BE A FIGHTER!!!
I Tim. 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold of the eternal life to which you were summoned and (for which) you confessed the good confession ( of faith) before many witnesses”
To be aggressive is to be a fighter. Just as the apostle Paul said that he had fought the good fight of faith (2 Timothy 4:7), so he instructed his young disciple Timothy to fight the good fight of faith in our daily lives as we struggle against spiritual enemies in high places and in our own mind and heart.
One part of fighting the good fight of faith is being able to recognize the enemy. As long as we are passive, Satan will torment us. Nothing is going to change about our situation if all we do is just sit and wish things were different. We have to take action. Too often we don’t move against the4 enemy when he comes against us with discouragement or fear or doubt or guilt. We just draw back into a corner somewhere and let him beat us up.
You and I are not supposed to be punching bags for the devil; instead, we are supposed to be fighters.
Nowe the devil wants us to fight in the natural with everybody around us. But God wants us to forget all the junk that Satan stirs up within us to get us riled up against other people. Instead, He wants us to fight against the spiritual enemies who try to war over our lives and steal our peace and joy. “Come against Satan when he is trying to get a foothold, and he will never get a stronghold.” …Joyce Meyer
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another.” Gal. 5:14-15(NKJV)
Do unto others as you would that they do unto you. Remember that? It is good advice and will keep your heart at peace. This is all talking about attitude. Lots of things can affect our attitude. As a matter of fact everything we experience affects our attitude. Our attitude will normally agree with our human experience. Good things happen to us, and our attitude is good. Bad things happen and our attitude reflects our feelings about it. Under these conditions we are in control of nothing in our lives. Instead of being what we choose to be, we become a product of what happens to us. We should get tired of someone else always determining our attitude.
We need to realize that we can be what we choose to be. We can think like we need to think. We can be in control of our attitude. What would you choose– to be joyful, happy, kind, friendly, and pleasant; or bitter, pouting, hateful, worried, fearful, revengeful, and mean tempered? You will be whatever lurks within you. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Matt. 12:35(NKJV)
Most people have never learned how they should act or think, or know how to change. The secret is to renew your mind by the Word of God. If you know the Word, think the Word, speak the Word, you will believe the Word and live the Word.This will have a profound effect on your attitude. Jesus was exposed to every mistreatment possible, yet it never ruled His attitude. In spite of the evil He encountered He always responded with the “good treasure” within Him. As a child of God that “good treasure” is within us and we need to let it create our attitude. Attitude will give you life or it will kill you. Attitude will cause you to prosper or it will rob you. YOU choose your attitude! Choose wisely.
Little disappointments can create frustration, which in turn may lead to bigger problems that can produce a great deal of damage. Besides the huge disappointments that occur when we fail to get the job promotion or house we wanted, we can become just as upset by minor annoyances. For example, suppose someone is supposed to meet you for lunch and fails to show up. Or suppose you make a special trip to buy something on sale and when you get there, they are sold out.
These frustrations are minor but they can add up to cause grief. That’s why we have to know how to handle them and keep them in perspective. Otherwise, they can get out of hand and be blown up all out of proportion.
Solomon 2:15 “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that are ruining the vineyards….”
We have to be on our guard against the little foxes that destroy the vineyards, because all together they can do just as much damage as the serious disappointments that often accompany them.
If we practice dealing quickly with disappointments as they come, they will not pile up into a mountain of devastation.
…Joyce Meyer
33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] Amplified Jn. 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations; but of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Jn. 16:33(NKJV)
Well, Jesus, you have it made. You have overcome the world. Hooray! Good for You, but how does that affect me? It is easy for You. You’re God. You should be in my shoes for awhile and You would see how hard it is to be of good cheer. Sound familiar? It is easy to have this attitude when one doesn’t understand the spiritual things.
Jesus was telling His disciples that His victory was their victory. In Him they had overcome the world as well. “In Me you have peace.” Jesus was speaking of position and not proxy. As He is, so are we in this world. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection secured our position as over-comers. Everything Jesus did He did for us. He did not have to overcome the world for Himself. It was all for us and He wanted His disciples to understand this and use it for themselves. The only reason you are an overcomer is because of Jesus. Live in peace and believe.
