abide in My Love John 15:9 says “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also loved you; abide in My love.” You MUST rest in this love, the love of Jesus Christ in verse 13-16 says “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. ”Peace is not something you can do for yourself in Galatians 5 the Bible says it is a gift of the fruit of the Spirit…Holy Spirit meaning only by abiding in Jesus Christ will we have peace. John 15:4 abide in me and I will Abide in you…


Fourth, that authority I spoke of early…we have the authority to cast out this spirit…Jesus told us he would send a helper so that we could act in authority, just as the Acts church did so can we! Nothing has changed…the Holy Spirit is within you as a believer! Make you stand TODAY! In the name of Jesus reclaim what you have lost…declare and decree that the devil will not hold you captive through worry or anxiety!

Finally, I leave you with this… Romans 8:14 says “live by the Holy Spirit” Through the Holy Spirit we are transformed bringing our flesh into obedience. We must continue to allow the Holy Spirit to change us. Today, Claim your position as daughters and sons of the Most High King Jesus!

Your Sister in Jesus Christ, Laurie

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The Lord’s Prayer

women kneeing in prayer

Recently I had the honor of sharing with a group of women.  As I prayed each day prior to the day, the Lord began to speak to me about giving them insight to the Lord’s Prayer as given in Matthew 6:9-13.  I felt the Holy Spirit say give them a new meaning, one they can use when journeying deeper in their relationship with Me.  I call this a Jesus Habit. Prayer and studying God’s Word are a true level of connecting with Him in an intimate way.  It’s important to attend church or a Bible study to gain insight from others, however, your quiet personal time with God will bring new meaning to your relationship with Him.

Read Matthew 6:9-13, take note of my comments and write ones of your own as God speaks to you.  There is meat in these scriptures.  Use this as a guide in your daily prayer time.  I would like to say, don’t let others or the devil make you feel as if you have failed if you do not hold to a specific time of day or a hard rule of when and where to seek God.  He is always with you.  So whenever and wherever works! The point is just do it!

One more thing, get a Bible! Don’t relay on your phone, tablet or iPad, even a computer.  There is nothing better than the written Word in a tangible printed way.  Write in the margins, add pages using some of the new techniques used by art journalers. Let your Bible express your love for Jesus.  As your relationship matures your Bible will reflect that relationship, or provide a history of your journey, no electonic device can show your love better.

v6 “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” 

Intimate, private relationship with God – praying and studying His Holy Word alone grows your relationship with Him.  Empty platitudes spoken in public prove  nothing but expose your pride.

v7-8 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” 

Do not be meaningless, repetitive, God knows your mind and heart’s motive. He knows before we ask so be honest. Come surrendered and humbled, lay yourself open before your Lord.

v9 “Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” 

Recognize His Authority, Who He is, the great I AM. Then declare His  Holiness… Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord for the whole earth is filled with His Glory.  Isaiah 6:3

v10 “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” 

Acknowledge the need for God, and the need for all people to know Him, we have a responsibility in representing Him to the world through our life and in spreading the Gospel with those we encounter.

v11 “Give us this day our daily bread.”

We are depend, so make our-self dependent on God for all things.  Acknowledge that only God can give you what you need…physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Matthew 6:33 says “seek Him first, His Kingdom and His righteousness and you will receive all you need.” 

v12 “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

God forgives us of our (debts) sin, through this we have an example of forgiveness for those who hurt or sin against us.  We cannot claim God’s forgiveness if we harbor anger and unforgiveness towards  others.  Ask God to continually and daily to reveal any bitterness we may hold in our heart.

v13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the   kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” 

God does not tempt us with evil,  James 1:13 says “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.“ Ask God to guide you and give you discernment.  God will deliver you from evil when we stand in God’s strength and authority based in His Word.  James 4:7  tells us to “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee.”  Finally have confidence in God,  I Corinthians 10:13  confirms God is there for us, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” 

This afternoon of sharing turn into an amazing day of lives changed through God’s Word.  I am but his empty vessel, set on a course of sharing truth, and the life changing experience found in living and serving the one truth God…Jesus Christ!

