What Are You Feeding?

How feeding the flesh can destroy you

If you feed a stray can, you know it’s going to come back. The truth is whatever you feed follows you, it comes back to you. The same principle applies to feeding your fleshly desires.

The Bible tells us that feeding the flesh can lead to feelings of bitterness, perfection, addiction, and even anger, which leads to destruction. The fruit of feeding our desires is rotten and can start to destroy us. When we feed our spirit it leads to life, peace, and joy

Culture tells us, there’s time to be serious and settle down. You only live once so live it up. And pursue whatever you want now and don’t worry about the consequences. This is called “present bias.” Present bias favors the rewards today over the rewards of tomorrow.

At the moment, things seem fun and care free. But the longer we do it tho more it encourages us to take risks, doing things we wouldn’t normally do. We can end up unknowingly feeding our flesh that the desires we have leads to potentially destroy us later.

When we only feed our worldly desires it will sooner or later become a problem. They become all we think about.

God wants us to enjoy life, but there has to be a balance of spiritual and worldly.

The Law Of The Harvest

The law of the harvest is you reap what you sow. Whatever you plant will grow. If you feed the flesh, you will reap corruption and destruction.

Galatians 6:7-9 says,

“Do not be deceived. God will not be mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let’s not be weary of doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don’t give up.

The word “mocked” in this verse means to turn your nose up at God. Paul cautioned us to think twice about the laws God created for us to live by, and to apply them personally. We might think we are “getting away” with something now, but the law of the harvest says we will reap what we sow at some point.

That you sow a thought, and you real an action. You sow an act, and you reap a habit. You sow a habit, and you reap a character. You sow a character. And you reap a destiny.

Ralf Waldo Emerson

Feeding the flesh generally doesn’t start as a feast, it begins with a little nibble.

A couple of drinks after work can lead to a 6-pack every night, then a 12-pack. And the snowball gets bigger as it rolls down hill.

Pain from the past that’s never been dealt with leads to bitterness and anger that leads to triggers that can destroy friendships, marriages, and even the children and over time that unforgiveness in the heart and you push everyone away.

Paul gives this warning in Philippians,

“Whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame -who set their mind on earthly things” – Philippians 3:19

One thing we shouldn’t be feeding is sin. Feeding sin allows decay and destruction into our lives. Sin is anything that separates us from God. Sin always leads to death. The Bible says that when we choose to sin, though we might not die right away, we open doors and invite decay into our lives.

Being balanced in our spirit and flesh means carving some time out to get into God’s Word and practicing what it says. Hebrews 12:11 says,

“Righteousness and peace are for those who have been trained.”

The training is practicing. Discipline unleashing the power of God in your life.

When you stop feeding your flesh and decide to feed your spirit God releases His power in your life.

We were not meant to run the race of life alone. The church body is here to encourage us and hold us accountable. When we choose God He says “He will never leave us or forsake us.” (Hebrews 13:5).

Encouragement For The Soul

“Kind words are like honey sweet to the soul and healthy for the body” – Proverbs 16:24

We live in a world with an increasing lack of personal interaction with others. Sure, we may speak to others via text on social media, but we have fewer opportunities to truly be encouraged by the presence and words of another.

Words have more power than we sometimes realize. As children, many of us learned to quote common phrases “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” While this may be a witty defense it isn’t true. Words are powerful. They have the ability to inspire someone into greatness, to spur someone into action, or to completely crush us.

We all need the life-giving power of encouraging words in our lives. They lift us up when we feel discouraged they keep us going when we want to give up, they touch our hearts and renew our spirits.

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs it down, but a kind word makes it glad” -Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety seems to be a daily thing in our normal lives anymore. Most people use social media to take their minds off the anxiety. But it’s just covering up the root cause of the anxiety. We as humans would rather cover it up. Instead of finding a root cause if any issue. Doctors tell us our blood pressure is high and here’s a pill to cover up the problem. They don’t tell you less salt and watching sodium levels on our foods will get to the root cause of your high blood pressure. -too much salt.

If you turn on any news program today, you can become very discouraged. The news commentators spew discouragement because they want you beaten down. It’s important to be connected with people who build us up and keep us encouraged. Who will speak life and truth into our soul, who will remind us of God’s grace and truth when we forget

I have a family member that will only listen to one news station. She is so upset all the time it’s actually very sad. She gets so upset that she makes herself physically sick. I’ve told her instead of watching the news constantly to go take a walk outside or find a hobby,

Encouragement is like oxygen to the soul, and everyone needs it.

