The Secret Of Victory Over Worry

Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.

Jesus said. “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today“ (Matthew 6:34).

Interestingly, the word worry comes from a term that means “strangle” or “choke.” And that’s exactly what worry does. It creates mental and emotional strangulation in your life. Worrying does make things better, it actually makes things worse

When you worry your future, you cripple yourself in the present, it’s simply not a productive thing to do.

The Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice!… Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be known to God; and the peace of God, with surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4;4-5, 7).

Paul wrote these words to the believers in Philippi while he was living u def house arrest. He’d been arrested for preaching the gospel. But as a Roman citizen, he had the right to appeal to Caesar, and he did. Paul was waiting for an appearance before the leader of Roman, and his future was very uncertain.

He didn’t know whether he woebegone acquitted or beheaded. In addition, some of the believers were for him, and some were against him. Paul easily could have been stressed out, but instead he was rejoicing and living in great peace,

Now, this doesn’t mean that God expects us to rejoice in whatever happens. For instance, we don’t have to be thankful that we just wrecked our car. But here’s what we can say: “I’m thankful that despite the fact that I wrecked my car, God is still on the throne, and he still loves me,” That’s what it means to rejoice in the Lord, not merely in our circumstances.

In fact, the Bible says that when we have a relationship with God, we”lol experience “fullness of joy” and pleasure forevermore “ (Psalm 16:11).

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote, “For the happy heart, life is a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:15).

When we worry, it’s actually a failure on our part to trust God. Paul was saying, “loosely paraphrased, “Look Y”all, if anyone should be depressed, it’s me. If anyone can be down, it’s me, if anyone is facing an uncertain future, it’s me. But here’s what I’m telling you, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say rejoice.”

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk said this about facing adversity: “Even though the fir trees

have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; and through the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

No matter what’s going on, we can rejoice in the Lord. God’s plans for us are still good, and He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Paul and Silas were imprisoned for preaching the gospel, yet at midnight they sang praises to God. They literally were in a Roman dungeon with their back torn open by Roman whips.

The midnight hour isn’t the easiest time to sing God praises when you’re in the doctor’s office waiting for test results, when you’re in the waiting room while your loved one is in surgery, or when you’re experiencing any of the multiple scenarios that can induce worry or panic.

We need to get into the habit of turning to God when we feel worry approaching. We need to develop what we might call a conditioned reflex, which is something we’ve learned to do. For example, remember what it was like when you first learned to drive a car? There were so many things to remember.

When you were coming up on a turn, you had to turn your signal light on. Then when you made the turn, you had to turn it off. But after you had been driving a while, you didn’t even think about those things anymore they just can naturally.

We can take the same approach to worry. When trouble comes our way, when something scary happens, our first inclination is to worry are maybe even panic. But we need to teach ourselves to pray instead.

The moment you start to panic, turn it into a prayer. Turn your worry into worship. Turn to God immediately. That’s what Paul was saying we should do. Develop this conditioned reflex and put the matter completely into God’s hands.

It’s the secret of victory over worry.

Reawaken Your Spirit

Your spirit is what remains in you when everything else is stripped away..

It is the very core of your being; The seed from which you grow; The spring from which you drink.

Yet, sometimes this seed lies dormant and this spring runs dry. You lose touch with the part of you that is the most real and authentic.

Every single second of modern life is packed full of distractions that leave you stressed, anxious, and disconnected from your sense of purpose and meaning.

Beneath it all, your spirit sleeps deeply, too deeply.

You feel it. I know you do. I feel it too. The nagging itch that can’t be scratched; The thirst that can’t be quenched; The yearning that you can’t quite put your finger on.

These are the messages sent to you while your sleeping spirit. It compare you to reach within and awaken it from its slumber.

It wants to show you a different way to live, a more peaceful way that travels with the flow of existence, rather than swimming against it but you do now.

It sounds great, doesn’t it? But how do you wake something that has been sleeping for so long? Well, you do it gradually. Near-death experiences and other extreme events aside, the spirit is most effectively woken by peeling back the many layers that cover it.

These layers are the mental constructions that consume our every waking second. They are the thoughts, the fears, and the endless noise – both internal and external that fill our minds.

It may sound counterintuitive, but one means of ridding yourself of these mental layers is to ask questions.

Such questions that will get you thinking, these questions can also help you to identify things that are preventing you from connecting with your spirit.

The following question should be asked often, multiple times a day if needed.

It This Really Me?

When things aren’t going how you’d like them to go or even when they are you can ask this question.

The aim is to help you surrender the misconceptions surrounding who you are. These include the idea that you are your thoughts, your emotions, you circumstances, or your body.

