Tag: devil

Feeding the Darkness

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Feeding the Darkness 

After a tragedy in your life you may find yourself on a perpetual lope, you’re on repeat playing the same tone over and over again. In that you are holding onto the pain and suffering caused by whatever trauma you’ve endured. What happens when we get stuck? Anger breeds upon itself. Proverbs 29:11 “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” When we allow ourselves to stay angry we put ourselves inside a fortress and we don’t allow anyone to enter. When we do that we cut off our relationship with anyone who wants to love us to include friends, family, and most importantly God. Ephesians 4:26-27 “26 In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” This being a longer verse let’s talk about it. When we are angry we often find ourselves unable to make sound judgments. We open the door and everything we have is ripe for the taking when the Devil finds us in a state of suggestibility. The evil whispers in our ear to do things we usually wouldn’t do. I believe the general idea of these verses is telling us to turn that anger into something we can use. Redirect that anger and make good of it, allow ourselves to focus and help others. Build others up instead of tearing down in our anger. Find a way to let go of the bitterness, rage and anger that sit in the pit of our stomachs and spawn more negativity.

When we find ourselves getting angry which is a normal emotion, how we handle it is what’s important. Ecclesiastes 7:9 “9 Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” We must learn to extend our fuse, make it harder to be provoked to do something harsh. The Devil wants us to fly off the handle because when we do we often hurt those closest to us. This damages the positive relationships we have and thus harming the relationships with God our Father.

 The phrase “Kill um with kindness.” Isn’t just a clever euphemism it’s actually a Biblically derived statement. Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” When others get angry if we find a way to maintain calm, it’s hard for the other person to keep shouting when instead of the reverberation affect, you act as a dampener. It takes two people in the ring to box. Without the opponent you just look silly shadow boxing yourself. Proverbs 15:8 “18 A hot-tempered person stirs up conflict, but the one who is patient calms a quarrel.”

 Be the calm in every storm. When we argue with one another and we start to yell, we start to curse, we start to dredge up the past, when we start resorting to name calling and all manner of vial things spew from your mouth, that is feeding the darkness. It’s not just focusing on your own pain, it’s also fueling others pain to grow as well. Often we argue with the ones we love the most and instead of allowing yourself to fall into a cycle of self loathing, self destruction, self gratification, allow yourself to see the error in your own way, and others will see the difference. We cannot change others, but by our own actions we may influence by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us, to work through us and affect those around us. Anger is contagious, hatred is contagious, but so is love, so is kindness. It’s much harder to love and overcome things that make us upset or the things that hurt us, but we cannot be the judges of that. We cannot be judge, jury, and executioner because we aren’t qualified to do that. All we can do is love, pray, and be a positive influence on those around us. No one wants to be around the Big Green Guy all the time. They want to be around Bruce Banner instead, the mild mannered scientist whose got a good heart. Be the person with the good heart that everyone can see. Don’t let the disease spread through you and your life, learn to let it go. Forgive and Love. Those are the keys to living a happy life.

 

 

 

Intruder Alert

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Intruder Alert

Asleep at night you are somewhere else. The quiet is loud in the middle of the night and a sound creek loudly nearby. You wake and you grab the only weapon you can find. You round the first corner bow drawn arrow at the ready. You pie the corner just like you were taught. You know the house. You hear a creak down the hall and as you’re accustomed to the low light you can see with very little radiance. The shadow of someone dances off the wall, you let the arrow go and it thuds as it penetrates the wall. The intruder stops dead in their tracks. You quickly load another arrow and draw. ‘Move and I’ll fire’ you yell. The intruder ducks back into the room. You back away from view. If they have a gun you won’t outshoot it. ‘I’ve called the cops’ you yell at the thief. The thief shoots a few times hitting the wall and you can hear the intruder running towards the door. You let them go, and then you call the cops. (A fictional story, events never happened)