Be Blessed,

Laurie

 

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Murdered Innocence

 

 

 

 

 

“The devil…he was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
James 8:44 NASB

Today we live in a sex fueled world…in culture that does not value sexual integrity and purity. Instead, it values instant gratification and pleasure at all costs. Throughout history and today women are exploited for sex. Men have used women to satisfy their sexual desires without regard for the women they prey upon. Teenage men today are caught up in the age-old game of how many notches (sexual experiences) they have on their belt is as prevalent today as it was yesterday. The young women who become their victims are spoken about and many times unknowing shared by a group of young men. Each time they have sex with her they take a part of her soul. This begins a cycle of shame for most young women.

The dating world gives way to sex before marriage making it as common going out to a movie or having dinner. While you believe this is part of dating the reality is its sex out of marriage. Sex outside of marriage breaks down your ability to express the highest form of physical love created by God to build intimacy between one man and one woman. You will carry those pre-marital experiences into your marriage. Innocence dies through these experiences.

The Big Lie:  Women today believe the only way to receive and feel love is by giving their bodies over to men through sex.  Sex is fun and not meant exclusively for marriage between one man and one woman.

Fact:  A healthy woman usually only gives her body to someone she thinks of night and day and with whom her heart and spirit have already connected (unless there is dysfunctional or addictive behavior involved). And when she gives her mind, heart and soul, her body usually follows right behind. The four are intricately connected.

Fact:  Men use the words “I love you” to get sex. A male can enjoy the act of sex without committing his heart or bonding spiritually with the object of his physical desire. While a man needs mental, emotional and spiritual connection as well…his need to gratify his physical desires leads the way while the other needs follow behind.

 

Truth: Intimacy can best be defined by breaking the word into its syllables: “in-to-me-see”. This connection with your husband or wife is a longing to be seen and accepted for who you really are deep down inside, as well as to see the other person deep down inside so that you truly know each other. God created the act of sexual intimacy as a gift to give a husband and wife a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bond with pleasure beyond description.

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become on flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” Genesis 2:24-25 NASB

Ok, so where does this truth leave you? Let’s look at where you are now in your life.

1. You are unmarried and still holding on to your sexual integrity. If this is you…fantastic! Hold on to that! Find other like-minded Christians to help you stay accountable and pure. In the book, “Every Young Woman’s Battle”, the following is a glimpse of what an amazing gift is waiting for you in marriage.

Imagine what it is like when two sexually pure people get married. He has guarded his heart and she is the only naked woman he has ever seen. And she has never been held so intimately that she knows the smell of any man’s skin but his. She has no one to compare his gentle touch and caress to. No comparison. No disappointment. No guilt or shame. Their sexual intimacy is shared  between two bodies, two minds, two hearts, and two spirits that unite to become one-flesh union. When this level of intimacy is experienced within the commitment and safety of a loving marriage, it can be one of the most earthshaking experiences this side of heaven.

2. You are the parents. Pray for God to give you the strength and courage to set boundaries, speak freely and honestly about your mistakes. Get together as the mother and father and discuss how you will approach your children about dating and intimacy. Don’t just go with what you did…today we must take steps to keep our young people safe from the pressure put on them. Make sure your home leads by example in every area by setting a godly standard in your personal life, as well as music, movies and social media. Ask the difficult questions or if necessary seek out a trusted Christian mentor for them. Make sure they have accountability with others of the same-sex i.e. woman to woman or man to man.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2 NASB

3. You have blown it. You find yourself sexually compromised and like a broken record you just keep going around and letting the scratch or crack hang you up. There is hope! Jesus paid the price at the whipping post and cross for you! You can bring all those past experiences before the Lord ask Him to forgive you. You also need to take that extra step and lay down your pride and confess with your mouth to another Christian. Those experiences can either anchor you to the past or thrust you into the future. Start today by renewing your mind daily in the truth found in the Bible. The closer you draw to God, the more you know Him, He will reveal and heal your mind and body. Take steps to become accountable for your life.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NASB

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” James 5:16 NASB

Do not lose hope it may take time. There may be residual physical damage, however, it is God’s desire that you live a life of joy and peace walking in His love and grace.

