STRENGTH IN WEAKNESS

Samson was the strongest man who ever lived, but he was a man who also had some serious weaknesses. While his physical strength was one thing, his moral strength was something else. God taught Samson that great lesson about sin taking him further than he wanted to go, keeping him longer than he wanted to stay and costing him much more than he wanted to pay.

The Bible never describes the appearance or size of Samson's muscles, but only tells of his strength and character. It is very possible that his physical appearance was not much different than any average man. You see, Samson’s strength was from the Lord and for a purpose. It was not due to his body building program or exercise regimen; but was part of a symbolic covenant between him and God that would mean as long as Samson kept his covenant with God and did not break it, he would posses the strength that no other man would have; but his strength was to be used to fulfill his calling and purpose for God giving it to him! The other part of that symbolic covenant was Samson's famous long hair, in which out of an act of the flesh was cut off which weakened Samson from his enemies and allowed him to be captured and beaten and blinded and imprisoned.

The Israelites had been in bondage to the Philistines for forty years because of their sin, according to Judges 13 and God was about to deliver them using Samson to defeat them. While in verse 5 God’s Word tells us that Samson would begin their deliverance, we know that David and others would continue it. The same God who used Jacob’s schemes and David’s wrongdoings as well as many other men and women in the Bible, who failed in their walk with God at times…to bring about His plans, would use Samson’s failures to bring about His own purposes, as well.

Now Samson had no problem facing a great army, but put a pretty woman in front of him and he was as weak as a man could be. His weakness was that of lust and passion. Samson's lust and passion said to his weak moral flesh, "I must have what I want regardless of what God says or what God wants and I must have it now!"

If Samson had seen an entire Philistine army of 10,000 men he would have had no problem. But he saw one woman in Judges 16:1 and fell into sin right away. He did not even give thought; he just gave in to his flesh. The strongest and bravest Philistine soldiers could not defeat him, but one attractive Philistine woman could and did! The life of Samson teaches us that lust and passion can control and ruin our lives. It can captivate, control and eventually destroy us and even those that we love. The scripture teaches us to run away from sexual immorality… instead of running away, Samson ran right into it!

One can only imagine the outcome of his story had he not gotten sidetracked so many times with sin. Yet, despite his failures and shortcomings, God still chose to use him.

Samson made wrong choices every time he met a woman; especially with the wrong type of women. He always managed to choose Philistine women who were not believers nor did their moral character reflect that of Gods. Samson knew better…they were what they were! He even caused problems for his own family and people, the Jews, God’s people. Even though God rose up Samson to deliver the Jews out of the hand of the Philistines; the Jews wanted to deliver Samson into their hands because Samson was stirring up trouble for them.

Samson was a giant in physical strength, which no man could defeat in combat, but he was a weakling in the hands of Delilah. The one who was able to defeat the strongest of men was himself defeated by a weak but clever woman. Samson loved Delilah but she did not love him. At one point she said to Samson, "How can you say, “I love you”, when your heart is not with me?” When all the time it was Delilah… that did not love Samson. She got what she wanted out of her relationship with Samson and Samson received the rewards and the consequences of yielding to his flesh as well!

Samson never took credit for his victories and he cried out to God in his times of need. For he knew that he was only God’s servant and when he was enticed by sin at the cost of his relationship to God and his broken covenant, believe me, he learned a valuable lesson in the end.

God had a plan for Samson’s life though he was often side-tracked, in the end Samson was the victor as God brought about His great plan with the Philistines and an answer to what became Samson’s last prayer; to allow him to die with the Philistines. In his last effort to obey God, the scripture says in Judges 17:30, that he killed more Philistines in his death than while he was alive. It was when Samson was his weakest, that he found God to be His strongest.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says this about strength "…My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me". We must become weak, meaning we must give up our wills in order for God to do His will in us and through us.

Don't let Samson's mistakes go to waste....learn from them, that is why God allowed them to become part of the Holy scriptures... to teach us that we may learn! You can find the strength that you will need to make it through that thing....but you must obey what God has called you to do in it. If you have wondered off track and want to come back....He is there, waiting to be your strength. The Philistines were mocking God because they had captured Samson and was getting ready to sacrifice to Dagon their false god for delivering Samson into their hands...little did they know there was a larger picture going on. God only allowed what happened because of Samson's sin and thus the reason why Samson was even captured and imprisoned.