It’s a horrible feeling thinking someone is in your house, or has been in your home. One of my favorite shows Star Trek The Next Generation often had the all-familiar intruder alert signal that would sound throughout the ship. How we know when an intruder is near, our gut, our senses, our memories. A few months ago I walked into my home and put my stuff down, loved on my dogs, and then I realized something was wrong. Something had been moved. Red solo cups were on my oven. My heart sank. Who’s been in the house? I started to franticly search my house. Who would break in here, on my birthday never the less! As I became the detective I found several things that had been moved or tampered with. I found a mess in the bathroom that we won’t discuss, and I found items from my freezer had been consumed. I quickly learned whom it was by the physical evidence left behind. The reason no forced entry was found was because there wasn’t any. An agreement was made and broken. The feeling of betrayal and violation was overwhelming. Why would someone do this, I asked myself. One lesson I’d learn that night of my birthday was the Devil doesn’t care about boundaries, the Devil will break through, and break in, anyway He can.

The Devil wants you to fail. He wants to show God that his children will hate and forsake him. The Devil will come in and as long as we are watchful be an unwelcomed intruder. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We sadly listen to the Demon sometimes. We fall for his tricks, and we allow ourselves to be tempted. Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Satan skulks around taking shape after shape to lure you away from safety. Job 1:7 “7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” He tempted Jesus after 40 days in the desert. The truest form of resistance is scripture. Learn it, and use it often. Luke 4:12 “12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.”

 Sometimes however we open the door for the Devil to come in and have tea with us. We allow the Devil to come in, to rummage through your things, get to know your family, and make Himself right at home. We don’t always see the Devil in disguise. We don’t always realize that the actions we take are exactly what the Devil wants us to make. When we invite the Devil in and we start to destroy everything around us, it’s amazing we don’t see it when everyone else does. The blinders the Devil throws on us are powerful. We as spectators can only hope that sooner rather than later, the people we love who’ve fallen victim to the Devils attacks come to their senses and realize their vessels been hijacked. Don’t lower your shields and never drop your guard when the Devil is prowling around. Make sure you are aware when the Devil starts to target you. Try and recognize the warning signs. In the words of one of my fictional hero’s, “Red Alert, Shields Up!” Captain Picard

 

 

Private Property

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Private Property

Alone in the house I sit, the walls around and the roof above provide protection from the wolves at night, the predators that prowl searching for the weak. When we want to be left alone on our property we post Do Not Disturb signs. These signs let everyone know that their presence is not welcomed, not to enter without explicit permissions. That’s the unfortunate essence of our lives. Our creator gives us the choice of free will, so this summarily makes us sentient. With that free will comes the right to choose whether or not we will accept or deny the existence of God.

In Scripture it is written that those who follow in Christ will be saved, and those who do not will spend eternity suffering. It’s not easy for some to acknowledge there is something greater out there then they can see with their own eyes. For some the truth is reading between the lines. Reading and studying what exists but in the past. God never forces His way into our hearts. It must be a free voluntary choice to allow God into our lives. There is one however that ignores the stay out signs. The Devil a burglar that creeps around the shadows, pulling at strings, testing the defenses of the house, looking anyway in. Our heart is what the Devil wants. Our minds and our souls are what the Devil tries to gain access too. The Devil doesn’t look for our permission to wreak havoc in our lives. Why do we spend so much time and energy placing defenses for our homes, but we don’t do the same for our eternal souls? 1 John 3:8 “8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” The Devil destroyed the relationship between God and his children. The Serpent divided the home and got Eve to disobey the Father. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” The Devil trespasses as often as he likes with no care for your own personal feelings.

 Vigilance is so important. We keep our homes locked at night, our vehicles locked in public. We do not leave our belongings lying around for anyone to take, so why then are we so careless with the only thing that truly matters, our eternal salvation? The most dangerous intruder we could ever come across and we almost give Him the keys to our home to come and go whenever he wants. 1 Peter 5:8-9 “8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” The Devil will find any unlocked window, any loose bored, any unlocked door, anyway he can to break into your heart. It doesn’t matter if you have your private property sign out there it’s not enough. You have to find the protections and shields for your heart.