I hope these words are of encouragement to you. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you can ! Simply ask Jesus to come and dwell within you bringing His Holy Spirit to guide you and ask forgiveness from the sin in your life. Acknowledge the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for you and that He is the son of the one true God.

Be Blessed,
Laurie

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Know the Enemy

spiritual-warfare-rurfbattle

The devil is out to get you.  Why is this concept so hard for many to believe?  Why do our churches rarely ever address the power in the darkness and how it brings havoc to our lives?  Why don’t they teach us how to fight Satan?  I’m going to leave that question for you to address with your pastors, elders and leaders.  I would like to share some discoveries I have made through experience as well as the inspired writing of John Hagee.

The older I get the more blessed I feel.  I look back on my life and I now can recognize the battle fought for me in the heavens. God has sent His angels to war for my life many times when I didn’t deserve saving.  Jesus saw something in me, something I couldn’t see and He rescued me for His plan.  Because of His love I am a vessel used by Him to bring glory to His kingdom.  Now at 61 years young I am discovering my place in His kingdom and the true meaning found in this scripture…

“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”  Psalms 139 13-16

Jesus love me first and I was precious to Him and His intention for me was there from the beginning.  As I devote time to studying His Holy Word, worshipping Him in a community of like minded believers and attending meetings lead by Godly people who speak truth my faith and love for Jesus Christ grows in passion and strength. Knowing God is key in doing battle for His Kingdom. As I position my life as a servant to Jesus Christ…I am changed.  Let me be perfectly clear I am not without sin.  I still make mistakes, bad decisions, Satan and sin still know me and call me by name.  However, I can fight this battle because I have Jesus on my side.

Satan sends his demons and spirits to disrupt God’s plan.  Understanding him and how he operates will help you win the battle.  When you identify his lies and method you can use the power God has given you to destroy the devil’s attempts to keep you captive.  The more you study the Word of God, the more the Holy Spirit reveals the areas in your life that need to come under the total authority of God’s Word.  Once revealed, it is essential that you take action.  However, if you choose not to separate yourself from these destructive influences, you allow the evil forces to grow stronger.

“Then it goes and takes along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”  Matthew 12:45

Battle Truths 

  • Do not be deceived; the devil’s forces are active in and beyond the walls of the church.
  • Underestimating the devil is suicide; it is akin to becoming an ally with the opposition for your own defeat.
  • Rationalizing sin is Satan’s substitute for confession and repentance.
  • Satan’s primary target is our mind, we must guard against thoughts that are contrary to Scripture and submit them to the directives found in God’s Word.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:4-5

Satan takes pleasure in using demonic spirits to influence people serving in ministry and involved in church because he uses them to spread his doctrine of strife, doubt and discord like a deadly virus.  You must ask yourself…Where is my thought life taking me?

“Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”  Philippians 4:8

“Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.”  Mark 11:23

Satan uses doubt to bring distrust into any situation.  He will sow seeds of doubt in our belief in the supernatural power of Jesus because he knows if he can hinder our ability to fully grasp hold of God’s power through His Holy Spirit…Satan loses.  The devil’s ultimate goal is to stop your ability to accomplish your divine destiny.

SATAN’S DEMONIC SPIRITS

Spirit of WORRY

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?  And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!  Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’  For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:25-33

Anxiety attacks you emotionally and physically.  Worry is faith in fear not in God.  When you sense the spirit rises up within you seek God and the truth in His Word. You cannot change what you will not confront.  What you will not conquer will conquer you.

Spirit of FEAR

“When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.            Revelations 1:17-18

“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,  surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

Fear paralyzes the mind; it weakens the will and destroys the dream within you.  Once the spirit of fear has a hold in your life it sets a course to destroy your life and future.

