Sorrow/Grief Blog 7

Greetings, precious saints of the triune God . . . the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Again, I find myself continuing to write about the peace stealer - “Sorrow/Grief”! One would expect non-Christians to be wallowing in sorrow and grief, in that tragically, they are living in the flesh and are standing on “sifting sands”, but surely not God’s children who are to be standing on the Rock of Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us, “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who build his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-27) In keeping this analogy, we must keep in mind what is written in James 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in the mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of a man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does,”

We, therefore, must first “hear” what the Holy Spirit is saying to us or we would not have any idea of that which we are to be “doers”! It is here that it is crucial that we keep in mind the first step in the importance of hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying to us! It must be declared, however, that a believer, meaning born again, must also become “Spirit-filled” – i.e. asking the Holy Spirit to “fill” (baptizing) him/her. Please keep in mind just Who God is . . . the triune God . . . God the Father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, thus, the “Three in One”!

The Holy Spirit, obviously then, is found throughout the entire Bible . . . from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22-21. In the New Testament (Matthew 3:16-17), Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist then “the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alightening upon Him, and suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

This then was the beginning of the availability of the Holy Spirit to believers as we read in Acts 1 verses 4 and 8

4 “And being assembled together with them (the Apostles), He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ . . . 8 ‘But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’”

In order to truly be “empowered by” the Holy Spirit and “Go do the things that I did while on the earth” as Jesus commanded His apostles, ask the Holy Spirit to “fill” or baptize you. Your life will never be the same and you will truly be able to hear “His still small voice declaring ‘this is the way, walk ye in it.’” Tragically, too many Christians are not aware of such a blessing, and thus are not “empowered” to fulfill His desire for us to “witnesses” to the ends of the earth!

Thus, it is so very crucial that we exam just where our focus is in our daily living! Are we so caught up in the flesh (our own living with all that that entails) giving little attention to the need to be focusing on Biblical truths and God’s promises?

Let’s return to Exodus 14 and to Moses and the incredible experiences he was having dealing with the severe trials and tribulations concerning the children of Israel. This is an excellent example of living in the flesh.

Remember the story where finally Pharaoh let the children of Israel go and they thought that finally they were free from slavery under Pharaoh. What happened next? Pharaoh and his finest six hundred chariots took off after them. Now the “lesson” begins . . . it did not take long for the people to “be very afraid” and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord and came against Moses most harshly. Obviously, they were walking in the flesh neglecting the promises of the Lord God Almighty concerning their freedom from Pharaoh! Consequently, the spirit of fear came over them. They were so focused on their “emotions”, i.e, the battle that furiously was going on in their minds - looking at things seen, not on things hoped for, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1) This is the trap we Christians fall into all too often! We must also keep in mind that Satan who tragically is very often the instigator of tricking us believers into a “lack of faith” and as a result, we spiral into sorrow and grief, in that we continue to look at things seen, and not on things hoped for.

Considering the necessity of having faith, their focus certainly was on what they were experiencing, pure and simple! How many of us fall into such traps where we are walking according to the flesh, tragically forgetting God’s promises, especially concerning His “watch care over His children, spirit, soul, and body”.

We must keep in our minds that the deceiver, Satan, will trick us into “thinking” (focusing) so much on fretting, worry, fear, depression, the way we treat our bodies, despair, sorrow/grief, the “what if’s etc. It is imperative that we be so discerning as who is talking/influencing us! Our lives so depend on such discernment . . . in fact the ‘gift of discernment” has been made available to us by the Holy Spirit as are other “Gifts” of the Spirit, thankfully! There will more concerning the Holy Spirit in blogs to come.

Thus, the battle . . . it has been said “there is a battle between our feelings and God’s truths!” Which ones are we going to pay attention to – our feelings or God’s truths?

Blog 8 concerning sorrow/grief will consist of the four enemies we have as we walk through the “battle of life”!

