The Battle Scars Of Suffering

Our battle scars from suffering are nothing to hide. They are marks of honor. We need to see suffering is a tool that gods use to increase and strengthen our faith.

Life’s journeys often leave us physical and emotional marks that tell stories of our resilience and faith.

Lessons From The Battle Scars

Everyone has a battle scar of some kind. Some are visible on the outside, and some are hidden -tucked away in our heart.

Satan would love to hear “You’re scared, you’re broken,”he loves to hear us call ourselves ugly. He does everything he can so we focus on anything but the positive, the hope of God. To keep us from thinking on eternal things and God’s truth. God promises,

“He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

I’ve had to reframe how I view my scars because scars signify we were in a battle, and there is no shame in that. God looks at our hearts and He is the only mirror I need.

Battle scars reveal a wound that has been healed.

Scars tell a story of a promise, a purpose, and a testimony. Scars are never meant to be hidden but shared to help others in their struggles.

This life journey is one big test, and through of battles God will work through and speak from our liod to penetrate the hardest of hearts. The Word of God comes down like a hammer to break up the ground of hard hearts.

Our scars can speak of God’s goodness and faithfulness in a life that must solely rely on Him. God knows just what is necessary to bring out His choicest wine through our earthly vessels.

Scars show we are stronger than the thing that tried to break us.

God is the potter and we are the clay. We choose to yield and surrender even though we may not understand why we are walking our particular path.

Our lives are to be for His glory and honor alone. Through the rushing, pressing, breaking, and tearing, He brings forth His plan for us.

Scare proves we are overcomers. Just as Jesus’s scars proved He was stronger than the power of death. Our scars are proof that satan’s attempt to steal, kill, and destroy us has failed. They are proof that we are truly over-comers.

We all have scars from the battles we have fought in life. But God looks at us through the righteousness of a perfect Savior.

God never wastes pain, and our battle scars will serve as a testimony of our goodness and faithfulness to us.

Expensive Items

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

The most expensive item I’ve ever purchased is probably my computer.

I am totally blessed to have my computer. It allows me to write more efficiently and helps me teach others what I have learned through my journey through life.

It helps me learn through others. And increase my knowledge of anything I am interested in. Growing up I remember we had encyclopedia Britannica set to learn from and do research for school. We have come a long way.

In Matthew 24:11, tells us that one day we will be able to teach the “good news,” because it will be taught throughout the world. I’m pretty sure we are able to do this now.

The Power Of Forgiveness

God’s forgiveness is liberating. Forgiving others and ourselves can free us from the burden of negative emotions and grudges. It leads to improved mental health, healthier relationships, and peace of mind.

Forgiveness can be a powerful act of self-liberation which can open the door to healing and personal transformation.

Forgiveness can help us move forward without allowing anger, hurt, or unproductive rumination to waste our mental and emotional energy.

Forgiveness gives us liberation from the effects of shame.

In the process of forgiveness, we will find liberation. In this process to transform our hearts, heal our wounds, and break the chain of bitterness that takes root in our lives.

Forgiveness is not really about the other person it is about you. But, it’s one of the most difficult things to do. Choosing to forgive does not diminish the pain you have experienced or justify the wrongdoing. Instead, it releases you from the bitterness and resentment that comes with it.

When you forgive, you allow God’s healing and restoration to take place in your heart,

Podcasts

What podcasts are you listening to?

I don’t listen to very many podcasts because they can be addicting. But I listen to a few namely:

I enjoy Midwest Safety and Donut Operator, which are videos of police chases. That makes you realize the most criminals are stupid, and I don’t use that word to downgrade anyone. It’s all about having common sense. If you don’t appreciate law enforcement this are not the podcasts for you. Warning there is some vulgar language that is involved.

I also enjoy Rabbi Jonathan Chan. He does a fantastic job of teaching Bible prophecy and exactly where America and Israel stand today according to the Bible.

Don’t Invite The Enemy To Dinner

I was praying for someone last week, she was struggling with back pain. She has been to Dr and after Dr and has found no relief.

As I was praying I said stop letting the enemy take over your thoughts. When I was finished, she said to me, “I have invited satan to dinner, haven’t I?”

As I was thinking about this I wondered how many people do invite Satan to dinner. We all have a table in our minds, and the enemy (Satan) is always trying to take a seat.

Satan is constantly trying to fill our minds with destructive and harmful thoughts, like fear, worry, insecurity, anxiety, and temptation. If we give him a chance he will begin to poison our thoughts and emotions.

But, if we refuse to give him a seat at our table, we can keep our minds focused on the truth of God’s Word. The truth is we don’t have to settle for negative thoughts to take a seat in our minds. Every time we have a negative thought we can push it out with a positive one.

The are some practical ways to overcome the enemy’s lies.

First, we have to identify the enemy’s lies. What are the negative thoughts that keep running through your mind? What are the voices that tell you that you’re not good enough, that you’re going to fail, or you don’t deserve to be healthy? Once you identify the lies, you can start to challenge them.