Spirit of RESENTMENT

The definition of the word resentment is a feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong, insult, or injury.  Anger towards any person whom you perceive has offended you.

King David cried out to the Lord to be healed from those that offended him.  I believe the feelings brought by being offended was far more dangerous than the actual offense.    Being offended leads to resentment which in turn leads to bitterness which is emotional poison.

Read Psalms 17, 27, 35, 109 and 143 for help and healing.

“No mature Christian who is seasoned in the Word has any reasonable excuse to live their life offended.”  Brian Houston – Hillsong

Once you are held captive by this evil spirit relationships are destroyed, it takes the joy and peace out of your life.  You will find yourself continually finding reason to begrudge those around you.  Something as simple as not being invited to a social event when you thought you should be can stir up jealousy and bitterness.  It also gives way for pride to distort your self worth.  Being passed over, losing a contest, missing an opportunity for a bonus or promotion.  Cain fell victim to this spirit and killed his brother Abel.  King Saul chased David across the hills of Israel in an attempt to prevent him from becoming king.  Satan’s plan is to fill your mind with this emotional poison.   It is said that resentment is cyanide of the soul.

Spirit of REBELLION

God has a definition for this spirit,

“For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.”  1 Samuel 15:23

“You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him.  But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the Lord your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you.”  Deuteronomy 13:4-6

This spirit resists or defies any form of authority.  Our churches today have allowed this spirit to corrupt society like never before.  Their watered down sermons focus on        self-pleasing, instant gratification rather than God-pleasing and sacrifice to serve.  Our leaders are failing to teach basic precepts found in the Word of God.  One essential precept is submission to righteous authority.  This lack of submission or obedience has caused truth to become a blurred gray area in which people make up their own belief, truth, and identity.

Our children turn to gangs to find the boundaries they are not receiving at home.  There is a generation that is quick to loot and burn, they partake in acts of violence against those who have take an oath of service to protect us all in the name of “right to protest”.  Many times they cry racism as an excuse for their behavior.

This vicious spirit uses domination, intimidation and manipulation to undermine us.  They are strongholds that have infiltrated our lives and the lives of our love ones.

  • Domination: sole purpose is to control others, it demands attention and power,
  • Intimidation: forces people to do things they don’t want to do, uses bullying and exploitation,
  • Manipulation: managing someones actions or emotions in an unfair manner, manipulators force or seduce others to achieve their own end results, it is motivated by self-gratification.

The spirit of Rebellion makes idols of our wills, opinions and lusts.  God will not share His throne with any other man or spirit.  Only through repentance and submission to the will of God can we be free from rebellion’s grasp.

Be a Warrior not a Victim

How can we become God’s warriors?  Acknowledging the existence of demonic spirits and their master Satan is the first step.  Knowing that we are all victims in some way.  We must identify the weak points in our armor.  All of us are unique therefore everyones armor is different.  Know yourself through honesty and humility, submit yourself to Jesus Christ.  Spend time understanding His love, coming to Him totally surrendered, heart and mind open, asking for forgiveness…God can break the bondage you are captive in.

We must be mindful of the battle which is raging between Satan and his demonic spirits and our Heavenly Father.   God created us for His pleasure and divine purpose, Satan destroyed that prefect union in the garden through lies and temptation.  God came to earth in Jesus Christ His son, to make a way to repair our brokenness, bring atonement for our sin and infuse us with His supernatural power through the Holy Spirit.  His love for us is greater than any weapon Satan can muster.

“For you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”  Exodus 34:14

“You shall have no other gods before Me.”  Exodus 20:3

Our Heavenly Father gives several warnings to His people about worshipping other Gods, this warning is as important today as it was in the old testament because Satan has learned how to disguise himself today among social and political issues distracting us from our true purpose.  Unfortunately, it’s working…we are in end times as spoken of in the Bible, we as believers must arm ourselves and use all the supernatural power available to us through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.