In the end, God proved that He was the only God and through Samson's repented heart and prayer destroyed the entire temple full of idols and their worshipers. Dear Friend God can do that today for you as well. He can defeat, destroy and make quite the enemy that is pursuing you. Run to Him.....he is waiting!

I love you and am praying for you!

Bren

WARFARE

Do you ever find yourself saying, “I feel like I am fighting an invisible battle” in this problem and my hands are tied and I can not seem to do anything about it? Well, if you have you are not the only one that has felt that way. Warfare goes back to the beginning of time when Adam and Eve first sinned and was cast out of the Garden that God had created and placed them in. A perfect environment! Free from storms, battles and conflicts of any sorts. Nothing but peace and tranquility all around them!

After the fall and because sin was now in the world; Adam and Eve readily learned that they would be facing the devil and his temptations on a regular basis from then on. God has been trying to teach man all these years that there is only one way to resist the devil and that is through His power and by our choice.

Spiritual warfare is a war that is taking place on a daily basis in the life of every believer that is in Christ Jesus. It is a war between light and darkness, good and evil, heaven and hell, Jesus and satan. Jesus' death and resurrection affords us the armor that we need to defeat our enemy. Jesus Himself is our full armor in our defense, in our flesh, we are no match for him.. We need only to learn how to put the armor on as our covering in our battles as we face them. While satan is allowed power, it is a limited power that can be overcome by the blood of the lamb and in the end satan will most certainly be banished into hell and the lake of fire for all eternity. Satan’s hope is that if he can't destroy a believer’s faith, he will try and destroy their integrity before God by a long list of indictments. That's why Revelation 12:10 calls him "the accuser of the brethren." He's going all over the world trying to destroy God’s people. At the same time, he's accumulating information about them, about their sins and about their failures. And he keeps his list in his supernatural mind.

Eph 6:13 tells us …so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything… stand. When we understand what warfare is in Eph 6:10-17 and how when Jesus' death on the cross defeated satan and the power that he could have over us as Christians...we then understand better all those scriptures that talk about things like: Christ is our fortress, our stronghold, our strong tower and refuge in times of trouble. He is the wings under which we have come to dwell. He is our shield and buckler. He is the rock in whom we take refuge. He is our place, a sanctuary, our hiding place or covert. When we are abiding in Him….He is our cover and our protection! The Armor of God is basically applying everything that God teaches us to do and how to live. If we are doing that then we are always armed and ready for the battles that we will most defiantly face.

Our battles are won through our surrendered lives to Christ, and our obedience to His Word. If we are following His Word and striving to do the right thing, then we are under His protective Umbrella of protection and have quick and easy access to His power….the weapons of warfare are simply abiding in Christ, the one who has defeated our enemy already! Live in Him …obeying, loving and forgiving showing mercy and grace as we have been shown ourselves!

I have added a list of Reminders in my Blog Called STEPS TO VICTORY that have 6 points of reference to overcoming the enemy. Please take a moment and read over them, for they will assist you in your understanding of how you can get victory for yourself.

I love you and pray for your Victory today!

Bren

WHEN A CHRISTIAN SINS

You know the verse in Joshua 24:15 that say’s, “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” May I ask that question of you? Have you yet chosen whom you will serve or the path that you will take to do your spiritual walking on? If you have not planned that yet, may I suggest one?

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 John 2:6 says this about the Christian’s walk, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” Walking in Christ is not always easy. But it is possible! However, when a Christian sins, they break fellowship with God until that wrong is made right through confession and repentance. When we sin, it's like disconnecting ourselves from the power source that allows our light to shine and enables us to live like we ought to!

The saddest thing that I have ever seen in my life is a person who claims that they are a Christian, yet has no evidence in their life that reflects that claim. God's word tells us that it will be by their fruit, that they shall be known as well as their love for one another.