The enemy is constantly trying to steal our peace and joy. He wants us to feel bad about ourselves, to doubt our worth, more be afraid of the future. But God wants us to have peace and joy. He wants us to have abundant life.

Once you have identified the enemy’s lies, you need to challenge them. Don’t accept them as true. Is there any evidence to support the thought? If the answer is no, then reject the lie and replace it with the truth.

Satan is a master of deception. He knows how to disguise his lies to make them sound appealing. But we don’t have to be fooled by his tricks. We can learn to recognize the enemy’s lies and reject them.

Satan’s lies are powerful, and he will use every way possible to get us to believe him, even using our friends and loved ones to shoot fiery darts at us. But they are no match for the truth of God’s Word. When you find yourself believing a lie replace it with a promise that God gives us.

For example, if I’m feeling insecure, I could replace the lie, “I’m not good enough” with the truth ‘I am made in the image of God and loved by Him unconditionally.” (Genesis 1:27).

We have the power to choose what we think about. We can choose to focus on the truth of God’s Word. When we focus on this we can overcome the enemy’s lies and have victory in our lives.

The battle for our minds is a spiritual one. We need to pray and ask God for help. With Him we can overcome satan, and learn to identify satan’s lies, and place them with the truth, this will give to strength to resist the enemy’s tactics.

Psalm 23 promises that we are not alone in this battle. In fact, we are with the Good Shepherd, Jesus, who has already won the victory over Satan. And He has given us everything we need to overcome him.

We can choose to give the enemy a seat at our table, or we can choose to resist him, and focus on the truth of God’s Word. When we choose to resist satan, we can experience the blessings that come with following Jesus.

“The Mind Is Everything; What You Think, You Become.”

Relying On God’s Strength

We were not made to rely on our own strength. Human strength runs out too quickly. There is a big difference between God’s strength and human strength, and we will never make it by depending on human strength alone.

Friends and family can forsake us, and others will fifth against us, but we must know that our true strength is in God.

When God is our influence, it will give us strength. Strength comes from His authority, and God must be our authority is were going to finish this journey called life.

Our strength on earth comes from food, sleep, exercise, water, and sunshine but these things are not enough to make us strong in the Lord.

The divine strength of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is never in short supply. Zechariah 4:6 says,

“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Hosts.”

When we depend on God’s strength, it strengthens the whole person, soul, mind, and body.

The Bible says, “let the weak be strong” (Joel 3:10). This verse refers to being strong in the Lord, and when we are, we are strong in divine love, grace, and peace. There is no ego in any of those things. When God’s hands are moving for us, we have nothing to fear. We become “God strong “ and “grace strong,”these are some phrases we should never forget.

When we are weak in the human, the strength of God shows up in us through His power, His love and His greatness.

Paul says, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, He has said to me

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Messiah may rest in me.”

The flesh is too weak to perform spiritual things, or to fight the power of Satan. Paul said,

“ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh” -2 Corinthians 10:3-4

Our weapons of warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Through divine strength, we can pull down the powers of stab and stomp them under our feet.

In times of extreme difficulty or hardship where we feel powerless to overcome a situation, our only place of strength is our faith in God, trusting His strength will carry us through even when we can’t see a clear path forward or solution to our problems.

As I watch the Word of God coming to pass just as it is written in the Bible I have to admit I can’t see myself having the strength to deal with everything that is happening in the world. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and if I’m not careful fear will creep its way in. Placing my hope and reliance on God’s power rather than my own limited abilities is my only choice.

“From the end of the earth, I will cry to You. When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the Rock that is higher than I” -Psalm 61:2

Schooling

What was your favorite subject in school?

The purpose if school is to prepare people for life by providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to be productive members of society.

The world has seriously let us down, by the way they prepare young people for life.

Schooling in America lets society down. When they choose to push their racist and gender confusion ideology.

They have ruined a generation, young people lack so many skills today. Paired with how technology has caused digital distraction leading to decreased productivity and negative impacts on mental and emotional health. It’s a cocktail for disaster.

Screen Time

How do you manage screen time for yourself?

Excessive screen time can negatively affect our lives in various ways, including disrupted sleep, impacting mental health by increasing anxiety and depression, reducing social  interaction, hindering, cognitive ability, and children, and potentially contributing to obesity due to decrease physical activity.

We see every day what screen time does to our children, it is important to set limits on screen time and practice, mindfulness.  excessive screen time for babies and toddlers lead to shorter attention, spans and lowers empathy for others.

Using social media excessively impairs attention and cognitive function, and social interaction, which potentially leads to a distorted perception of the world and leads to struggle in real life situations.