It’s only through repentance and submission to the will of God that we can be freed from these spirit’s evil grasp.  We all are suffering under one or more of these spirits, our emotions must be carefully guarded to protect our supernatural peace…what the Bible describes as “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.”

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:7

My prayer for you and for myself is that God would give us discernment and reveal any area of our life that would invite a demonic spirit in and through His grace remove it from us.  Giving us the wisdom to see with His eyes the devil’s lies before they can bring harm to us and those we love.

Thank you to John Hagee for his insightful writing. Much of this post is from his book “The Three Heavens”.   I strongly suggest you purchase this book there is so much to grasp, such amazing insight and wisdom!

Be Blessed, Laurie

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The Road We Travel – Part II “In the Eye of the Beholder”

in the eye of the beholderFor ladies young and old our appearance plays a huge part of who we are.  In a world so caught up in how the physical body looks the road to feeling comfortable in your skin is difficult.  Every form of media tells us we have to look like a A&F models.  In fact some of you may not know but when A&F launched one of their first catalogs the young men were shirtless.  Their catalog looked more like a glamour magazine than advertising clothing.  In their stores they put large screen TVs with videos running of young people scantily clad with clothing that looked two sizes to small.  This has been going on for decades.  During my time braless halter tops and mid-drift blouses with one inch zippers on jeans were the rage.  Bathing suits had less fabric than underwear.  Today, plastic surgery to increase or decease your body is common.  Products that will help you lose weight, grow your eye lashes, hide wrinkles are billon dollar industries.  Satan wins this battle everyday.  All of this creates insecurity, low self-image and unworthiness.  To further complicate things the devil has us believing we need to look like a princess to catch and keep the prince.  Unfortunately, how we look often determines whether doors will open or close in life as well.  So in all of this how do we as Christian Women find our truth, our identity and value.  How do we balance obsession with a healthy view of self?  

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”  1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB

First, I want to address your appearance.  I believe it is important to take care of yourself.  Eat healthy, moderate exercise and take care of your physical body.  I truly believe everyone has an optimum weight that is not so much a number or size but how we feel and how our body functions.  We need to find a balance, a comfortable place one that can be maintained without obsessing.  I guarantee this will be a life long challenge, maybe as a woman your greatest…to keep how you see yourself from becoming an obsession.  I can prove this with one example.  Have you ever been shopping for clothing and nothing you try on looks good or fits? Be honest for me that’s most of the time! If you are young finding your unique comfort zone now will help you as your life unfolds.  Learning how to love and feel good about yourself is not the true solution to overcoming how you see yourself. Your identity MUST be found in Jesus Christ, only when you find it in Him will you be able to discern and fight the devils traps.  It is vital for you to understand how precious you are in God’s sight…so valuable. Loved and valued so much that Jesus went to the cross for you.  You also should value your life because you were made in His image; you are His most precious creation. His love for us is truly unmeasurable. And as a Christian woman, you are the daughter of the King; redeemed and made into royalty through the work of the Cross. But when you make “feeling good about yourself” a focal point, you quickly take your eyes off Christ and become wrapped up in self. Unhealthy behavior will feed a continuing cycle of obsession and balance.  Sometimes in an effort to find yourself the devil will speak lies to you causing destructive behavior.  Getting help is essential, please don’t let Satan use self-inflicted physical abuse to destroy you. 

Scripture tells us that you are not to have confidence in yourself but in Christ only.  It’s important for you to focus on how our Lord sees you, how what’s in your heart is the measure of who you are in Jesus. Your confidence and strength must come from the heavenly Father.  Any other source is fueled in pride.  You will walk a fine line in this as well.  You need to continually be asking Jesus to refine away your prideful thoughts and realize that you are who you are inside and out because of who created you.  You must believe that God created you in love and that He loved you first. 

 “For we [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and] are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what we have or who we are] in the flesh.”  Philippians 3:3 AMP

Paul tells us that he counts all his personal accomplishments “as rubbish” compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ.  This must be your priority as well. When you understand that it’s not about you but about how you can serve a God who loves you.  When you make your life pursuit in knowing God and loving Him as He loves you freedom is found. 