1. The flesh
2. The world
3. Satan
4. The church (man’s church as opposed to God’s Church)

BE GLORIFIED, ALMIGHTY GOD, BE GLORIFIED

FOR YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE PRAISED

Enhancing Your Christian Walk - Sorrow/Grief Blog 6

Before we begin Blog 6, I wish to thank the thousands of readers wo have joined me in this experience since I published my first blog in March 2015.  I wish to especially thank my international readers from 39 different countries.  As I publish each blog, I pray that it is the Holy Spirit whom I believe is using me as His instrument in sharing what He has for each of you...such a blessing, indeed!  In keeping with this statement, may I ask each of you to pray that what you read is indeed God’s truths.

In Blog 5, we “unwrapped” 2 Cor. 10:3-6 which deals with where we are walking - in the flesh or in the Spirit, putting on the full armor as written in Ephesians 6:10-18, including the weapons of our warfare, taking down strongholds, the carnal mind (such as controlling our thoughts/actions), and sin which contribute to living with sorrow/grief! Additionally, there were strategies for our focusing on peace, hope and the promises of the Lord God Almighty!  We must be so very thankful and praising our Lord Jesus for His sacrifice on Calvary and the incredible gift of salvation (being set free from. . .), amen?

In beginning this blog, let’s consider the critical question “Where is your focus – on your sorrows/griefs or on the triune God and His truths?” Another way of attacking your status is “do you live with an attitude of defeat or one of hope that only your loving Father can provide you?” Most importantly, where is your faith in the face of such hopeless living? Paul, in Hebrews 11:1, states “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Let’s consider the book of Lamentations which deals with Jeremiah living in sorrow and grief because of his beloved Jerusalem being in such affliction, and as well, God’s anger with Jerusalem! Thus, we see Jeremiah lamenting from chapter 1 through 3:18. Let’s listen in to what he is declaring in verses 18-26:

18 “And I said, ‘My strength and my hope have perished from the LORD.’ 19 Remember my affliction and roaming, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul still remembers and sinks within me.

Then something drastically changes in his thinking as for surely the Holy Spirit speaks to him because then he exclaims

21 “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.”

He continues,

22 “Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

A beautiful hymn concerning this truth the follows:

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, therefore I hope in Him. 25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. 26 It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation (being set free from. . .) of the LORD.”  

In verse 21, Jeremiah sees God’s mercy at work in his life. The question becomes “are you waiting quietly for the salvation of the LORD, i.e. being set free from whatever is causing you to lament (sorrowing and grieving)?” Why is it so significant to “wait quietly”? Jeremiah was far from waiting quietly in previous chapters! 

We see the children of Israel fleeing from Pharaoh and his warriors in Exodus 14. They became most sorrowful and filled with other emotions, such as fear, because they thought they were on the way to freedom from the Egyptians, but soon learned that Pharaoh and his chariots were after them! It is interesting that in verse 10, “they were very afraid and cried out to the Lord.” Yet, in the very next verse they rose against Moses because it was all his fault that they were under attack.  Initially “they went out with boldness” (Exo 14:8), but then the spirit of fear overcame them! 

Consider what Moses said to the people (as he was listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit), “Do not be afraid.  Stand still and see the salvation (being set free from…) of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The LORD will fight for you and you shall hold your peace.” (Exo 14:13-14)

There is an incredible lesson in all this, regardless of their previous many years of much sorrow and grief because of their bondage in Egypt, the LORD rescued them . . . His way and His time!!  It is crucial that we focus on our LORD instead of what is going on around us causing us to live in sorrow/grief!  For those of you are living in sorrow and grief, the scripture tells us “to wait quietly”.  Why? How can we hear the still small voice of the LORD stating, “be still and know that I am God, and the plans that I have for you are for good and not for evil”?  As I have shared before, I like to declare “I restfully and patiently wait upon the LORD trusting Him to deal with that which is affecting me”!

Thus, we truly have a choice as stated previously - focus on that which is stealing our peace and our joy because of past, future, or present events in which we ourselves have lost our hope, or “stand still and see the salvation of the LORD God Almighty.” Also, if we continue to allow the flesh to walk in sorrow/grief, it opens the door wide to be “double minded” which gives Satan an invitation to harass us, keeping in mind dear saints, there IS HOPE, as it is stated in James 4:7-10

7 “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify your hearts, you double minded. 9 Lament and morn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up”.