 We often fall pray to the worldly desires of our hearts thus giving in to a sin nature. What defenses do we have against the Devil? We have the Armor of God. We have the teaching and warnings of Christ. We were given the instructions and told to resist. We do this by knowing scripture, knowing it well enough to have it memorized to heart. Being able to see sin in our lives is an important first step. Remember how to treat others, knowing the right and wrong in our walk is vital to fighting sin nature. Others may harm us, others may steal from us, and the Devil will use our desires against us, it’s important to see what’s in front of us, and don’t take the bait.

 

 

Tighten

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Why am I still standing here? Being called out is something not for the weak. So many times in our lives are we afraid of change, afraid of the future, afraid we aren’t good enough, afraid we did something wrong to deserve the pain and suffering were going through. What kind of faith does it take to walk to the top of that mountain? What kind of faith does it take to run into danger? What kind of faith does it take to take that punch and stand back up? There will be obstacles that laugh at us, that try to hold us down, hold us back, but the truth is God is with us, God is for us, and it’s our choice to let God be in our corner. We have been given the greatest gift, Love. The first place to start is to love Jesus Christ. Then it’s to love ourselves, and then once we learn how to love ourselves we love our neighbors. Have the faith to move that mountain, have the faith to step out into the storm, have faith to fight that giant in front of you. Tighten up that armor, put that helmet on straight, and hold that shield tight. You can change the world with one testimony at a time. veni vidi vici

Identity

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Identity

I was told recently there are few Christian men. Convictions to stand up for Christ and accept the Salvation in Christ must be shared. As a man we must understand our place. Why is it that so many women complain about the lack of good guys? Are there really that few good guys out there, or is that a myth. 1 Timothy 5:8 “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” Who do you want to be?

I’ve spent a lot of time these last few months considering my own place in the world and my identity. The man I want to be is a good Godly man, faithful, a good significant other, some day a good father. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” It pains me that there are people out there that are cruel for selfish reasons. It pains me that because of other people’s selfish thought, selfish nature, good people faithful people have been hurt. Despite so much pain and suffering I’ve been through an awful lot, and I would like to think I’ve acted with distinction, and that my actions would honor God.

The true nature of Christianity is to be Christ like. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” It’s easy to fall pray to the expectations of the world. The world’s cruel and evil nature can easily rub off on someone. It’s hard to be a good man in a world so dark and corruptible as ours.

Sadly it seems that finding a good Godly woman has been equally has difficult. The mistakes I have made in my life remind me that a good person may not always stay that way. I’ve struggled with the idea that someone can change so much. Have they changed, or where they hiding who they really were this whole time? It’s hard to travel down that rabbit hole. The lies the Devil whispers into your ear can sound good and can get you to fall for bad decisions.

Your identity shouldn’t fall within your job, or who someone else says you are. People can say all kinds of mean and cruel things to you. As difficult as it may be to the contrary we shouldn’t allow other’s negative actions towards us influence how we see ourselves. I’ve spent my life trying to overcome this, and sadly, I’ve only had minimal success at best. 1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” Because we are members of Christ’s family which is defined Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” We cannot loose our hope because of the Devil, the Devil’s work that is perpetrated by the evil of mankind.

Try not to let the world define you. Try not to let other people’s anger or hatred tell you who you are. Be the person you want to be. Follow the light of the Lord and you will find your place in this world. Only through Jesus will you find your place. Have faith, and trust in the Lord.