We get so distracted these days, and sometimes even try to be someone we are not.

When we really sit and contemplate those things, we begin to realize that we the real us, ask that has existed since birth and will exist up until death (and possibly beyond). Are more than what we think we are.

Conversely, we are less than what we think we are.

Right now you equate you with all the things we have mentioned: thoughts, emotions, circumstances, and body.

Yeah none of these things are fixed, none of these things are permanent. So ask yourself this: if these things are ever changing can they really be me?

And a few things are not me, who am I? What am I?

Those layers we spoke of earlier, the ones that suppress your spirit and keep it asleep, they are the things you wrongly believe you are.

The question, “Is this really me?” Becomes a tool that you can use to loosen and eventually remove them one by one.

The less you identify with these layers, the more you begin to identify with the real you that has lumber for years, decades even.

What Can I Let Go?

This follows logically from the previous question. If there are things that block my spirit, can I let him go?

Sometimes this is something you can do directly with experiencing an emotion or thinking a thought. You can identify it as a temporary creation that is not who you are, accept that it happened, and then say goodbye to it.

It sounds so simple. It is… and it isn’t.

Thoughts and feelings feed off each other, and they can be difficult to release during the event.

For example; I was taught for many years that I was worthless, so I have an adult I thought I was worthless, my emotions therefore we’re being depressed and sad all the time. My thoughts led to my emotions. It was not who I was- I really was a happy optimistic person.

Don’t beat yourself up if you get caught in the moment. It happens, show yourself some compassion and understand that you can still let go of something after it happened.

Let go of the regret, let go of the guilt, let go of the need to be perfect. Life is messy – Thoughts and emotions especially so.

On a larger scale, asked what aspects of your life might be preventing your spirit from waking up.

Are you unhappy at your job? Are the relationships that lead you unfulfilled? Are there responsibilities but why are you down?

Maybe you can forward your plan to change your life in ways that will see these things disappear. Or if they have to remain, perhaps you can find ways to live in harmony with them.

Whatever it is you resent, know that the very feeling of resentment is not a part of you. It is just another thought-emotion storm that consumes your energy, which in turn, prevents your spirit from waking up.

Your expectations – let them go too. If you have dreams, work towards them, but don’t let yourself be defined by the outcomes. Somethings work out, but most things don’t. You either accept it or you punish yourself for it.

Let go of your material desires. Look around you – what possessions do you have that do nothing but burden you? Are you drowning in clothes? Are you dependent on electronics? Your attic and garage packed full of “things” that never see the light of day?

Get rid of them. Give them to a worthy cause. Relinquish your grip on them and their grip on you.

Whenever you buy something new, get rid of something old. Keep your life and your mind open and uncrowded.

Your spirit needs space in which to move and thrive. To create space, let go of anything that currently fills it.

I feel like I’m writing this for me instead of you. I have to admit my weakness is clothing. I’ll bet I have three totes hanging around that I haven’t looked in for months they are full of clothing.

Am I Viewing This With An Open Mind?

So much of our lives are seen through the lens of our views, beliefs, expectations, and desires. None of us ever experience a true, unpainted version of reality.

We can however, move in the right direction by regularly asking whether we are keeping an open mind toward things.

Our spirit does not judge, it has no preconceptions about what should be, it simply embraces it is what it is.

By being open minded, we can grow in tune with our spirit and encourage it to come out of hibernation once more.

So, whatever circumstances you find yourself in, and whatever beliefs or ideas you are being exposed to, don’t let your past taint your response.

In other words, don’t let the things you’ve been told, or the experiences you had, prevent you from living in new ideas and new ways of doing things.

This doesn’t mean you have to give up your critical thinking skills, but it does mean you have to be willing to accept that there are other ways to act, live, and think.

Stubbornness, inflexibility, intolerance – these will only serve to suppress your spirit, for they are its antitheses.

Openness, willingness, and enthusiasm are the mental characteristics that fall from the spirit, and they can fall to the spirit if you adopt him.

What Would A 4- Year Old Me Do?

When we were young, We were almost entirely driven by spirit. We have a pure, unadulterated view of the world and are completely open minded to experiences and possibilities.

Then, as we get older and our minds fill with fears, worries, prejudices, misunderstandings, and all those thoughts that we take together real, when they are, in fact, constructions of our own minds and what people tell us, along with our egos.

So, to reawakened your spirit, you can ask what your younger self would you and your situation, and what they think regarding a particular topic.

What would they say and how would they act when they encounter others? Were they embrace them as fellow human beings, are we use them with distrust?