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” I Jn. 5:4-5(NKJV)
GIVE UP EXCESSIVE REASONING—–
Are you always trying to figure everything out? Many of us have fallen in the ditch. Instead of casting our care upon the Lord, we go through life carrying every bit of it.
When we try to figure everything out, we are exalting our reasoning above God’s thoughts. We are placing our ways higher than His ways. When we worry, we lose our peace, and when we try to figure everything out, we fall into confusion. Confusion is the result of reasoning with our own understanding when we should be trusting in the Lord with all our heart to make the way for us according to His plan. When we trust that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts, we stop confusion before it starts. …Joyce Meyer
In Februay of 2010 Pastor Jerry had open heart surgery and spent several days in the Cardiac ICU. Of course, I spent those days and nights in the waiting room. On February 3 early in the morning I was awake and decided to read the Bible. The devil had come to me with the thoughts, “Well, Jerry will be okay but there is no way you will ever be able to pay for all of this. You will lose everything you have.”
I decided to read Proverbs chapter 3 because I knew I had to get those thoughts out of my head. Proverbs 3:5-6 in the Message Bible reads, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart, and don’t try to figure everything out on your own. Listen to God’s voice for everything you do; everywhere you go, He’s the one who will keep you on track.”
I commanded worry to leave and “quit trying to figure out” how we would pay for the hospital bill. God did completely provide for everything, and Pastor Jerry totally recovered. Put the Word inside you and the worry has to leave. Pastor LaVerne
“….The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.” Matt. 13:33(NKJV)
“Then Jesus said to them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” Matt. 16:6(NKJV)
“A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Gal. 5:9(NKJV)
All of these verses are talking about the same thing, but what are they talking about? Most people think they are talking about moral and ethical issues. Although they may ultimately affect this area of live they are talking about doctrinal beliefs. The first verse says that exposure to the leaven of heaven results in everything becoming like heaven. The second verse says beware of the doctrines of the Pharisee and Sadducees. Verse three says that exposure to leaven will affect the whole loaf of bread.
Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Jesus said He is the bread of life so we eat of Him and live. Every productive thing is in harmony with God’s Word. Paul was warning the Galatians not to introduce the Jewish law into their gospel of grace.
One of the most deadly religious practices of the church is our method of understanding the Bible. We are too prone to using our experiences to interpret scripture rather than allowing the Bible to change our experiences. For example, someone somewhere prayed for healing and it did not come. Attitudes then took over resulting in something like this, “I am the most righteous person I know. If God won’t heal me, He must not be healing anyone anymore.” Then the search begins to make the Word of God agree with his experiences. From this arises the religious doctrine that healing is past away along with the gifts of the Spirit. Although the bulk of Scripture teaches they haven’t, the party picks through obscure and unclear verses that seem to support his experience.
Anytime I interpret a scripture based on my experience , I am using the wrong “leaven.” It will grow until it destroys the life I am trying to build. We cannot allow our experiences to affect our belief in the truth and everlastingness of God’s Word. Remember, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes were the most “holy” and learned religious leaders of their day and MOST OF THEM WERE WRONG!! What about today’s religious leaders? Watch out for the leaven of “education.”
“…as He is, so are we in this world.” I John 4:17(NKJV)
Where are you? Do you even know or ever thought about it? When John wrote the above it wasn’t in reference to character or conduct; it was in reference to position. Do you understand your position in Christ? There are a multitude of places you could find yourself. I am not talking about your body and mind. I am talking about your spirit man. Your body might be “under the circumstances” but your spirit man (the real you) is seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
You must train your mind to see things from your spirit’s position and not from your body’s position. The way you see yourself is the way you will eventually end up. We are a product of our imagination. Proverbs says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Thinking is using your imagination to visualize the outcome of what you are experiencing. If your body seems to be “under the circumstances,” you must remember the scripture says we are “seated in heavenly places.”
Your mind (soul) can’t be in two places at once. It will side with whichever “position” has the most influence on it. Take advantage of what the Word promises us. See things from Christ’s position because that is where you really are. That position is eternal. All other positions are temporary. They will change, but the Word of God abides forever.
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