Guarding Your Thoughts

“My Son (children) don’t forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days, and years of life and peace, they will add to you. Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablets of your heart“ -Proverbs 3:1-3

The beginning of wisdom is, on the positive side, honoring God by knowing and fearing Him properly. But at the same time, this implies a negative command: guarding your mind in order to keep it free of errors. Simply knowing the truth isn’t enough, we must keep ourselves from losing or corrupting the truth. We must, as Solomon said, engrave it on the tablet of our hearts.

In English “heart” means to talk to your emotions. And in Hebrew the “heart’ is a persons mind – their thoughts and their will.

Solomon says in Proverbs 4:23,

“Watch over your heart with all diligence. For from it flow the springs of life.”

So Solomon is saying, guard your mind and your thoughts because they will determine how you live your life.

Needing Time

Do you need time?

Everyone needs time, time to themselves. It is important for mental health and well-being.

Time to recharge and reflect on the outside world. And also personal development, time to focus on ourselves and grow without the pressure of others.

Everyone needs to find a balance between alone time and time with others.

Without God

“Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you remain in Me” -John 15:4 (NASB)

Trim a long off a tree and what happens? That limb will never grow another inch. Accidentally cut off a limb, and that limb is cut off from its source of life.

We are seeing the consequences of a nation that has rejected God.

If you’ve ever been on a road trip with a toddler, you’ve probably experienced the struggle of trying to keep them in their car seat for hours on end. They don’t understand that the restraints are keeping them safe, and that ultimately you love them and know what is best.

So it is with mankind and God.

From the beginning of creation until now, people have tried to cast off every restraint on them by the loving hand of God. Not willing to yield to the perfect will of the Father, nations have rejected God’s authority again and again.

Though the Lord remains faithful, He also maintains justice, and there are consequences to rejecting His authority.

The first on is that they will get what they asked for.

They soon forget His works, they don’t listen to counsel, but lust after immoral things, but sadly their flesh is never satisfied, and their soul is parched like a dry and thirsty land with no water.

Apart from God, they are alienated.

We are being threatened by moral deterioration. We are plunging deeper and deeper, at a rapid speed. Honesty and truthfulness have been thrown out the window along with morals and values. The nation is on a mad pursuit of amusement, pleasure and immorality.

The same symptoms that were in Rome during its last days are now seen and felt in America. Everything is centered on sex.

I turned on the television a while back to watch a home-improvement show. I was shocked to see it was laced with immoral sexual behaviors.

We are being consumed by our own falsehoods, and God is removing His hand of protection, which we are suffering unnecessarily. We are left to our own devices.

When humans persist in sin despite God’s frequent attempts to call them toward obedience and to warn them of what will happen if they continue down the path they are on, there comes a point where, sometimes, God simply withdraws His hand of protection and allows people to suffer the consequences for their sin, for chaos to reign, and for Satan to bring death and destruction. God always warns us before His judgment.

God is turning His face away from us. We are becoming a perverse nation, who have no faith.

Unless we turn back to God as a nation, we will destroy ourselves.

Fighting From Victory, Not For Victory

“If God is for us, who can be against us? -Roman’s 8:31

Before the batter had even begun, God told Joshua He had delivered Jericho into Joshua’s hands.

We don’t really like to talk about battles or wars anymore. The idea of everyone co-existing sounds really nice. But it will never happen.

Until Jesus returns and He brings Judgment on the earth, battles and wars will remain. No matter how peaceful we want our lives to be, the truth is our lives, this side of heaven, will have conflict.

Many people have an unseen war going on raging against them. Fighting us and trying to keep us from embracing who we are in Christ.

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us,

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.”

While that is true, we are not to be discouraged or feel defeated. Jesus has already fought the ultimate battle on the cross and won. Because of Jesus, we fight these battles from a place of victory, not defeat.

I think this is something our country and around the world, we should embrace as truth. The fight is in the spiritual realm not the earthly realm.

God’s warfare tactics are not like ours. In Joshua 2-6 it gives some pretty detailed commands that God gave to Joshua.

Joshua obeyed God no matter how crazy His military tactics sounded. God basically tells Joshua to attack Jericho with some marching men, trumpet-carrying priests, the Ark of the Lord, and some shouts from all the people. Joshua obeyed because He trusted God. He knew God will do what He said He would do.

Through those crazy military tactics, God’s amazing power is displayed to an evil nation and His own watching children.

The unconstitutional military tactics God gave Joshua we’re as much for the evil nation as they were for God’s people.

God does the same for us today through His Word.

God is for us, not against us, we need to listen for His voice and obey Him even if His tactics sound crazy.

Maybe your city of “Jericho“ is in your life to show you, and the believing world around you, just how powerful God is.

Do what He says and watch as God tears down your “Jericho” walls before you’re very eyes.

There is no situation, no pain, no sin so great the God cannot handle and no problem too big for His mighty hands.

God promises us He will never leave us or forsake us. We do not simply fight for victory we fight from victory. Because Jesus has already won the battle.

He promises that if we obey that we will have the the victory.