Before a person becomes a Christian, they have one nature and that is, their flesh. Romans 7:8 tells us that in the flesh dwells no good thing. The scripture teaches us that after we are saved God gives us  His, Holy Spirit that not only seals us in our salvation but provides us with a new nature that guides and empowers us to live accordingly!

The Bible tells us that after salvation we have two natures that war with each other inside us.  Our fleshly nature and our new spiritual nature. It is that war that becomes the Christian’s toughest battle. Because as our new nature wants nothing but to please God; the old nature which is the flesh, wants nothing else but to do what pleases the flesh. For this reason the Christian struggles within themselves to always do the right thing, according to Galatians 5:1. However, the fact that you are struggling not to sin is one indication that you have the Holy Spirit in you and that you are truly born again.

Suppose you are in a boat sailing along when you notice two women in the water. One of which is struggling to stay a float while the other is laying face down in the water, her body limp and lifeless. It’s obvious that these two women are in trouble. You take a life preserver, tie it to a rope, and throw it to them. It lands just a few feet short. You start yelling and yelling for them to grab the life preserver so that you can pull them in. "Come on," you yell, "Grab it!" One of the women, exhausted from the struggle of trying to stay afloat, reaches out her arm for the life preserver but falls short. "Grab it!" you yell again. She reaches again and her arm plops down in the water from fatigue. The waves hitting her face as she desperately tries again for the life preserver. The other woman is simply floating face down in the water. She isn't struggling at all. But, the other one is struggling for that life preserver. She is fighting against the ocean, the wind and the waves, all which are greater than she is and is beating her up and wearing her down.

Now, which one of the two women in the water is alive? If you say, The one reaching for the life preserver, then of course your are right! She is struggling for life. She wants that life preserver more than anything. The other women dead! Dead people don't struggle for life and spiritually dead people do not struggle against their sin. Only those who are dead and do not struggle have no life in them at all.

 

I John 2 reminds us that we are not to sin. The goal of every Christian that bears the name of Christ is; to not sin. The fact that you are struggling against your sin is a very good indicator that you are very much alive in Christ. If you were not struggling at all to overcome sin in your life, then I would say you might need to rethink your walk in Christ. 1 John 2 also tells us that, we know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands, verse 4 says that the man who says I know Him but does not do what he commands is a liar and the Truth is not in Him. It goes on further to say that whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. You see, The world and it’s desires will pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever in verse 17.

Romans 6 tells us very clearly how we should walk”what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? “Here is the key now get hold of it”…..”For sin shall not have dominion over you”…that’s it in a nut shell! Before a person gets born again, sin has dominion over them….they can not help but to sin….but children of God are free from that dominion, to decide for themselves if they are going to sin or not!

Let me tell you what sin does to you as a child of God if that sin is not confessed and every effort is made to turn away from it. James 1:14-15 says…”But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. Yes….even death! God loves His Children but He demands that we obey Him and He has every right to do that! Your sin will not change your position as God’s child, but it will hurt your relationship with Him if you are not walking in a spirit of repentance. And some Christian have made an early flight home because of their lifestyles according to the book of Revelation….The Christian life is really a walking thing…..it’s about walking in a spirit of repentance and that simply means that you’re struggling and fighting with every ounce in you to do the right thing, hating the flesh in you while longing to please the new nature that is pulling you to do the right thing.

There is an old story about an Indian who got saved. He told his missionary friend that there was a war going on inside of him. The black (or bad) dog was fighting the white (or good) dog, he said. When the missionary ask him which dog was winning, the old Indian man told him “whichever one I feed the most.” So it is with every Christian as well. We will have these battles as long as we live. But we can learn to control that flesh in us and allow our spiritual nature to thrive if we feed on God’s Word and neglect to feed the flesh.

Sin if not dealt with correctly will control your life, wreck your home, sear your conscience, destroy your testimony, hinder your witness for Christ, zap your spiritual power, choke your fruitfulness that you are meant to bear, steal your joy, prevent and hinder your prayers, damage your health and as I said earlier, can shorten your life. The Scripture tells us that whom the Lord loves He chasten....Hebrew 12:5-7. When a Christian sins, they break fellowship and loose spiritual power in their lives to walk according to their calling. It is only through repentance, that God forgives and restores us to walk in the light and power that we are called to walk in.