Warriors

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Warriors

Surrounded by God’s glory, I fall to my knees and lift up my prayers. God’s glory is bigger then me, it’s bigger then all. I pray for clarity, I pray for peace, for comfort, guidance. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” We walk our path and we stray away, we loose the light and we wander in the dark. We are afraid of the dark and we loose our control. We wrong one another, we hurt one another, but someday light must shine. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” WE must face God and before God answer for our sins. WE must look to those who we have wronged, and ask for forgiveness. WE must not hold onto hate, or hold a grudge. We must learn to love and allow others to love us. We are not alone on this world. It’s never too late to turn around, to find that faith again. It’s never to late to trust in God. It’s never too late to listen to the voice of truth and realize all those fears and all those lies that seem to be laughing at you, saying you can’t do it, it’s too big. Simply put “Do or Do Not, there is no Try.” You have the Armor of God and you have thousands of warriors behind you. We are all warriors for Christ so pick up that sword, pick up the helmet, the breastplate, and buckle those sandals for when you are pushed you can dig in and defend yourself. Saten will try to get in. He will try to find a chink in the armor so be aware of the word, be aware of the falsehoods of man. Listen to the voice of truth of God and on that day you too can withstand the Whiles of the Devil.

When the devil hits you fight back with love

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When the devil hits you fight back with love

 Egypt April 9th 2017

Germany Dec 19th 2016

USA Nov 28th 2016

France July 26th 2016

Germany July 24th 2016

Germany July 18th 2016

Bangladesh July 1st 2016

USA June 12th 2016

Iraq May 11th 2016

USA Dec. 2nd 2015

France Nov. 13 2015

USA Apr. 15th 2013

USA Sept 11th 2001

 These are only a fraction of the terrorist attacks worldwide. The list would be far more to list. The Devil thrives on hate, destruction, mistrust, and sinful desires. What can we do to fight back against something that comes so easily to so many? Love, 1 peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” When we choose love over hate that love snuffs out the darkness. “The people that are trying to make the world worse never take a day off , why should I. Light up the darkness” – Bob Marley We can overcome and kick the Devil right back where He came from when we choose to love over hate. There is so much pain and suffering in this world, so much hate it’s hard to remember to love. Hate breeds fear, and fear leads to hate. When we choose to follow the light of the world, the hate will be snuffed out, for darkness cannot survive in the light. It only takes a little light to push away the blackness that tries to survive but can’t.

There are so many terrorist attacks that occur every year all around the world, and yet we only hear about a small fraction of them. We may not be able to stop every attack but how we choose to handle them when that day comes is our choice. Much like Boston in 2013 we too can choose to let love define who we are. The city of Boston when under siege rallied together to show the world they would not be bullied into submission, they would not bow to terrorist, would not allow such hate to overrun it’s city, and they succeeded. For all the death and destruction that day Love became the rallying cry. That city showed the world in one unified voice it wasn’t afraid. Just as New York had done so many years prior, this country stood up and decided to fight back. While some decided to fight back militarily, others decided to stand to make a difference. Change lives, fight for Love and never stop spreading the Gospel. Never stop praying for your enemies.

Love though never easy in the face of so much pain and suffering is about harmony with your relationship to God. Even as Christ was being nailed to the cross and murdered for a crime he did not commit, he asked the Father to forgive them. That’s true love. Never forget that we are not to follow the commandments we like or agree with, we are to follow them all. And the greatest of commandments is to love thine neighbor, and not just the ones we like, but all of them. A single barb from barbed wire from the most well known concentration camp in all the world stands rusting away but the reminder of both the good and evil that exists in this world. In every tragedy we can see and find remnants of love if we just look close enough for them. Private D. Doss a medic saved 75 wounded soldiers atop of Hacksaw Ridge in 1945. He then continued to save lives until wounded himself a while later and removed from the field of battle. His love for his fellow soldiers was second to none. Through all the hate and suffering he was the light that shined onto the battlefield, a warrior for God he fought because he felt it was the right thing to do. He never carried a firearm, and never fired a single shot; yet he made more of a difference then most do the entire war.

There’s always an alternative to hate. Be the definition of love. Hope, and faith and love concur all.

Hallelujah

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Hallelujah

I trusted and went with the flow.

I put my faith in all the wrong places.

Every breath I drew was that of lies.

No matter how far I went I couldn’t see what was there.

I ignored my God, and I fell to my knees and Cried.

Hallelujah My God, I am sorry for my sins.

Hallelujah My God, I’m sorry for my cries.

I’ve walked so far, and now I know I can’t see, can’t see my way out.

