For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does .The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
WHAT LIES HOLD US HOSTAGE?
LIE: GOD CAN’T CHANGE ME
TRUTH: …we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation ; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17-18
THE STRATEGY of THOUGHTS AND OVERCOMING LIES
1. CAPTURE WRONG THOUGHTS.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
…whatever is true…noble…right…pure…lovely…admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Philippians 4:8
2. SPEAK TRUTH.
The tongue has the power of life and death… Proverbs 18:21
May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14 NLT
3. DON’T GIVE UP.
To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me. Colossians 1:29-2:1
…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you… Genesis 4:7
“…but you must master it.” Genesis 4:7
HOW TO MASTER YOUR ADDICTIONS
1) TURN TO GOD.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires…but rather offer yourselves to God…For sin shall not be your master… Romans 6:12-14
WHO OR WHAT IS YOUR LORD?
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. Acts 3:19
2) SHARE THE FINAL 10 Percent — in order to become fully accountable. Don’t just give 90 percent.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed… James 5:16
• FIND ACCOUNTABILITY.
• CREATE A CLIMATE OF ACCEPTANCE.
• KEEP IT IN THE ROOM.
3) FIGHT FOR FREEDOM.
“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-4
WEAPONS FOR FREEDOM:
• IRRATIONAL OBEDIENCE
• CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S WORD
• MILITANT PRAYER
“No temptation has seized you except that which is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13
It makes sense that you can gain wisdom through research. That research becomes overwhelming and seeming infinite when it comes to the World Wide Web. We have Wikipedia, Google, Yahoo! search, and many ways to find information.
This is what millions of people do on an hourly basis throughout the world.
Economy in trouble? I’m sure you can find a lot of opinions and answers. What about grilling a steak? Yes, you can find that too. Philosophy? Psychology? Scientific research? Sociology? It’s all out there.
What about how to discipline or raise a child? You can find that, too. How to survive a divorce? 5,890,000 results on Google today.
But what about the wisdom that comes from God?
First, no matter what, if you want your faith to increase and to get solid foundational answers about God, you should read the Bible. Wisdom and information pours out of it. Although it is historical, the Bible is not a “History” book, per se. (I think that’s the first time I ever wrote out the phrase per se ;-) )
The intent of the Bible was to point to Jesus, the one way to be made right with God. See Romans 10 and Hebrews for more clarity about that. Anyhow, we can gain wisdom by spending time in God’s Word, the Bible.
Second, we can ask God for wisdom.
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. - James 1:5 (NIV)
Don’t be afraid to pray and ask God to help you … and us as a nation. We could all use a little more wisdom. So take a little time and invest your life in learning — and — asking!
On September 28, 2008 learn how to BREAK FREE! Or help someone else BREAK FREE from addictions. More information at RestoringHope.com, the Central Assembly in El Sobrante, California website.
Here’s a very brief excerpt of the message notes from the September 14, 2008 message on BITTERNESS:
Perhaps they will be a help to you or a friend you have. Remember, ALL THINGS are POSSIBLE with God!
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Heb 12:14-15
BITTER PEOPLE
1) Justify their bitterness.
2) Become overly critical.
3) Secretly celebrate misfortunes.
4) Write-off entire groups of people.
5) Struggle to see bitterness in the mirror.
Question: WITH WHOM OR WHAT WHAT ARE YOU BITTER?
HOW DO YOU KILL THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS?
Pull the roots . . .
KILL BITTERNESS WITH FORGIVENESS.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Eph 4:31-32
Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Twitter, and like about 100 others. All social networks, and people by the MILLIONS are embracing them.
Just as interesting is how fickle people can be. Earlier this year, Twitter was having technical difficulties. As a result, several other “micro-blogs” popped up all over the internet. In a way, that’s how we are today. Democrats vs. Republicans vs. Vice President choices. It’s a maddening race for popularity.
Facebook Graphic
Of course, for most of us it comes down to VALUES — what do people and social networks stand for — and where do I fit into their scheme? As a Follower of Christ, I am influenced by a standard, God’s Word, the Bible. It has and continues to shape me. That message does not change or move.
I love it’s anchor. In a world where there are no moral absolutes, where rules change, and where networks of people move around so much, I need that. I have also attempted to live by those standards.
Oh, no, I am not perfect, that’s for sure. However, when I get off course I can look forward and strive toward a finish line that DID NOT move.
It can be confusing to follow the commands on the Bible. In fact there were like 1,630 of them listed. When Jesus was asked which was the most important He brought it down to a level we can all not only understand, but we can RELATE to it.
Matthew 22:37-39Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
I think we all have our “to do” lists. Repairing stuff is either on the top of our agenda or pushed down another notch for another day. It was the same for the people of Nehemiah’s day.
And somehow we never know how it got this bad. BUT THERE COMES A DAY when enough is enough. For Nehemiah, it was the wall that surrounded the city of Jeresalem. He shook up his friends, family, and even the government. The words are recorded like this:
Nehemiah 2:17-18 (The Message — MSG)Then I gave them my report: “Face it: we’re in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up. Come—let’s build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer.” I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up.
They said, “We’re with you. Let’s get started.” They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work.
Challenge: Open up YOUR eyes and LOOK around. That’s the first step for all of us, I’m sure of it.
Wednesday is sometimes called “hump day”. It’s an ordinary hum-drum day in the middle of the week that seems long. If we can get through it then the rest of the week is easy, or so goes the thinking.
If I make this an “ordinary” day, nothing will change in my world. This may seem pretty nice to some people, after all, consistency is not always bad.
But I am here to make a difference. God has a calling and plan for my life. That plan is to change the world for His glory. When I stop and think about THAT, then I don’t want today to be ordinary.