Remember, sin no longer has dominion over you....if you sin, it will be your choice. Place your spirit on a constant diet of the Word of God and you will starve or put to death the flesh that lingers in you to draw you away from what is best for you.

Romans 8 tells us that there is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The way to victory is not by your own power, but by His power released in you as you walk in obedience to him.

I love you and am praying victory for you today!

Bren

BE CAREFUL LITTLE FEET WHERE YOU GO

Surround yourself with people who complain and guess what you will be doing before you know it? Hang out with friends who have no real spiritual desire to draw closer to God and before you know it, their morals and values will corrupt you and lead you away from your walk with Christ; and when that happens, you will at some point find yourself crying out to the Lord, “Lord why am I feeling this way? Where did You go?” When all the time it was you that turned away in the relationship; not God.

You see the Lord gives us specific guidelines to keep us on the path that He walks on. When we veer off that path, we limit ourselves to His fellowship, His power and His direction at that point in our lives. His Word plainly tells us that “Bad morals corrupt good values”, so if you, knowing this truth, still choose to befriend folk whose spiritual insights are no deeper than your own, how far down that path will you go before you realize that you made the mistake. And at what cost will you have to pay when it is all said and done.

It would be impossible to count the number of books on the market today telling people how to be happy. God’s Word, which is the greatest book ever written tells people how to be happy. But understand this; God is not committed to anything other than His total will for your life….and only in doing things God’s way can you have the happiness that you are seeking. Don’t think that you can just come to Him and say, “Here is my idea; please put your stamp of approval on it.” He only works His plan for us….because He knows what is best. When we pray for something in accordance to His will for us, then He blesses it and allows us to have it. Your prayers must be that of, “Lord, show me Your plans”!

As a Christian you can not compartmentalize your life and say, “in this area I am going to do things God’s way; and in this area I am going to do things my way”, it’s like mixing water and oil…it may appear to mix at first but then you realize… that it did not mix but only clouded up the situation to where you could no longer see clearly about it.

Many times what we hear in our spirits is not what we hear in our ears or minds. What we must focus on is keeping sink with God’s will and purpose for our lives. Step by step and once we realize that, nothing will be more important to us than to keeping that pace with him, for His direction is always right, His timing is always perfect, and His results are always best.

You may ask, “How can I live like that?” First by understanding that God works through you as you engage Him on a daily basis what He puts in your heart to do moment by moment and do not turn any direction other than the one He leads you in. Then know that He never stops calling you to take one more step, do that one more thing in faith…that is what is called “Walking with God”.

Life is your classroom of learning. Every problem, every trial a teacher. You will know how far you have come by your reactions to the situations that are placed before you on a daily basis. The scripture tells us to”…walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” Ephesians 4:1. Surround yourself with those that are seeking higher spiritual ground…Proverbs 13:20 tells us to “Become wise by walking with the wise”. Not only do the lost need the Lord….we that are saved need Him every day to keep us on the right path and relationship with Him! Be careful little feet where you go-

I love you and pray God’s power be released in you as you make that right choice!
Bren

THE KIND OF FAITH THAT MAKES THINGS HAPPEN

You don't have to be a High Achiever to desire success or accomplishment. Anyone whoever did anything worth while and stuck with it, is considered an Achiever. Jesus, the master teacher Himself gave us the formula in Matthew 24:13 for being successful in life. Abraham Lincoln once said, "Success is going from failure to failure, without losing your enthusiasm". Charles Lindberg concludes, "Success is not measured by what a man accomplishes, but by the opposition he encountered and the courage he maintained in his struggle against it".

In a recent study from a well know University, a five year survey was done on some of the top 20 performers in this country in various fields, including a wide range of successful athletes, sculptors, mathematicians, physicians, teachers, musicians, actors, scholars and chief executives. This study also included an interview with the families and teachers of these celebrated high achievers to try and find out what the common key in their success was. What they discovered was, that the mere drive and determination, not talent led them to their success.

Imagine that! Just some plain old determination that fuels the will power of anyone that strikes out to do a thing and does not turn back! That reminds me of a woman in the Bible, whose faith was rewarded by her determination to have what she longed for, her health! In Mark chapter 5, "If I could just touch His clothes, I would be healed", that is what she told herself, this nameless bleeding woman who had traveled many miles, fueled by nothing but her faith.