Would they be like in the simplest pleasures and squeeze out every last ounce of goodness from their day, or complain and ruminate over a lack of everything.

The innocence of our youth can be kenneled when we see the world through our childhood eyes.

The sense of awe, the curiosity, the willingness to connect with other creatures and the wider world; these all act as alarm clocks for the spirit, stirring it from its sleep.

Who Do I Serve?

Your spirit your connection to a greater whole.

Whatever you believe the link is a physical, energetic one, or a more conceptual, ideological one, your spirit is at the heart of it.

With this in mind, the question of who we serve is perhaps not as odd as it sounds. after all, the connection is two-way, and to receive from without, you must first give from within.

When you act, you should do so with a consideration of who is affected by your actions, and whether the effect is positive or negative.

You should and to be a source of a positive influence by serving others, helping them, showing them love, compassion, and kindness.

You needn’t consider your personal boundaries either. No one is going to appreciate a kind act or word occurs from some misguided compulsion of self sacrifice.

But when your spiritual vessel is replenished, you should be willing to pour from it to help fill someone else’s,

Just remember your spirit is an outward facing conduit between you and the rest of the world. Serve others and you will be served.

That indefinable presence in our lives, our spirit, is something that needs caring for, something that needs prompting, something that requires our awareness.

Right now, we live in a time where our individual and collective spirits are put into a form of induced coma. We have to turn our backs on them in favor of more ego driven impulses.

It doesn’t have to be this way. All over the world, spirits are waking up and they are ready to rouse others.

Are you prepared to open your curtains and let the morning light shining?

The Meaning Of Success In The Bible

Two great lies have been promoted in our culture during the past 20 years:

1. If you work hard enough, you can be anything you want to be.

2. You can be the best in the world

These lies have be accepted and promoted by many believers as well as no -believers. Success, defined as being the master of one’s own destiny, has become an idol.

Tim Keller in his book “Counterfeit Gods describes an idol in these words:

“More than other personal success and achievement lead to sense that we ourselves are God… To be the very best at what you do, to be at the top of the heap, means no one is like you. You are supreme.”

There’s nothing wrong with being the best that we can be, but some let it go to their head, that’s when people start thinking their gods.

Scripture gives us a strong antidote to misguided ideas of success. Through Jesus’s parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), we learn that the kingdom of heaven is like a man going on a long journey. Before he leaves, he gives his three servants different amounts of money, denominated by talents. To the first servant, the man gives 5 talents; to the second, he gives 2 talents; and to the last, 1 talent – each according to his ability.

Upon his return, the master asks what the did with the money. The first and the second have doubled their investments and receive their master’s praise. The third servant, however, has safeguarded the money but done nothing to increase it. As a result, he is condemned by the master for his inactivity.

The parable of the Talents teaches us five important things about the biblical meaning of success.

First, this parable teaches us that success is a product of our work.

In the opening chapter of Genesis, we find the cultural mandate in which God commands Adam to work by stewarding and growing the resources he has been given. This mandate was meant not only for Adam and Eve, but also for us.

As believers we have a mission that the Lord expects us to accomplish right now. We are called to steward all we have been given while we wait for our Savior’s return.

Think of Talents (or money) as gifts from God in the form of a person’s calling and natural ability. The idea of a calling or vocation s first and foremost about being called by God, to serve Him within His world. Work was seen asan activity by which believers could deepen their faith… to so anything for God, and to do it well, was a fundamental hallmark of the authentic Christian faith.

The parable of the Talents teaches that biblical success is working diligently here and now. The servant with five talents was industrious, for he “went at once and traded with them and made five talents more” (Matthew 25:16). He used all the talents that his master gave him – without hesitation- to produce the expected return.

Second, the parable of Talents teaches us that God gives us Eve we need to do what He has called us to do.

The New Testament talent is likely a large sum of money, maybe even as much as a million dollars in today’s currency. We are tempted to feel sorry for the servant who received as much as a million dollars from the master and buried it in his backyard. Is it any wonder the master was so upset?

The master in the parable of the Talents expected his servants to do more than passively preserve what had been entrusted to them, for He to,d the lazy servant, “You ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest “ (Matthew 25:27). Similarly, God expects us to generate a return by using our talents toward productive ends. Like the servants in the parable, God has given us more than enough to accomplish this charge. It’s up to us to use the talents wisely,

Third, the parable of the Talents teaches that we are not all created equal.

The most overlooked part of the story is the second half of verse 15: “each according to his ability.” The master understood that the one-talent servant was not capable of producing as much as the five-talent servant. We want to protest the unfairness. Yet we know this differing ability is true from experience. Diversity is woven into the fabric of creation.