My prayer today?
God, show my YOUR way and will for me to somehow have people look in YOUR direction. My eyes and mind are open to what YOU want. I give you PERMISSION to use me as an instrument for YOUR purposes.
This AP story shows a what is happening near Yosemite National Park. That park is just a few hours from where we live. In fact, we will actually be there next week on vacation.
We love the beauty of God’s creation. We will be doing some 4-wheeling, reading, watching sunsets, and once again we will visit Lake Eleanor — a hidden and pristine lake treasure.
Many years ago, we had a guest Revival Speaker come to our church. Leonard Ravenhill was a brash, straight-shooting, no-way-out kind of preacher. He scared us a little. But the fear was kind of authentic because of what his core message communicated.
The message was pretty simple. In comparison with the Holiness of God — how are we living out our faith? Is it sincere and active and honoring the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY?
Woah, it sure had us praying for a true move of God to be known in our individual lives.
Now for the fire reminder: Leonard Ravenhill was asked to provide promotional materials so we could get more of the public to respond to his visit. You know, we just wanted to advertise the event.
His response? “YOU NEVER HAVE TO ADVERTISE A FIRE!”
And it’s true, fire attracts attention. The attention goes directly to the source of the flames, to the heat and to the available fuel - in this case, believers willing to “burn” in order to keep God’s evidence in clear view.
The book of John is much different than Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is often referred to new followers of Christ to get them started just after making that life-changing decision. The thing about the gospel of John is that it is RRRRR — elational. And Jonathan went through it chapter-by-chapter from the 30,000 ft. level and then zoomed it right into our hearts.
You should read the gospel of John. Check it out for yourself — it is not only an adventure, but could just get YOU really thinking about your own RRRRR — elationship as it relates to Jesus.
It’s the 4th of July weekend here in the USA. It represents FREEDOM.
I love that word, FREEDOM. And I have experienced it first-hand. I have enjoyed this freedom in my work, with my family, on holidays, and in my spiritual walk as well. I have learned a lot about what the term means.
When I think about the founders of this nation, there are many examples where God, faith, and an aspiration live the values of God’s Word was evident. They left us many important lessons that involved listening to each other, but not compromising that moral compass that led them to stop and worship their creator.
The scriptures state that the cornerstone or foundation of the Christian faith is Jesus Christ. Jesus was not a beaten-down-and-defeated-just-a-good-teacher figure in history. Like the buildings all over Washington DC are inscribed with Biblical passages and faith-inspired messages, God wrote His laws on the tablets of our hearts.
I love celebrating. I love FIREWORKS. I love the USA. And most of all, I love JESUS! And there will be that day that I anticipate so often, when He brings a light show that will blast us all into eternity!
For when the Son of Man returns, you will know it beyond all doubt. It will be as evident as the lightning that flashes across the sky. Luke 17:24
On Sunday, I will be speaking on the “AMAZING!” life of Jesus Christ. You can’t deny it. History reveals it and the Bible unwraps it even more thoroughly.
The principles, morals, stories, and truths of God’s Word have changed my life. It’s more than positive thinking, adopting a philosophy or learning “religious” terms. When you get really practical and build a true relationship with Jesus, it MUST change you. So now, when I help the poor in a Third-World nation or when I pray for a crying girl on public transit, it makes a lot of sense.
Jesus set the example to LIVE out the life He called into. One that is all about knowing God and making Him known. Meditation doesn’t cut it, being “nice” isn’t enough, and as admirable as social work is — it is nothing — unless you introduce the love that was authored God.
So we celebrate Easter this weekend, and actually take the underlying message of Easter with us daily.
Matthew 12:23 “The crowd was AMAZED. ‘Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?’ . . .
What you see is not all there is. The Bible says, “We are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world…” (Eph 6:12, NLT). Join us as we study spiritual warfare, angels, demons and the Holy Spirit. Together we’ll uncover the SuperNatural. Inspired by Lifechurch.tv
You have probably heard of S.A.D. where light deficiency becomes a problem for some people during the low-light become depressed. It is also known as Winter Depression.
Now, I’m not sure this winter and it’s dim and cloudy days had that kind of effect on me, but I have really been glad the past few days here in Northern California. For like 6 or 7 days in a row it has been sunny and mild, like near 70 degrees! Although I love the “seasons” weather-wise, I REALLY love the spring and summer. Mild weather and riding on winding roads on my motorcycle or spending time at the coast are just awesome to me.
Of course we all have these “seasons” in life, too. Dim and cloudy skies, longer nights, colder feelings. They are all there with a time-line that sometimes seems endless. Depressing.
Well, let me leave you with these verses to encourage you. Because I know with faith in God we actually have hope no matter the season. Here you go!
Psalm 30:5 (NLT)… weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalms 112:4 (MSG)Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people— God’s grace and mercy and justice!
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does .The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
Posted by revtim
Posted by revtim
Posted by revtim
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you… Genesis 4:7
It makes sense that you can gain wisdom through research. That research becomes overwhelming and seeming infinite when it comes to the World Wide Web. We have 
Here’s a very brief excerpt of the message notes from the September 14, 2008 message on BITTERNESS:
I think we all have our “to do” lists. Repairing stuff is either on the top of our agenda or pushed down another notch for another day. It was the same for the people of Nehemiah’s day.
The principles, morals, stories, and truths of God’s Word have changed my life. It’s more than positive thinking, adopting a philosophy or learning “religious” terms. When you get really practical and build a true relationship with Jesus, it MUST change you. So now, when I help the poor in a Third-World nation or when I pray for a crying girl on public transit, it makes a lot of sense.