She had a bold plan. According to the Mosaic Law, a woman who was ceremonially unclean wasn't allowed to touch anyone, let alone the Son of God, yet desperation calls for desperate things. For 12 long years she had had this problem with loosing blood and it was causing her to be physically sick and even socially unacceptable. The Bibles says that the physicians of her time were unable to relieve her suffering. She spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she only grew worse.

Most of us would have thrown ourselves in His path, begging Him to help us. Instead our bleeding sister quietly "came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak" Mark 5:27.
By law, her touch would have made Him unclean. By grace, just the opposite happened. "Immediately her bleeding stopped" Mark 5:29 says. Without a word, a look, or a touch from Jesus, she was made whole simply by believing He could heal her...and daring to act on that belief.

As her faith was rewarded her, she wasn't the only one who noticed. Jesus turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?" Mark 5:30. At that point she and Jesus both knew that it had happened, her faith had healed her. Wow, how that scripture illustrates how sensitive Jesus is to our needs, that just a touch in faith to His garment will get His attention for us! How her heart must have pounded as she heard Him say, "Who touched me?". When the disciples pointed out to Jesus that there were many in the crowded street and everyone was touching and grabbing Him, Jesus kept looking around to see who it was that had touched Him with that kind of faith! He wasn't looking to accuse but to affirm.

The same faith that empowered her to stretch out her hand now, gave her the strength to step forward. She "fell at his feet and trembling with fear, told him the whole truth" Mark 5:33.
She risked everything, public humiliation, and maybe even possible punishment for her actions to explain her confession of faith to Jesus.

The true miracle in this story is about the faith she had, not what she did. Her determination was fueled by her faith. Her willingness to believe she could be well again, despite all evidence to the contrary, and do whatever it would take to get it. When she heard about the man Jesus who'd healed many who had various diseases in Mark 1:34, she made a beeline for Capernaum to see Him.

What is it that you want from Jesus today? When was the last time that you longed to touch the hem of His garment because you knew that only He has what you must have to be better, to be whole, to be free ....whether it be physically, or spiritually? He will not disappoint you dear friend, but your faith will determine your answer. If you struggle with your faith; simply ask Him to help your weak faith and show you where your answer lies. And do everything in your power to trust Him!

I love you and pray peace over you today!

Bren

THE ROTTEN ODOR OF ENVY

The other day while working in the yard, I noticed a slight odor that kept coming from the side of the house as I would walk around the corner. Yet as I looked around, I could not see, nor find anything that could be causing it. As the day went by the heat became increasingly hotter and as the heat index rose, so rose the stench of that odor that earlier had been noticeable but somewhat bearable.

At one point I called Prince Charles around to help me determine where the odor was coming from because it had become so unbearable just to take a breath at that point. Charles being the genius that he is….noted right away that it was coming from the garbage can. What a relief I felt knowing that it was something in the garbage can and not in my garage or house.

It’s funny how the odor was somewhat bearable boxed inside the covering of the garbage can; and though it had a slight odor to it early on, I was able to bear it until I could no longer breath in it’s presence. And it was only then that I had to deal with it.

Did you know that envy does the same thing to us spiritually if we let it go and do not deal with it. Maybe we try and cover it up for a while but in the end, it’s ugly presence in our lives will show up and someone will be able to spot it in our lives, even if we have tried to do our best to somehow cover it for a while.

King Solomon called envy “the rottenness of the bones” in Proverbs 14:30. Rottenness is what causes the odor of something that has gone bad or spoiled. That was exactly what I was smelling, coming from the garbage can…something rotten!

Envy is simply wanting something that someone else has. The scripture does not sugar coat the effects that envy can have on people. Cain was so jealous and envious of his brother’s offering to God that he killed him! Rachel envied her sister’s ability to bear children and her envy lead to anger and resentment. Joseph’s 10 older brothers resented and envied him because of the special treatment that their father showed Joseph. They were so envious of Joseph that they sold him into slavery and lied to their father about it.