One of His Hebrew Names is “Elohim Ozer Li, God My Helper.” (Ps. 54:4)

Please keep in mind that which is written in James 1:2-8

2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the LORD; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Is it fair to say that if one is living with sorrow/grief day in and day out that he/she is double-minded and unstable in all his/her ways? How so? Lack of faith!

So be encouraged and have hope as is stated in Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” 

A crucial question…are you diligently seeking Him?  If not, why not?

Keep in mind, it is most important as the scripture tells us, to “take every thought captive to the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:4) and in doing so, with the Holy Spirit’s help, we will walk victoriously as never before. That is one of God’s promises to us, and we know He never ever breaks His promises, thankfully!

Be glorified, Almighty God, be glorified

To be continued . . .   

ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS USE OF SORROW/GRIEF IN OUR LIVES - PART 5

I would sincerely encourage you to read blogs 1-4 concerning this topic, if you have not done so already.

These scriptures must not be taken lightly! Before we continue, let’s “unwrap” what is being declared in 2 Cor. 10:3-6.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled.”

First, what is the definition of “flesh”? The following definition is found in the American Dictionary of English Language – Noah Webster 1828. Note: I find scriptural definitions in this dictionary to be much more meaningful/ reliable than current “modern” dictionaries which tragically omit scriptural references! It would be most interesting to learn just when dictionaries began to omit Biblical references!

*  Flesh – “The body, as distinguished from the soul”, men in general; mankind.” As declared in Genesis 6:3 “My spirit shall not always strive with man forever for he is indeed flesh. . .”

* The carnal mind – “For those who live to according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. A carnal mind is an enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors – not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God.”  (Romans 8:5-14)

*  “Carnality – ‘The flesh lusts against the spirit.’” (Gal. 5:17)

*  “Corrupt nature – ‘Flesh and blood cannot    inherit the kingdom of God’” (1 Cor. 15:5) and “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” (2 Cor. 10:3-4)

* “Sin” and the scriptures are replete with the dangers of sin – for sure, a huge part and parcel of the corrupt nature and, definitely, a humongous cause of sorrow/grief! Is man’s behavior related to himself in the flesh? If so, obviously, he is not walking in the Spirit of the LORD! Thankfully, the LORD has provided His children with spiritual ways for dealing with sin in our lives, thankfully! Consider Psalm 32:5 which declares “I acknowledge my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin.” The footnote referencing this verse notes that “Transgression means rebellion”. (New Spirit Filled Bible)

*  “Weapons/Warfare – Struggles with spiritual enemies”. Concerning spiritual warfare, I highly recommend a study of Ephesians 6:10-18 which discusses the putting on of the “Whole Armor of God”. May I strongly recommend a book which deals with daily readings concerning spiritual warfare: THE CHRISTIAN IN COMPLETE ARMOUR by William Gurnall, a minister who wrote in the 1600s. (Moody Press).

Written in the publishers’ preface of Gurnall’s book was this “The stage whereon this war is fought is every man’s own soul. Here is no neuter in this war. The whole world is engaged in the quarrel, either for God against Satan, or for Satan against God.”

We are told by Paul in Ephesians 6:10-18, that we are to “put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.  Always keeping in mind “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh and that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in the pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:3,4)

Please keep in mind that we are to “put on” the full armor and keep it on, 24/7! Warriors do not take their armor off during warfare! We saints are in warfare 24/7! Some saints believe they can take it off when they go to bed and put it on when they wake up! It has been declared that we are to “maintain a battle stance against this satanic structure” (Kingdom Dynamics – New Spirit-Filled Life Bible)

*  Strongholds – “Anything opposing God’s will” and resides where? In the mind!  How so, you ask?  As I have declared often, we are told in the scriptures that we are to “take every thought captive (my emphasis) to pulling down of strongholds” (2 Cor. 10:5) and “. . . casting down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought (again my emphasis) into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” (2 Cor. 4-6)

Do we have control over our thoughts where the warfare begins?  We had better, or we are in serious trouble!! This could be an entirely new way to “thinking” for many believers!!  Consider this. . .” who is the author of many of our thoughts. . . the “deceiver”– Satan himself.  It is crucial that we seek the “gift of discernment” as just who is talking to us in our minds! (Hebrews 4:12)

“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

As Christians, we must seriously consider such choices as:

·             Constantly focusing on our sorrows and reaping the consequences AND REAPING THE CONSEQUENCES as mentioned in the definition above.