We need to try and encourage each other lives. The world is hell bent and bound to discourage us. So, we as human beings need to start encouraging each other rather than discourage them.

It seems social media is good at letting people beat people up they don’t even know because of their political beliefs, or religious preferences etc…. It is appalling to watch.

No matter what we have a ultimate encourages, one who is out greatest fan – The Father God. Through Him we can be remained of His great love and that we His great masterpiece.

“Now our Lord Yeshua the Messiah Himself and our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work and word” -2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

Dunamis Power

We require power to become what God has made us to be, and to live the lives He has called us to live.

Dunamis power is God’s electric power generator. This power is essentially the ability to get things done.

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you you” – Acts 1:8 (NASB)

The Holy Spirit is the power of God that lives in the believer. He is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Dunamis power is “inherent power,” There is divine ability operating within the believer and God wants us to learn to operate in that power.

The power of God within the believer is activated by the Word of God (the Bible). As you meditate and act on the Word in faith, this power is then activated and released.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you come to the realization that the power of God is inside of you.

The Best Compliment

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

What was the best compliment I’ve ever received was when I was helping someone at the swimming pool one day. I grabbed her arm to steady her and said wow, “I can feel an energy of positive light coming from you. You are a very good person.” I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. So I said thank you.

Cross Country Trip: Method of Trip

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

If I were to go on a road trip it would definitely be in a car. When you go in a car. There’s a whole stream of things that happen.

Driving in a car you can create memories, and bond with others in the car. There is always something new to discover that’s unexpected. You have the flexibility to go where you want. The freedom of being able to stop and go on your terms makes it more relaxing. And you can enjoy the music on your own terms.

What Is Supplication?

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let you’d requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” – Philippians 4:5-7

I would love to have the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. That Shalom peace that removes everything that the enemy is trying to do to me.

Supplication is an old-fashioned word for requests that is used in old literature. The word duplicate originates from England in the 14th century. It means to pray humbly. Supplication is a request that is made to God that becomes a prayer.

But, supplications aren’t those quick prayers at dinner time or bedtime. In a supplication, we pray until God gives us an answer. It’s a prayer of desperation and prayer of humility.

Humility is crucial to getting our prayers answered. Every time Jesus encountered humble desperate people, He immediately met their needs. In Mark 5 Jesus heals the demoniac. raises Jarius’s daughter from the dead, and eradicates the woman’s bleeding that lasted 12 years. None of these requests were too hard or demanding for Jesus, Ge willingly met them with compassion and power.

When we are humble before God, we acknowledge our sinful condition as well as God’s holiness. Humble people pray with the right motives. (James 4:1-3). We will pray on the behalf of others intercede for other p. We believe in God’s wisdom and timing because we won’t presume to understand God’s overarching plan.

Supplication arms us with the strength and courage to suffer and wait while we ask for relief. If we are truly humble, we ask in faith and continue to believe even when life doesn’t turn out like we’ve hoped. (James 1:5-8).

In Jeremiah 33:3 Jesus says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

And Matthew 7:7-11 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Here are a few examples of Supplication in the Bible,

  • Exodus 33:18. – Moses asked to see God’s glory.
  • 1 Samuel 1:11. – Hannah asked for a son.
  • 2 Kings 20:1-3 – Hazekiah asked for God to prolong his life.
  • Esther 4:15-16 – Esther asked for deliverance of the Jews.
  • John 17 – Jesus asked for strength on the cross and power for believers.

We must not silently accept our lack of fruitfulness and somehow justify it as God’s will for us. Imagine if Hannah had said, “Well, I guess I’m not supposed to have a baby.”

As hard as it was Hannah honestly faced her circumstances and then desperately prayer for God to change them. She made a desperate plea that was coupled with her faith in God. Hannah had no place to turn, in her great anguish and grief she cried, “Make me fruitful, or I don’t want to go on. She was at the end. “Give me a child or I will die.

Hannah’s prayer became the pathway to divine intervention. When God is sought I. Desperation, He responds.

We all have areas in our lives where we desperately need to experience a breakthrough.

The Most Confident Person I Know

Who is the most confident person you know?