The scriptures are full of examples of people that allowed envy to turn their hearts into a direction that cause them more grief than the envy itself! In Matthew 27:18, even Pilate knew that the priests and elders wanted Christ crucified because of their own personal envy of Jesus. Paul and Barnabas faced that same type of envy in their own ministries as well..the scriptures tell us in Acts 13 that when the Jews saw the multitudes turning to Christ that they were filled with envy which led to blasphemy.

Envy produces confusion in relationships and can eventually tear them apart. God hates coveting. Envy is a form of coveting. The best weapon to use to fight envy in your life is thanksgiving! You can not envy when you are being thankful! Being thankful is something that you can practice and get better at each moment that you choose to practice it; that is if you are truly wanting to change!

Proverbs 27:4 says “Who is able to stand before envy?”. Jealousy damages not only the relationship with another person but your relationship to Christ. James tells us in James 3:14-16 that …for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. When we begin to envy, a part of us begins to die inside and if we are not careful before we realize it others will notice an attitude in us that is a stench in their nostrils and they will not want to be around us.

The person who feels resentment over what another person may have or possess, not only rots from within, but also insults the sovereignty of God. They are blaming Him for blessing the other person instead of themselves. Envy has a long root that must be dealt with in a serious manner, for if not, it will sprout its head back from where it was plucked and the sin starts all over again.
Learn to deal with envy or any type of sin before it’s roots get to deep in your life.

Two things you need to remember in overcoming the poison of envy in your life:

First, learn to be happy with the sovereignty of God, for He truly does know what is best; chances are He is waiting for you to surrender that attitude before He gives you that desire of your heart Ps 37:4.

Second, Praise Him more! I can not stress how important it is for the Child of God to Praise! His word tells us that He inhabits the praise of His people…..Praise and sin can not live in the same moment of time….so learn to praise more…be thankful more…..and your attitude towards everyone and everything will change! Your disgust will turn to gratitude and you will put off a most fragrant smell that will draw people to you because of your sweet attitude!

I love you today and pray that you will find your way to victory over any sin that wants to entangle you and keep you from joy!

Bren

THE TOXIN OF LINGERING GUILT

There are two types of guilt: true and false: Convicting and condemning. True guilt convicts our heart and tells us that something is wrong. It causes us to stop and think. False guilt tells us that we are unworthy and disgraceful and its purpose is to keep us discouraged and even though we may know that God is a forgiving God, we can not seem to feel His forgiveness, nor shed the feeling of guilt. God say’s, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us”. Ps. 103:12

In dealing with guilt, we must first identify the source of the guilt. Train our conscience to respond to guilt in the way that God’s Word teaches. Use the scripture as our weapon against the devil when we feel guilty for something that has already been nailed to the cross and dealt with. Know that Satan used guilt the first time that he ever tempted man and will surely use it to try and defeat you and I. Satan makes no bones about how he treats the children of God. He tempts us, and then he taunts us when we give in to his temptations and sin. He stands back and laughs at us for being so gullible. He is a slanderer and he is referred to in Rev 12:10 as the accuser of the brethren. So he lives to make our lives as miserable as he possibly can.

Many in the Bible knew guilt; one of them being King David! One warm spring evening, he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband killed later on to cover up his sin. He allowed Satan to tell him that if he would kill Bathsheba’s husband that it would hide his guilt and cover up his sin. But of course David found out very quickly that it did not. It only made his feelings of guilt and anxiety worse. When confronted with his sin, the torment of his shame overwhelmed him, he wrote in Psalms 38:1-4. However, while he was not showing responsibility in his wrongful actions; David’s guilt did lead him to repentance; He confessed his sin, took personal responsibility and accepted God’s discipline with dignity.

When the Holy Spirit convicts man and there is guilt, it is legitimate guilt. It is used as a tool to reconcile us to God. The guilt brought on by God’s Spirit serves us in much the same way as physical pain serves our body. Both are indicators that something is wrong. There is a problem that needs attention and healing. Satan always perverts the purpose of guilt and uses it as a toxin to posion our minds with lies and mislead us from what God wants to know and do; and to discourage and try to defeat us. Lingering guilt can keep us from the joy and freedom that God has for us and hinder the vital relationship with God that can be ours if we would but choose to live the victorious life that Jesus died for.