But even though we were not created equal in regard to talents, we still see equality in the parable of the Talents and in God’s economy. It takes just as much work for the five-talent servant to produce two more talents. This is why the reward given to each by the master is the same. He tells each of his faithful servants the same thing: “If you have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” (Matthew 25:23). The master measures success by degree of effort, as should we.

Fourth, the parable of the Talents teaches that we work for the master, not our own selfish purposes.

The money given to the servants does not belong to them. They do not get to keep the money they earn with the master’s capital. The servants only steward the master’s investment, and the master measures the quality of their steward.

We should maximize the use of our talents not for our own selfish purposes, but to honor God. He cares about out attitude, and the motivation in our hearts.

Fifth, the parable of the Talents shows that we will be held accountable.

The parable of the Talents is not about salvation or works- righteousness, but about how we use our work to fulfill our earthly calling.

The unfaithful steward in this parable didn’t so much waste the master’s money; he wasted an opportunity. As a result, he was judged wicked and lazy. One day we will be help responsible for what we do for God with what he has given us.

So how should we define the biblical meaning of success?

The answer is almost counterintuitive; when we work for God in everything we do, including our vocational callings, we truly find the purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction that we all desperately seek.

We work at the pleasure of the Lord, driven by our love of God. Our only desire should be to hear Him say, “Well done my goodness and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord.”(Our Master).

Four Powerful Kings

Bible prophecy clearly reveals that in the last days prior to the rapture of the church, four powerful kings will race onto the world stage with two objectives. They will try:

1. To conquer the world, and to reign as global dictators. These dictators will strip you of your freedoms. They will take your civil liberties, and you will become property and slaves of the state.

2. To conquer Israel and destroy the Jewish people. Their desire is to control the city of Jerusalem and prepare for the anointing of the false Messiah.

Israel is currently surrounded by nations that are screaming for their blood. Anti-Semitism is raging through Europe and the United States, often celebrated in liberal universities among young people. Jews are being targeted around the world for assassination, and other synagogues are being vandalized as worshippers are being killed.

The massive prophetic, geopolitical drama is unraveling across the front pages of the news feed each day. The Gog/Magog War Mentioned in Ezekiel 38:39 has begun!

This way is the beginning of a series of wars that will engulf the world in what many will call World War III. The Bible calls it Armageddon. You don’t need to be a geopolitical expert to know that our world is coming apart at the seams. We are racing toward the end of the world as we know it,

Revelation 13 describes the beast rising out of the sea.

In prophetic terms, “the sea” means the nations of the world. John is telling us that he is looking at the nations of the world. John is pulling back the curtain of time to reveal the pending apocalypse. This is something that was foretold over 2,000 years ago and is now coming true in our lifetime.

If you ever thought you would like to have lived in biblical times. Congratulations. We are living in biblical times.

The four kings mentioned in Revelation are, right now, taking center stage for the first time in world history.

The King of the North is Russia. Although the name Russia doesn’t appear in Scripture, the geographic location is given in the Bible to pinpoint accuracy.

Vladimir Putin is currently trying to rebuild the Russian Empire. With it, he thinks he can conquer the world. They have certainly started working on this with their far-reaching military encampments

The King of the South is Egypt and the Arab Islamic forces. Keep in mind that all directions given in the Bible are with regard to the city of Jerusalem. In God’s mind, Jerusalem is the epicenter of the universe. When Ezekiel speaks of Paris, Ethiopia, and Libya, he’s speaking of the Arab Islamic nations.

The King of the East is China. A military superpower that neither fears or respects the U.S. The Bible’s word for “East” simply means “sun rising.” This lets us know that it is describing China. The King as described in Revelation, will lead a massive march of an army numbering over 200 million soldiers.

The King of the East is distinguished by his number, color, and flag. The three frogs or three demonic spirits that seduce him will get them to come to the Battle of Armageddon. Armageddon is the mother of all wars.

It will be fought on the sacred soil of Israel for global supremacy between the King of the West and the King of the East. The pending prize is the throne of the earth, to rule and reign.

The King of the West is America and the United Kingdom. This king will be led by the Antichrist, who will force every person to receive his mark on their right hand or forehead. Those who do not comply will be killed.

The target of the king of the West is Israel. He will set up his image and proclaim he is god in the city of Jerusalem. The Antichrist will demand that the world worship him. His false prophet will reign fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice laid upon the alter, emulating the Prophet Elijah on Mt. Carmel.