·             Focusing on the faith of God, not in God and His promises, by searching for the appropriate promises throughout the scriptures.

·             Please consider coming before the Holy Spirit who BATHES us with His perfect peace – Jehovah Shalom for the LORD is peace, and such a blessing!

·             "Bringing every thought captive to the pulling down of strongholds” as stated previously.

·             "Casting (flinging is the correct translation) all our cares upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

·             Choosing to walk not "According to the flesh, but according, to the Spirit ". (Romans 8:1)

·             Seeking out sincere Christians for comfort, support and wisdom. 

This requires us to be “still and know the salvation (being set free) of the LORD who is with you. . .”  (2 Chron. 20:17) If we are not “still” in His presence, we will not experience His peace . . . for He is also our comforter as well. Consider Jesus as He was getting ready to ascend to the Father, the disciples were so much in “sorrow” that He declared "And I will pray to the Father and He will give you another Helper, (Holy Spirit) that He might abide with you forever." (John 14:16) Jesus was also addressing “some of His disciples” concerning His ascending to the Father "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn to joy." (John 16:20)

You must remember that this scripture is just one of many, many of His promises and He stands on His promises which do not return to Him void, and thus so must we stand on His promises!

Note that when the Sorrow/grief blogs have been completed, there will be a follow up blog concerning Spiritual Warfare.

To be continued in Blog 6.

Be abundantly blessed, O LORD God Almighty,

Be abundantly blessed    

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ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS USE OF SORROW/GRIEF IN OUR LIVES - PART 3

As I awakened one morning, the Holy Spirit spoke to me saying “Take My hand, My precious child.” For in Psalm 85:8*, it is stated “I will hear what God the Lord will speak, for He will speak peace to His people and to His saints; but let them not turn back to folly” (foolishness)

Tragically we, as His children, have such a tendency (propensity) all too often to go our own way - walking in the flesh (our own minds) as opposed to walking in the (Holy) Spirit! And in so doing, we separate ourselves from focusing on the LORD God Almighty thus, allowing ourselves to open the door for Satan to direct our paths for the moment/day/week, etc.  And therein the great possibility for sorrow/grief to hover over us in our utmost inner being.

We cannot begin to imagine the sorrow God experienced and experiences even now because people, even Christians grieve/quench Him. . . let’s consider what the scriptures declare concerning this.

We must keep in mind the sorrow that began early on as we read beginning in Isaiah 14:12-21 the story of how Satan, once an angel called Lucifer, “son of the morning or Light Bearer” surely grieved the LORD Who had to evict him and send him to earth.

In Gen., chapter 3, we see that it didn’t take Satan (the serpent) long to interfere in God’s plan for His creation to live a bountiful and glorified life on earth. Satan truly believed as he tempted Adam and Eve in the garden, that he had the upper hand at this point…little did he know what was and is ahead for him and his minions, because it is written that there will come a time when “the devil will be cast into lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever”. (Rev. 20:10)

In Gen. 3:16, we read where the LORD is talking to Eve, “To the woman He said: I will greatly multiply your sorrow….”  Another example where we create our own sorrow!

It is also written in Gen. 6:5,6 “And the LORD was sorry that

the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continuously. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”

We read in Ephesians 4: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by Whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”  I would refer you to verses 25-32 relating as to all the ways we indeed grieve the Holy Spirit, and in 1 Thess. 5:18 it is also declared “Do not quench the (Holy) Spirit.”

Consider the 40 years the children of Israel spend in the “trial in the wilderness”. . .and the LORD lamented in of Psalm 95:10 “For 40 years I was grieved with that generation, .  .  .”

