How to overcome the devil's hurdles?

Hi....

In this spiritual race the devil does place hurdles on the way, to make us stumble and fall.

Satan lays traps in form of temptations and we need to watch and pray.

Matthew 26:41

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

What can we do to overcome the devil's hurdles...?

 Set your eyes on Jesus Christ your Savior, keep your eyes fixed on HIM and stayed glued to your goal....!

 Don't look back at the old neighbourhood you left behind...

 Shun objects and places of lust that lure you to sin....Lust is harmful. Need to be content with what you have.

1Timothy 6:6-11

6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

 11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

 1 Peter 1:14

14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

 Flee temptation like Joseph did.

 Genesis 39:11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

 Burn down bridges that connect you to your old neighbourhood & bring back sinful thoughts...

 Even if you should stumble and fall, just call out to your Lord, He'll come and lift you up, dust the dirt off you and help you run your race again.

A looser is not the one who falls but the one who stays on down.God always has an escape plan for us. Let's always seek His help and guidance.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what 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.

Julie

Our Bodies..TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Hi ...

Good morning.. 

1 Corinthians 3:16 "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?"

If we have accepted JESUS CHRIST as our Savior & are the children of the most High God, we need to remember we no longer can do what we want to abuse this body for our vain pleasures. This body now is the 'temple of the Holy Spirit'. It's not our own!!

1 Corinthians 6: 19 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

Many of us think this body belongs to us and we can do what we want with it. If we belong to Christ we are the Children of a God who is a HOLY GOD & we have no right to abuse or destroy this body by indulging in things that may harm our body.

Just note this verse..

1 Cor 3:17 "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple. 

Yes we are to keep it Holy but the flesh is weak & so struggle in the area. Our selfish desires sometimes blind us to the fact that this body is not ours.

But The Holy Spirit will help in our weakness & intercede for us.

Romans 8:26 "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

The indwelling HOLY SPIRIT will give us life, He's our promise of eternal life from God.

Romans 8: 11 "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

 So...we need to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. THIS SACRIFICE HAS TO ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.

Romans 12: 1 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

God wants us to sacrifice our bodies, laying aside our selfish desires as a living sacrifice to HIM.

Have we done that??

Are we willing to do it???

In the Old Testament animal sacrifices was practiced, but even then God made it clear, obedience was more important than any sacrifice.

1 SAMUEL 15: 22 But Samuel replied:
       "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
       as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD ?
       To obey is better than sacrifice,
       and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

So we are to obey God. When we fail to do what HE wants us to do, we rebel & REBELLION IS SIN.

1 SAMUEL 15: 23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
       Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
       he has rejected you as king."

Rebellion is like the sin of divination (witchcraft) & Arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

"REBELLION" & "ARROGANCE" are serious sin, did you know that???

Saul was rejected as King because of these sins & his Kingdom taken away.

SO LET'S BE OBEDIENT OF GOD'S VOICE AND OFFER OUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.

You know God always has GOOD, ACCEPTABLE, PERFECT Plans for us.

Why don't we give HIM our best??? 

We all have areas where temptations is strong and habits hard to conquer.

Habits like over eating also is abusing our body. We don't live to eat, but eat to live.

Habits like smoking, addiction to alcoholic drinks affect this body. If we say this Body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, how can we abuse it??

We cannot destroy this temple.

We need to remember...

1 Cor 3:17 "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

We need to seek God's help in areas we struggle &  work hard to overcome this temptation & prevailing sin.

Let's give our bodies in a good condition to our Lord.

GOD DOES NOT ACCEPT BLEMISHED SACRIFICES.

I am just reminded of this passage in Malachi chapter 1.

Let's read it.

Blemished Sacrifices

MALACHI 1: 6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.
      "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'

 7 "You place defiled food on my altar.
      "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?'
      "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible.

8 When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.

 9 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"-says the LORD Almighty.

 10 "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands.

11 My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations," says the LORD Almighty.

 12 "But you profane it by saying of the Lord's table, 'It is defiled,' and of its food, 'It is contemptible.' 13 And you say, 'What a burden!' and you sniff at it contemptuously," says the LORD Almighty.
      "When you bring injured, crippled or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices, should I accept them from your hands?" says the LORD.

14 "Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD Almighty, "and my name is to be feared among the nations.

So let's not take God for granted.

How many times God shows us clearly some habits of ours are surely abusive and destroys our body.

How many times He's asked us to give it up and offer this body as a living sacrifice acceptable to HIM??

Have we been stubborn and rebellious??

It's time to turn from our wicked ways and sinful desires of the flesh that destroys this body.