As I thought about who was the most confident person I know. I can think of a few but only one stands out. That one would be my Pastor,

Many pastors feel confident in their ministry but struggle with their interaction with others. My pastor doesn’t struggle with interacting with anyone. He is self-assured and knows his strengths and weaknesses. is gentle and humble.

Everyone doubts and has insecurities and pastors are no different. And no one is perfect. I’ve seen some pretty self-centered pastors. My pastor is not, he is confident and helps people everywhere. He brings a smile to people’s faces everywhere he goes. He would give you the shirt off his back to help anyone.

I might be a bit biased because I consider my pastor a close friend as well.

Faith Is A Gift

We can increase our knowledge of the truth apart from God’s help, but only God can increase our faith.

Faith is a heart belief that we believe to be true with absolute certainty. It is only established with God.

We will “see” whatever we believe. When we know the truth in our hearts, we can “walk by faith and not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

When we know the truth in our hearts, our emotions will match the truth we believe, and we will live out this truth spontaneously.

It will require no more effort to live out the truth than it did to live out any lie we may have believed.

God gives faith to each believer. Paul alluded to this faith when he admonished the church saying,

“For I say through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; as God has apportioned to each person z measure of faith” -Romans 12:3

Unless God illuminated our understanding of the truth we can never know it by faith. Paul prayed May” “the God of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” (Ephesians 1:17-18).

Unless God does what these scriptures declare, we will never know the truth with out hearts. This is the essence of pure faith.

I always pray Ephesians 1:17-18 before opening the Bible. Without the spirit of wisdom and revelation, we will not hear God speak to us through His Word.

We all have faith, but not all of our faith is pure. God is in the process of purifying

Once our heart belief becomes established, it becomes the source of our emotional state, but it also becomes the lens through which we interpret life. We will begin to see the way God views things from a heavenly perspective.

The same holds true when we believe a lie in our hearts. We will walk by this lie even if we are provided with a logical and rational explanation as to why it is a lie. This is because heart belief will always overcome intellectual belief no matter how compelling or convincing the latter may be.

Some people react negatively to the notion that not all faith is based on the truth. If this were not the case, there would be no need for our faith to be refined. 1 Peter 1:7 says,

“That the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Yeshua the Messiah.”

When we believe something with our hearts, it becomes our faith.

For example, when I was a child, I had faith in my heart that my abuse was my fault and everything she said to me was true. I didn’t cause the abuse to happen, I knew the truth, but my heart believed the contrary.

It depends on what we believe in our hearts. God designed it to be this way. He created us to feel whatever we believe in our hearts. When we know the truth on our hearts, our emotions will match the truth we believe, and we will live out this truth spontaneously. It will require no more effort to live out the truth than it did to lie out the lie we may have believed.

Only With God’s Help

Doing a reset in our lives is not something we can do with human energy. Only God can produce that kind of transformation.

Someone could make a law that says, “No more hate.” But no law is ever going to turn a bigot into a lover. Only God has the power to do that because it requires an internal change, and only God can change a heart.

We can tell ourselves that we really need to change, but nothing will happen. Nothing will ever happen that will last and has eternal significance with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Zechariah 4:6 says “You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

Just like you can’t turn yourself into a tiger, you can’t transform yourself to be like Jesus. You can’t change your life on our own power. Willpower is it enough.

You didn’t collect your hurts, habits, and hang-ups overnight, and you’re not going to be able to eliminate them overnight either. It takes time. It’s a slow process and on your own you never patience or endurance to finish strong.

Making changes involves a lifelong process that requires the power of the Holy Spirit. As he works within you. God transforms you into who you were created to be.

When God wants to make a mushroom it takes 6 hours, but when He wants to make a mighty oak tree He takes 60 years.

Do you want to be a mushroom or a mighty oak tree? God wants you to grow into an emotionally mature, spiritually strong, happy healthy person.

God is willing to accomplish a radical transformation in our lives, but many people won’t let Him. We need to be willing to let Him change our hearts and minds so that He can heal the broken places, clean out the emotional baggage we tend to drag around with us, and set us free and transform us into a new person by changing the way we think or look at things.

Proverbs 21:1 says, “Only God has the power to change the heart of men.”

God uses the Holy Spirit to change us. The Holy Spirit provides the power, the conviction, and the direction for life change,

Coping With Negative feelings

What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?

I like what Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events. And the smallest of minds of all criticize people.

I was a horrible negative person for nearly 37 years. One day I decided I wanted to change. I was tired of the dark cloud always following me everywhere I went. So, I decided it wasn’t worth it anymore. I began to respond to negative feelings and situations instead of reacting.