“But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ.”  Philippians 3:8 AMP

Jesus could not be more clear when He says, “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” 

 And Jesus was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross daily [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me].”  Luke 9:23 AMP

It may seem hard to believe that self-denial, rather than self-esteem, could actually be the solution to female insecurity. But when you let self fade into the background and become consumed with Jesus Christ, your personal insecurities will melt away. You no longer look to yourself…your talent, beauty, or uniqueness to find confidence. You must not depend on others for accolades because gratification through objects and people don’t last but are just a momentarily.  Instead, you learn to find your confidence in who He is, rather than in who the world says you are.

Charles Spurgeon said, “If a soul has any beauty, it is because Christ has endowed that soul with His own, for in ourselves we are deformed and defiled! There is no beauty in any of us but what our Lord has worked in us.”

The world would lead you to believe that you have “beauty within you” and that if you could only learn to love yourself “just the way you are” you would be confident and happy. The TRUTH, as Spurgeon so plainly put it, “We do not actually possess any beauty or goodness of our own accord.” 

“Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.”  Psalms 53:3 NASB

The only beauty, confidence or worth you can ever have is in Jesus Christ. And His loveliness will only come shining through in your life when self has gotten out of the way. 

As John the Baptist declared, “I must decrease, but He must increase.”  John 3:30 NASB

Rather than trying to build up your self-esteem and “feel good about yourself” (which doesn’t produce lasting confidence anyway) you are to let thoughts of self fade completely into the background. Remember that to “deny yourself” according to the Bible literally means to lose sight of yourself and your own interests. You will only gain lasting security when you look away from yourself and toward Jesus Christ. 

God’s Word is full of information about your identity and position as a believer in Jesus Christ. Let the wonder of God’s perspective on you soak in. Do you fully realize what it means to be:

The question “who am I?” is not nearly as important as the question, “who is He?”  Learning to see yourself through God’s eyes is key for He is the Beholder.

Be Blessed,  Laurie

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The Road We Travel – Part I “Father of Lies”

Serpent-goddess-eveI can’t sleep and so here I am writing a blog entry to a Wednesday Night Life Group I lead called “Girls Only” which consists of High School Girls.  Have you ever know something to be so true that it hurts?  Make you physically ill?  Deep down inside of me there is this TRUTH and I wish that those around me could experience what I’m feeling and the truth found in Jesus.  That’s how I feel about what I’m going to share.  It’s after midnight and this is so important it’s keeping me up.  God has laid this burden on my heart for all of you.

From the day you were born into this world until you breathe that final breath you are a traveler.  Wow, I’m even having a hard time putting into words what I want to say because it’s so important and on my heart I want you to receive what needs to be said.

The devil is a liar, a thief, a destroyer.  He is pure evil and if he can win the battle and ruin your life he will.  In fact you are so precious to Jesus and those who love you Satan lurks around looking for opportunities to temp and destroy you.  Satan takes great pride in continually twisting your thoughts and perception.  If he can destroy you when your life is just getting started he will.  He will use the world to distort how you make decisions, those around you…teachers, movies, social media, friends, young men and unfortunately even family can sometimes be his weapon.  He will use the need for us to feel accepted and loved as a source to make you his and put you in situations where your innocence will be stolen.

In His Word, God warns us over and over about Satan and how there is a spiritual battle raging over us.  You must learn how to fight the devil and bring the power found in the Holy Spirit to protect you.  You must open your ears and listen to your parents, mentors and best friends.  I pray that those people in your life are first of all lovers of Jesus, second that they understand the pressure you are under, the battle you are in and are willing to listen, pray and offer godly guidance.  More importantly you must be willing to listen and take their help.  You must get on your knees and ask God to give you discernment in all things and then take time to pray, listen, wait, and search the scriptures. Remember every situation you face has been faced hundreds of time over for centuries and God’s Word has the answers, those answers come when you surrender yourself and allow Jesus to speak to you.