These kings who are currently jockeying for position throughout the globe will come face to face with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in all of His glory. Our God is the Creator of the Universe and promised to rule and reign for all eternity! He has all power in heaven and on earth. He holds the seven seas in the palm of His hand and He called the stars by name. Who is greater than Our God? Absolutely no one!

As a believer in Jesus, all you need to know is Our Savior will not be defeated by any Army or any King.

While this is a very real picture of the future of the world, as described in the Bible throughout Scripture, those of us who have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior are going to be saved. We live with the confidence that God’s Kingdom will have no end.

For those who do not believe, watch and see what is going to be the end of the world as you know it.

We Are Living In Biblical Times

Generational Curses

What Is A Generational Curse?

A generational curse is believed to be passed down from one generation to another due to rebellion against God. If your family line is marked by divorce, incest, poverty, anger or other ungodly patterns, you’re likely under a generational curse. But the Bible says that these curses are tied to choices. Deuteronomy 30:29 says we can either choose life and blessing or death and cursing.

Our families have the greatest influence on our development, including the development of our pattern of sin. Some people even assert that generational curses are passed down alone generational lines. This belief comes from Old Testament passages which say that God “punishes the children and their children for the sins of the fathers to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 34:7).

Whether or not families inherit spiritual curses, it is obvious that patterns of sin are passed down through families. Everyone sins; but just as culture, ethnicity, and gender steer our patterns of sin in particular directions,

We inherit many traits and preferred from our parents that aren’t always a positive influence on ourselves or others. When we acquire a sinful habit or belief that negatively effects our lives or those around us, this is known as a generational curse. It is the shadow side of behavior passed down through the generations but is it possible to break this cycle of suffering?

Generational Curses In The Bible

Based on texts taken out of context and used as pretexts, it has been increasingly common for believers to suppose that they are victims of generational curses. As such, they suppose they have inherited demons ranging from anger to alcoholism, from laziness to lust. Closer examination, however, demonstrates this notion to be seriously flawed.

Scripture clearly communicates that consequences- not curses are passed on through the generations.

In a sense, the Bible says that children are punished for the sins of their fathers “to the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 20:5). The children of alcoholic fathers frequently suffer neglect and abuse as a direct consequence of their father’s sinful behavior. Moreover, the descendants of those who hate God are likely to follow in the footsteps of their forefathers.

Scripture explicitly tells us that “the son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share guilt of the son. (Ezekiel 18:29). It would be the same for daughters and mothers.

When ancient Israel quoted the proverb, “The fathers eat sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” (Ezekiel 18:2), God responded in no uncertain terms: “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel… The soul who sins is the one who will die” (Ezekiel 18:3-4).

While the notion of generational curses is foreign to Scripture, there is a sense in which the curse of sin has been passed on from generation to generation. Through the first Adan, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Through the second Adam – Jesus Christ – atonement is offered to all. Says Paul, “Just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men” (Romans 5:18). Through no act of our own we are condemned; likewise, through no act of our own, we are saved ( Romans 5:12-21).

Breaking The Generational Curse

Maybe you’ve inherited a family curse, or maybe the curse has begun with you. Either way, God has a plan for freedom that will shatter the chains of the cycle forever! It will stop it in your life and stop it from passing on to your children.

For example: I chose to break the cycle of abuse that was done to me by my mother. I decided I would never do the things my mother did to me, to my children. I struggle everyday of my life because of what my mother did to me, but I chose to not abuse my children, I chose a different method of what my mother called discipline. And in turn my children are whole, healthy adults mentally and physically. I chose to break the cycle of abuse with me.

The word of the Lord saying, “the fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are get on edge.” “As I live, says the Lord God, you shall no longer use this proverb. Behold, all souls are mine, the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine (Ezekiel 18:1-4).

We can be free John 8:31-36 reminds us that as we abide in Jesus Christ, we receive His freedom. Not on,y has Jesus set us free from our sins, He has set us free from the penalty, the moral liability, and the ongoing curse of that sin. Jesus Christ is the Anointed One. That means He is the burden-removing, yoke-destroying power of God in our lives.

There’s going to come a time when the fathers may eat sour grapes, but the children’s teeth will not be set on edge when the curse will not be passed down from generation to generation. It doesn’t have to be like “father like son or like mother like daughter.” Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, we have a new and better covenant with God the Father. Through Jesus’s blood, He forgives us our sin and deliver ps us from iniquity.

God has redeemed us from the curses being passed on from one generation to the next. This redemption comes as we understand that the root of our problems is in the spiritual realm. As we apply God’s Word and power to our lives, and we choose to walk in righteousness and obedience to God, the chains of bondage will be broken. The freedom we have longed for can become reality.

You Are Not Your Parents Sin