God you are Good, but I don’t understand. The storm wages on around me.

God you’re my God, you are keeping me safe even if I can’t see it.

God you loved me enough to save me.

God you owe me nothing, and I owe you everything.

No matter how my mistakes hold me in the mud.

No matter how deep I am, you save me.

God you are glory. God you hold me close when I can’t breath.

My God always has my life in his hands.

My God knows my heart and knows my pain.

Fear, doubt, and disbelief are only tools for the Devil.

Step out of the boat and reach for Gods hand.

Ye of little faith, me of little faith, at times.

Knowing I failed, watching myself fail, there’s only one course.

Be a warrior again, be a holder of the word.

Shield yourself and using the sword of courage pound your shield.

Stand tall against the Devil; stand tall against the demons that wish to bury you.

Take back the fight and rid yourself of those who wish to do you harm.

Fear nothing for The Lord Thy God is with you.

Justice not Vengeance, for vengeance is for God alone.

Love all, Faith in God, Pray, and fight the fight.

Hallelujah My God, I fall to my knees

Hallelujah for my Lord Saves me.

Cross the Bridge to the Lord,

Leave the life behind you’ve live.

Trade for a new life, a new Love.

Hallelujah for Gods love.

Hallelujah for the bridge to salvation.

A fisher of men/ Finding love in all the wrong places

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A fisher of men/ Finding love in all the wrong places

This blog will be unique. It will be a two-part episode as it were. Days like today I find that writing may be the only escape. The silence is deafening, the lack of companionship is excruciating. To truly find oneself you often need to take a long deep look inside, but also a long deep gaze into the pages of the one book, the only book that matters, the Bible.

As some call our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more then a man, what else was he? He was a Fisher Of Men. Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to bring the good news of Christ to the world. The great commission, Matthew 28 19-20 “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” As good Christians we must learn to become fishers of Men/Women. We must learn how to approach people about Christ, learn how to talk about the good Lord. We must learn how to use Apologetics, to defend Christianity, and understand religious worldviews. Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” A world fallen into sin may cause fear to be used by the Devil to dissuade you from continuing your path to Christ. The path to heaven is not for the weak, or the faint of heart. In our path to bring others into the fold is tough, but worth the attacks to expose others to everlasting life.

In the efforts in our walk with Christ we often fall victim to loneliness, depression, anxiety. Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” When we walk in the troubles of the world, we often find ourselves looking for comfort, companionship. We may loose our worldly loved ones, we may watch them leave our lives, hurt us, try to destroy our very lives, our reputations, but in all reality this is the Devils grasp on their heart. Often King David struggled with depression, anxiety, struggles with worldly desires, but in that deepest pain the book of Psalm’s was born. Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Do not be fooled, the Devils taunts are tough, the lies sound good, and when we need comfort, all manner of temptations will be thrown into our path. 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” We look for love, but if we are faithful to the Lord, the Lord will take care of us. John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Never forget where the true love in life comes from. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We are promised that our God is faithful, in that faith we must trust in the Lord. Genesis 2:18 “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” God wants us to have a companion, though we must have faith and trust in the Lord. Do not seek love in ungodly men, or ungodly women. Do not seek love in the desires of the flesh, but in the righteous who follow the Lord. Have faith and be patient with God, for he will bless you for it.

 

 

The Strongest

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The Strongest

Living day to day is never for the weak. The ability to fight the fight is something that takes time and effort, and a lot of faith. As the strongest are often the ones who take the brunt of the fighting, we must remember that the war is not that of flesh and blood but of principalities, the spiritual plane, the fight for our very souls. We may never fully understand how lucky we are, but if we understand nothing else, we must know God is for us. We may fall and fail our fellow man, and fail ourselves, but in the words of Thomas Wayne “Why do we fall, so we can learn to pick ourselves up.” It’s okay to get knocked down, just always fight to stand again. Be vigilant against the whiles of the Devil. He will sneak and lie, whisper, and deceive to achieve his goal. The great deceiver is always on the hunt to find a chink in the armor. Defend yourself.