So what are the main areas Satan will use to destroy you… self-image, love, worthiness, acceptance, and intimacy.  All of these are linked together and are key in Satan’s plan however they also belong to God and when you see yourself the way God sees you the devil loses.

The fall of man destroyed that special union between man and God.  Each one of us are now born with an emptiness that can only be satisfied in God.  However that does not come naturally to us and so you choose human love, comfort and relationship but they cannot fill the emptiness.  In your hunger to fill your empty heart you choose what is tangible and immediate, unfortunately that is not of God.  You become self-seeking, self-gratifying, self-loathing  and even self-destructive. I know this sounds hopeless but I’m living proof that God is here and He is supernatural and powerful and through His love for us we can conquer the emptiness that leads to our self-destructive nature. 

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places.” Ephesians 6:12 AMP

Most of you have heard some of my testimony, well, God doesn’t want you to have that kind of testimony.  His plan for you is amazing, filled with love, acceptance, rewarding relationships and a life where you are witness to God’s kingdom and all the glory found there. There will be bumps and challenges along the road without a doubt because that’s written in His word as well.  The problem is you start taking matters into your own hands and listening to what the world is offering.  Satan manipulates you into believing lies about who you are and how you should live.  Even Disney’s best and most popular fairy tales these days show a rebellious young woman going against her family, only to face hardship and then win the prince in the end! How ridiculous is that, think about it. If you are repeatedly exposed to the same type of story with a similar ending soon you began to believe that as being truth.  Everything around you has a distorted view, Satan has done an excellent job at telling lies and spinning an accepted reality far from the life God has for you. 

You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what it natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.  John 8:44 AMP

Where is Jesus in all of this?  He loved you first!  The Psalms could not say it better, before you were even conceived He knew you!  You know this because you have felt that love through your parents.  His love is even greater but to understand and receive it you must stop listening to the devil and start relying on God’s Word as absolute truth.  You must discover your identity in our creator.  Through the process of understanding God loved you first and receiving this love, you find truth.  Knowing God changes everything. Also you must call upon the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to subdue the devil and bind him.  Only through Jesus will you free yourself of the hold Satan has on you. 

“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.  My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.  When I awake, I am still with You.”  Psalms 138: 13-18

I’m leaving this entry here…in the next blog I will begin to breakdown how the devil twists each of the areas I listed above and how precious you are to God and how He loves you.  Our Father plays no favorites, each of you are equally loved and valued in His eyes.  How God’s truth is the only truth you can live by.

Be Blessed,

Laurie

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I AM DEVOTIONAL – Part 3 Our Enemies Along Our Christian Journey

The third enemy that we will face immediately is the lust of the flesh…

The flesh is without a doubt the toughest enemy, it’s that evil tendency of our inward self. Accepting Christ as our Savior and surrendering our all to Him does not ensure that sometimes our old, sinful cravings will not return. The Bible teaches that the old nature, with all its corruption, is still there and that these evil temptations come from nowhere else. In other words, we are our own worst enemy. War has been declared!

“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want”
Galations 5:13

It is the battle of the self-life and the Christ-life. This old nature cannot please God. It cannot be converted, or even patched up. Thank God, when Jesus died He took us with Him, and the old nature can be made inoperative and we can …“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:11. This is done by faith.

This is a life long process, because all sin begins as a thought in our mind! We cannot fight the inward self without “knowing the Word” I’m not talking about memorizing scripture…I’m talking about hearing God speak to us through His Word! Pressing into Jesus will bring freedom, the Holy Spirit will bring the power to destroy that “old nature”. Paul warns us…“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” Romans 13:14

Now the Bible says in Matthew 10 “we have been given the authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness”! So with that authority we can speak to our flesh and tell it “no more”. With that authority we can destroy anything that will prevent us from completing the work set before us by Jesus Christ therefore the devil, the world nor our own sinful nature can separate us from our Lord when we confess to Him and seek His forgiveness and love!

Be Blessed, Laurie