What is true with nature is true of human nature? 95% of the seed you plant is good and 5% is bad. You can trust 95% of the people and the other 5% of the people are crooks, cranks, cheaters, and crackpots. Do you live your life ruled by the 95% or the 5%?

My coping mechanism is quite simple, I tune them out. And if I can’t I ask God to help manage them. While it is impossible to avoid negative feelings or situations completely. It will happen and we will have to deal with it. Offense and discouragement fall into the trap in which we must not fall. The best way is to practice selective hearing.

“Take no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest you hear someone curse you.

We cannot control what people say to upset us, but we can control if we accept or reject it. I did not give people a chance to say something that would give me a negative feeling. I just smile at them and walk away.

Activities I lose myself in

What activities do you lose yourself in?

In modern society, it’s easy to get burned out. The busy lifestyle we live is bound to stress us out. The cycle of responsibility and distracts isn’t is exhausting, it can be detrimental to our mental health,

Mental health breaks provide a sanctuary from the stimuli that exhaust us.

The activities that I lose myself in are reading, writing and music. Along with some meditation practices I’ve found that relaxes my soul when I get too overwhelmed.

Characteristics Of The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit gets a bad rap. He is often referred to as it. He is mistaken for the force from Star Wars. He is confused with a ghost in paranormal activity.

Often times He just ignored or forgotten about. Since he is an invisible spirit, it can be hard to relate to him and his work on our lives.

We know him by name and know that he’s mentioned during a baptism but many have no idea who he is, or how he is at work in our lives, or whether we should even care.

This isn’t a good thing.

It’s important to be clear about who the Holy Spirit is and how he works in your life.

While there is a degree of mystery surrounding who the Holy Spirit is and that he’s not impersonal or strange. You just have to get to know him.

There are 13 characteristics of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.

  • Father
  • Son
  • Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us after we are baptized (born again).

This means the Holy Spirit is God, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son.

In John 16:7 Jesus says, “It is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t. The advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you.” (NIV)

God as revealed in the Bible is one and eternally exists in 3 distinct persons. This means each person within the Trinity shares the same divine attributes.

The Holy Spirit is more than a force -He’s a person. As the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit is referred to as “he,”” and throughout the New Testament, he’s referred to as a person, we see this in John 6:33, 14:26; Romans 8:11, 16, 26; 1John 5:6. In these scriptures we can see that the Holy Spirit can be grieved, resisted, and even insulted. An impersonal force cannot do these things. Only a person can.

In John 14:26, before ascending to heaven, Jesus said He was going to send the Holy Spirit to be a counselor like Him. The Holy Spirit is also capable of teaching we see this in Luke 12:12. “For the Holy Spirit will teach you on the same hour what you must say.” Unlike gravity -an impersonal force can neither counsel or teach people the Holy Spirit can do both.

But what in the world does the Holy Spirit do today

There are 9 ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives today. He isnr an idle spectator.

1. He makes known the presence of Jesus

His primary work in our lives and the works today is to mediate the presence of Jesus. All of his works are rooted in his aim to bring glory to Jesus not to himself or us. He leads us away from loving ourselves to loving God and others. He gives us a new purpose to love God and enjoy Him forever.

2. He makes us more like Jesus

There is one important point to make about the Holy Spirit. He is Holy.

In a general essence, the Holy Spirit produces holiness within us.

He convicts us of sin and leads us to be more like Jesus (John 15:8-11),

As with walk with the Spirit and stay in step with Him, he will strip away our love for sin and make us more like Jesus. (Galatians 5:16; 5:25; 5:18).

3. He helps us understand the Bible

A relationship with the Holy Spirit along with the Bible is twofold.

He inspired the writing of the Bible (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) and helps us to understand the Bible (John 16:13; 1 Corinthians 2:9-11; Hebrews 3:7; 10:15).

When it comes to understanding the Bible the Holy Spirit will help us understand what it means and how it changes our lives.

The Holy Spirit will work through our personal reading of the Bible, family, and friends, and especially through the proclamation of the gospel and the Bible (Romans 1:16; 10:14-16).

So ask for the Holy Spirit to help you understand the Bible as you read and study it’s message,

It’s also a good idea if you’re teaching the Bible to family or friends, small groups, or church to ask the Holy Spirit to help your listeners understand the scriptures you are sharing.