Not all guilt is true guilt. Some Christians feel guilty about things that they have already confessed and have been forgiven of; yet they drag behind them the bitter burden of a past sin. They know that God has forgiven them but they can not seem to forgive themselves and so they live in another type of sin called pity and yes even pride. They say while God may forgive me, I can not forgive myself. Oh friend if you are living in this type of bondage, may I tell you that this is the very reason that Jesus died on the cross…to set you free from not only the sin, but the guilt of sin. So, don’t you dare hang on to something that God says to let go of…..if He can forgive and remember them no more that is the least that you and I can do. Please learn to let go of the past so that you can face your future unencumbered.

Guilt that comes from the Holy Spirit can always be connected with a specific sin. It is intended to grab our attention and focus our minds on the sin so that we can take responsibility for it. The guilt that comes from Satan may be connected to sin, but it lingers on even after the sin has been confessed. We can allow guilt to be self-induced by unmet expectations that we have not been able to meet; and those feelings of guilt are produced when we violate our conscience by not accepting God’s forgiveness and allowing that forgiveness to wash us from even the stain of guilt. The blood of Christ can wash us whiter than snow; and oh how good it feels. But we must apply it God’s way in order to have His peace.

You can be free from guilt. You must first identify the source and take the responsibility to whatever type of guilt you are facing. If it is a valid guilt, from a sin caused by a wrong choice that you have made, then confess it and take any steps needed to make it right. If you have done this and you still can not connect your guilty feelings as to why they will not go away, then you may very well be under the accusatory attack of the devil. If so, pay him no mind! If your guilt is vague and unclear, then let it go. God has forgiven you, and you need to possibly forgive yourself, because lingering guilt will only hinder your walk in Christ. So…. you must let go of the past in order to move on to the future.

I love you today and am praying for your victory!
Bren

THE PURPOSE OF TEMPTATION

A few years ago when I was living in an area that was and still is growing by leaps and bounds...new construction was all around Desoto County. In hopes to improve the current traffic situation, some local developers had extended a road near my house. However, it had not been opend at that point and was blocked off to local traffic.

It appeared as you view the road from the traffic light that it was finished, but that they had just not opened it to traffic yet. One day as I was driving to work, I saw the police pulling someone over who attempted to take the new road anyway! I'm not sure if they were ticketed or just warned. All I know was that I had not planned to take the road as a short cut even though it was tempting!

The next morning as I was going to work, a man in front of me at the traffic light decided to take that road too. But as I watched him scurry down the road, I thought to myself..."I bet he is trying to get to I-55 by bypassing Bullfrog corner", (a very active intersection, that everyone in Desoto County hates). As I watched him drive down that brand new road, I noticed that he slowed down and began to sway back and forth as if he were trying to find a way to turn around; almost as if he had decided that he did not want to go that way after all. Unfortunately, I had to make my turn and was unable to see the outcome of this poor fellow's situation. As I drove off, the Lord gave me a bit of spiritual insight as to what happens when we, like that poor fellow, decide to take a short cut or are lured by a road that appears to be paved with good intentions.

I was reminded how temptation works the same way in our lives. The purpose of temptation is really two-fold. First and foremost it is to entice us to take a road that leads to separation. Separation being, separated from the perfect will of God for our lives. As Christians, we are to strive to be Christ-like in all our actions. However, every now and then a road appears before us as if to draw us away from the purpose of our walk, service and commitment to Christ.

That road will always "appear" to be enticing; because that is the bait that satan uses to draw our focus and attention off the course that we are on. Never think for a moment that satan does not know your weaknesses, because he does; even for the most spiritual minded people. When he appeared to Jesus in the dessert, he tempted Jesus with the temptations that a King might be tempted with....appealing to His royalty and Who Jesus was. Because of Jesus' origin satan understood Jesus' heart and the position that He would take regarding sin and satan also understands ours.