Questions which must be asked at this point are:

-        LORD, is there anything in the past or the present where I am grieving You in that I haven’t sought repentance?  I would ask You, Holy Spirit, to please reveal that which has grieved or quenched my LORD. 

-        LORD, what am I to learn from my sorrows?

-        Are there any unconfessed sins or even confessed sins that I am still wrestling with that are allowing sorrow into my life?

-        It is most crucial to keep mind God’s faithful provisions/promises as we read in 1 John 1:7-10; 2:1-2 for our dealing with any and all sin in our lives:

Ø  Vs. 7: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Ø  Vs. 8 “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” and

Ø  Vs. 9 is a powerful scripture for declaring immediately when a sin is committed “If (a HUGE little word) we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This is an appropriate time to share what was exclaimed in the powerful devotional STREAMS IN THE DESERT for January 18, concerning sorrows.  “Sorrows come to stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.” What an awesome thought! Please keep in mind that we have the choice of continuing to walk in the mind set of sorrow, which is in the flesh, or in the Spirit which is where we find our joy, always remembering as it has been said, “the Word of God transforms our minds”, thankfully! All this means is that we have choices of where we focus – the flesh (mind/emotions) or the Spirit!  It has been said that the “Battle begins in the mind”!

In addition, there is a constant battle between our feelings and God’s truths! The 64-dollar question then must be “which are we going to pay attention to – fleshly feelings or God’s truths?”

Tragically, too many believers are their own worst enemies in that they allow sorrow to reign in their very being. “How so, you ask?” We know through scriptures, that the LORD forgives our sins as stated above in 1 John 1:9 “IF we confess our sins”, but the huge question becomes “do we forgive our own sins?” Sadly, too many of us are in such bondage in our not forgiving ourselves in that we believe the lies of Satan who persistently deceives us into thinking we don’t deserve to forgive ourselves!!  It is imperative that we focus on the comforting scripture which declares “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, (Satan who is the spirit of error and the world) because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (Satan who is the spirit of error) 1 John 4:4.

And as is written in Jer. 8:18, “I would comfort myself in sorrow.”  I could hear many of you declare “that is the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard”! Remember, it is scripture!  I challenge you to “think it through”!  We will deal with this in Blog 4.

Consider what is stated in 2 Cor. 10:3-6:

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . . .”

Also, please keep in mind that I am not minimizing sorrow in the least, but again it is how we approach it either in the flesh or in the Spirit and that makes all the difference in our lives!

Blog 4 will contain strategies that we can use to assist us in

overcoming sorrows.  

Be glorified Almighty God, be glorified

* All scriptures are from the NEW SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE BIBLE (NKJV) Jack W. Hayford Executive Editor

ALMIGHTY GOD AND HIS USE OF SORROW/GRIEF IN OUR LIVES - PART 2

Hopefully, you remember the question I left you with in the SORROW Blog Part 1? “Could it be that Sorrow/Grief actually began when we were born?" How so, you might rightfully ask?

Let's consider what took place in the Garden of Eden in Genesis, Chapter 3 - "The Temptation and the Fall of Man"!

Hopefully, you are very much aware of what took place concerning Adam and Eve and their rebellion against God. God said to Eve in Genesis 3:16:

"I will greatly multiply your SORROW and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you."

And we know how the deceiver has used the "rule over you" declaration to create rebellion is so many women, tragically!

Could we declare that we witness another powerful work of Satan? Then in verse 17, God said, "Because you heeded the voice of your wife and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, you shall not eat of it" and God continues with the "thou shall nots" from this time forth! Then in verses 23-24, God sent them out of the garden! Thus the battle between good and evil begins with the concept of sorrow being injected into the lives of mankind and tragically, we believers suffer sorrow/grief and will continue to until the Lord returns because of Adam and Eve's disobedience - for God says what He means and means what He says!

We can well declare that sorrow/grief indeed steals our peace and our joy and consequently so keeps us from being still and hearing His still small voice declaring "this is the way, walk ye in it" (Isaiah 30:21). Question. . .is there anything whatsoever in your life, past/present or in the days to come, that is keeping you from hearing the Lover of your soul as He declares "this is the way, walk ye in it"?