We reflect God to our family and friends and those around. What image of God's character and attitudes do they see in us??

If we casually accept sinful pleasures and compromise with the world, HOW CAN WE PLEASE DOD???

WE ARE GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE, A HOLY GENERATION.

OUR GOD IS NOT A GOD OF CONVENIENCE.

It often takes hard work to live by God's standards but not impossible.

WHAT WE HAVE TO GIVE UP  IS VERY LESS COMPARED TO ALL THAT WE WILL INHERIT..INCLUDING ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD.

If we are struggling with any habits that are slowly destroying our bodies,

~~1) We need to seek the HOLY SPIRIT'S help. We need to accept we have a problem with an addiction and be willing to let go.

~~2) Stay away form tempting situations and places.

~~3) Seek the help of fellow believers for prayer and support.

Let's not feel bad to confess our problem & reach out for help.

~~4) Be accountable to someone in the Body of Christ, who are willing to encourage us & pray with us.

 OUR BODY BELONGS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

 I like what my pastor said the other day, "This body is not ours, Let's live by HIS rules & not violate it. I can't say 'it's my body, I can do what I want,  it's my child, I can abort it' etc"

The Bible says in...

 PETER 1:16 "for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear." 

The Holy Spirit will help us. When He convicts us we are to be willing to let go of all that defiles our bodies.

HE WILL GIVE US STRENGTH TO OVERCOME EVERY SIN AND ADDICTION.

TRUST IN GOD.

So let us give no more excuses.

'Take all of me Lord...

Let me decrease and you increase..

In Jesus/Yeshua's Name

Amen'

Be blessed,

Julia

Secret Sins and Playing with Sin

Hi family and friends...

I just listened to sermon this morning on YOU-TUBE titled, "PLAYING WITH SIN" this morning that lead me to write this blog.

You can listen to it by clicking on this link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9tzKvTvaLY

Jesus died so that we may walk free from sin.

He broke the hold of sin on us but when we stat compromising with the patterns of this world we end up straying away from the 'narrow path' that leads to Heaven. We end up yielding to temptations.

This day if the Holy Spirit convicts us of any secret sin as we listen to that sermon, let's repent and turn from our wicked ways.

The Bible says we are to be Imitators of Christ.

EPHESIANS 5: 1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

After we know the Lord JESUS (YESHUA) as our personal Savior we cannot play around with secret sin.
HE IS A HOLY GOD.
Let us not take HIS HOLINESS for granted.
We can hide from the people around our lustful thoughts and sinful activities but God sees it all.
The Bible warns in ~~

HEBREWS 10:26 "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,

 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.

29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."

 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Let's rise up and live a life to please our Savior. Let's draw near to God, encourage one another, meet together for fellowship and break bread together.

 

HEBREWS 10:19 "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Also

1 Thessalonians 5:10

"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.

11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. If we have gone to sleep in our Spiritual lives, let's rise up!! We were once in darkness and Christ delivered us from there and brought us to the "light". Let's not go back to our old neighbourhood.

 

EPHESIANS 5: 8 For you were once darkness,

but now you are light in the Lord.

Live as children of light

9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

10and find out what pleases the Lord.

11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.

13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,

14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
   "Wake up, O sleeper,
      rise from the dead,
   and Christ will shine on you."

 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,

16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,

20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord's in the process of refining the "Body of Christ". Let's yield to the Master Potters hand. Let Him mould us and make us into a vessel of His choice.

1 Thessalonians 5: 23 May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Let Him take away things that are not from HIM from our lives. Let Him take away friendships that lead us away from the Lord.

It's time we took a HOLY, UNCOMPROMISING STAND FOR JESUS.

We can't serve 2 masters at the same time.

Matthew 6:24

"No one can serve two masters.

We cannot hide anything from God. Every secret thought and deed are recorded.

.

Ecclesiastes 12:14

For God will bring every deed into judgment,
       including every hidden thing,
       whether it is good or evil.

Revelation 20:13b..

'and each person was judged according to what he had done.

Revelation 2:23

23I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. 

Every word, even words carelessly spoken are recorded.

Matthew 12:36 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

We need to keep a clear conscience before God and man.

Acts 24:16,

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.

Is are conscience clear before God and man. How often we try to hide our secret activities from the eyes of our family and friend. But let's remember we can hide NOTHING FROM GOD!!

One day the "Light" will expose it all!!

Let our lives be transparent before God and people we love and care.

Let's check our lives in Lord's light and repent of anything that's not from God.

The Blood of Jesus will wash and cleanse us one more time...

It's time to let go of things that weigh us down and move on.

Be Blessed...

Love and prayers,

YSIC,

Julia