4. He calls you to work

The Holy Spirit not only calls people to faith in Jesus, but he calls us to a specific job or task.

This means that the God of the universe will guide us in the vocational decisions we make. Sometimes our life will appear to be a random hodgepodge of loosely connected events tied together, but this is not the case at all. God is directing our steps and guiding our lives – even when it comes to work.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit will supernaturally guide us in the decisions we make. But normally, the Holy Spirit guides us through the ordinary ebbs and flows of life. As you trust God (Proverbs 3:5-6), read the Bible (Romans 12:2-2) and seek godly counsel (Proverbs 11:14) the Holy Spirit will guide you into the work he has called you to.

5. He empowers you for service

This means he enables us to do what we’ve been called to do.

In the pages of the Old Testament, we can see the Holy Spirit’s empowering presence in the lives of Joshua (Numbers 27:8, 1 Samuel 11:6, David (1 Samuel 16:13: and many others, to accomplish what they were called to do.

In the New Testament, we can see he empowered Jesus’s earthly ministry (Like 4:14), the early disciples (Acts 1:8), and the preaching of the gospels (Acts 4:8, 31;6:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:5).

The Holy Spirit is capable of empowering our natural abilities and improving upon them for a special task or purpose. This explains how God is able to accomplish His work through our average ordinary and even rejected members of society. Peter and John were considered unschooled, ordinary men, yet God powerfully worked through their lives (Acts 4:13).

Paul in the Bible as Saul persecuted Christians, yet God used him to teach the gentiles Acts 13:13).

God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak, in the world to shame the strong” – 1 Corinthians 1:27).

6. He helps you pray

The Holy Spirit is active in aiding us in our prayer life (Romans 8:26-27).

There will be times in your life As a believer that you may feel inadequate in your prayer life or have no idea what to pray for. In these moments the Holy Spirit will help you when you do not know how to pray for God’s will in a particular situation.

During these times remember to ask for the Holy Spirit to help you in your weakness.

7. He guides us

The Holy Spirit guides us ( Galatians 5:16,25; Acts 8:28; 13:2; 15:7-9, 16:6; Romans 8:14).

He led Jesus into the wilderness, provided direct guidance to Philip, and even later physically transported him (see, Matthew 4:1; Acts 8:29; Acts 8:39-40).

The HolySpirit is at work guiding us on a deep personal level, the scriptures do suggest that we are responsible to cooperate in his guidance by “walking according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:4; Galatians 5:16).

Don’t just pray and wait for a particular feeling- pray and prepare for action.

8. He empowers you for building the church

Jesus is alive and He is building His church

His church isn’t built through political engagement or military might. His church is built through the proclamation of the gospel. Thankfully God hasn’t left us alone in His work. He sent the Holy Spirit to empower our efforts.

The Holy Spirit empowers us to be a witness, and directs our efforts. The Holy Spirit aim is glorifying Jesus abs is fulfilled by Him enabling, guiding, and empowering our proclamation of the gospel.

9. He gives you spiritual gifts

The Holy Spirit works through us by giving us spiritual gifts 1 Corinthians 12:11).

He does not give us these gifts for our personal benefit, either. He gives us gifts for the common good of the church (1 Corinthians 12:7). This means that we receive spiritual gifts for building up the body of the church. He gives us gifts so we may serve others (1 Peter 4:10),

God gives some spiritual gifts, such as tongues and prophecy tongues is a gift is widely confused today because it is so powerful and Satan tried to give misinformation about it. These are given as a sign for unbelievers (1 Corinthians 14:22). At times God will reveal His glory to unbelievers through a supernatural display of spiritual gifts.

The Holy Spirit is not as mysterious as people make it out to be, and is very helpful .

He actively works in our lives by making known the presence of Jesus, helping us to understand the Bible, and calling us to work, while helping us to pray, guiding us and giving us spiritual gifts.

There are 10 keys Bible verses on Spiritual Gifts, they are:

  • 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
  • 1 Corinthians 12:7-11
  • Romans 12:4-8
  • 1 Corinthians 12: 26-31
  • Ephesians 4:11-16
  • 1 Peter 4:10-11
  • 2:Timothy 1:6-7
  • 1 Corinthians 14:1-5
  • 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Instead of overlooking the Holy Spirit, we should embrace the attributes of the Holy Spirit and who he is as part of the Trinity and learn to better walk with him.