This blog might not find you in sorrow/grief at this moment but consider that you could well be friends with someone who is going through sorrow/grief, and hopefully there would be wisdom in this blog that would assist you in ministering to them.

Please keep in mind that sorrow/grief can also be the consequence(s) of our disobedience concerning the ways of God. Again, consider Genesis 3, for as just stated, this is the very beginning of sorrow/grief not only for mankind, but also for the Triune God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit because of Adam and Eve's disobedience! And as we well know, the Father had to send His only son Jesus to the cross to set man free - those who will surrender their lives to become the sheep in the pasture of the Lord our Shepherd.

Some time ago, I was found myself in sorrow/grief and was sitting before the Lord and the Holy Spirt spoke to me "do you trust Me?", as related to that which I was dealing with, and then He said, "now you have an inkling of how I 'grieve' over My children."  And the thus the question becomes "Am I grieving my Lord God Almighty"?  I want to close with the encouraging scripture in James 1:2-7:

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let that man suppose that he will receive anything of the Lord." 

Thus, I encourage you to inquire of the Lord regarding His wisdom concerning the question "Am I grieving You, Lord, and if so, how am I grieving You"? (Biblical quotes are courtesy of the "New Spirit-Filled Life Bible", NKJV.) 

To be continued in Blog 3

Be glorified, O Lord, be glorified!

Where Is Your Focus When You First Wake Up In The Morning?

                                           
           

As the photo illustrates, I am taking a short “side rail” from Sorrow blog 2 in order to focus on extremely powerful strategies related to one’s “focus” or more simply put, what comes to my mind (first thoughts) as soon as I open my eyes in the morning? Am I going to walk in the flesh or in the Spirit of the Lord….we do have a choice! I truly felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to share such crucial thoughts with you concerning this incredible topic!

Obviously, this ties nicely with the “Sorrow” blog, which is still in progress, for if sorrow is the first thought that comes to mind as one awakens, his/her state of mind is indeed focused on sorrow, grief, anger, revenge, unforgiveness, lack of confidence, despair, unconfessed sin, and fear, etc. which can well set the stage for the day’s thinking and action, and could well end in a day of defeat/discouragement resulting in continued sorrow or the other negative thoughts/feelings. Keep in mind what is written in 2 Cor. 6:10,12 in the Messianic Jewish Family Bible – Tree of Life Version “as grieving yet always rejoicing; as poor yet enriching many; as having nothing yet possessing everything” and “you are restricted in your own feelings.”

Thus, how do we overcome such negative and destructive thinking?  First and foremost, we as believers MUST begin the day focusing on our Triune God (the Father, Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit), biblical scriptural truths and Godly promises such as written in Psalm 34:4-6 “I sought the Lord, and He heard me….and saved him out of all his troubles”. The Lord God Almighty promises His children as written in Heb. 13:5,6 “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said “I will never leave you nor forsake you. So, we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” May I challenge you to purchase a PROMISES book which lists God’s scriptural promises by subject…“Fear, despair, hopelessness, encouragement”, etc.

We are told in Philippians 4:6,7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made to known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

It is crucial that we seriously consider that “the battle begins in the mind” which means we are in spiritual warfare in our minds, and as the scripture declares, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for bringing down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor. 10:3-5) Thus it is imperative especially, that we not allow our minds to reminisce in the past. Always keep in mind that satan and his cohorts are always looking for open doors in our lives for the sole purpose of harassing/destroying God’s beloved…not only satan, but the world, our flesh, and the church! I must qualify the “church” as that which is the “under the control of men/women often described tragically as the dead church” as opposed to God’s Church where the Holy Spirit is most welcomed, and the Triune God is given full reign!

Always remember that the mind is NOT BORN AGAIN…. again, therein lies the battle…flesh against the Spirit of God!  Whom are you going to let win?

In closing, please keep in mind what James, the brother of Jesus declared in chapter 1:22-25 “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”  Amen?   

And when you awaken each morning, begin with a positive declaration “This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it. (Ps.118:24) Also a song.