If he cannot succeed in causing us to sin, then the other purpose is to keep us in a state of wondering. For the Jews, that state continued for many years. The purpose of wondering or being in a state of "preoccupied thinking" is to keep us off track as much as possible. Any time that our thoughts are on taking a road that is surrounded by barriers and blinking lights, we need to be aware that temptation, while it might not overtake us at the moment, can preoccupy our thoughts to the point that.... like the man on the road...after he had taken it decided; maybe he should have gone the long way around.... because, while it is more time consuming, the outcome would have been better. You could tell that he thought that, by the way he was driving and struggling to find a way back to the red-light.

If we will tell the devil that he has no place because we are choosing to do things God's way and use God's Word as a weapon and authority against him as Jesus did, then he will flee from us and leave us alone. The good news regarding temptation ....(if you are thinking about taking a wrong road) is that as long as it is only a thought, then is not sin....that is temptation. However, giving place to the temptation, by dwelling on it and wondering around in your thought pattern is!

The man in that truck was trying so hard to find a way back. While I was unable to see if he did make it or not, I trust that he repented of breaking the law, and was able to get his truck turned around, and got out of there. The key here is "Way Out"! With God we have a way out....it's called confession and repenting (turning away). It only takes a single choice to do it. Just make up our mind to do the right thing and do it! Then God shows us a most wonderful way of escape!

Man, is He good or what! I don't know about you but I am so thankful .....that for every sin, God has made a way of escape the scripture says...and I am so glad He did we just have to be willing to go His way! Life is good and Jesus is real! Have a wonderful, wonderful day! Put on some praise music and start rejoicing allowing God to inhabit your Praise!

I love you and want you to have a wonderful week!
Bren

TIED TO A STICK

A farmer in India brought a covey of quail to sell at the market. Each one of the birds had a string tied to one leg and the other end tied to a stick in the ground. They had been taught to walk in circles around the stick, hour after hour and day after day; and no one in the market seemed to be interested in what seemed to be this odd ritual. One day a man came along and bought the quail from the farmer. After paying for them the man simply told the farmer to cut the quail loose and set them free! With a puzzled look on his face the farmer cut the string and set them free. Oddly, the birds kept going in circles. The man tried earnestly by shewing them to make them fly away. But oddly enough, the quail just landed a few yards away from where they had been tied to the stick and resumed their march; even though they were no longer tied to the stick. Free on the outside, but imprisoned on the inside! The quail had been set free, yet they were still bound by what they had been taught and the way that they had lived all their life.

That stick represented their bondage, and when the man bought them and set them free, they chose to continue to be imprisoned by what they were use to. They had accepted their bondage and had learned to live with it. The scripture tells us that whom the Lord sets free they are free indeed....2 Cor. 3:17 tells us that "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."
 

Many people live imprisoned by something in their past that they can not break away from. They do not have the freedom to simply walk away because they have yet to realize that their freedom comes in the way of the cross. Like the quail, many of us need to embrace that which sets us free. For those who have been set free in Christ the scriptures tell us that they are free indeed. Sometimes, the children of God through wrong choices can very easily slide back into a state in which they were delivered from and is often times referred to as a backslidden state.  They have listened to the enemy and got talked into going with the wrong crowd or the wrong way and they end up feeling that dreaded string called bondage that has attached itself to one of their feet and can once again feel like those quail, free on the outside, but imprisoned on the inside!  If you have these feelings, may I please tell you  that you can break away....Jesus said that He died to give us life....and life more abundant.....that means that we are free to fly away whenever we want to.....we just simply have to want to bad enough!

If one of your feet is tied to a stick that is keeping you in some type of bondage today, then make yourself ready and listen to God as He tells you; that you do have His power at your fingertips....yet you must be serious...you can not play games.....you can't want God today, then go back to those old friends and ways that do not please Him and expect to live victorious and free.

You see God's freedom is a freedom not to sin anymore....the chain has been broken for the child of God! They just have to realize that they are no longer captive any more. If you are still struggling...seek help, get counsel...but do not think that you are still tied to your past mistakes.....that is only a choice that you make. True freedom can be found in doing the will of God in obedience. God releases His power through our obedience. Have you found His will for your life yet?

Salvation is like being transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly.....when He changes you, you know you have been changed; the old is gone behold all things become new!

I love you and am praying for you!
Bren