Breaking Strongholds

Helper Utah Railroad

We can go anywhere in the Bible and learn how to live a blessed life. We sometimes have strongholds that hold us back, that we can’t even see. They are ingrained in us. There is tremendous power in the way we perceive things and the way we think.

A stronghold is basically a pattern that has been burned into our minds that causes us to think or perceive things in a certain way. It was explained to me this way: Satan and strongholds are quite good friends and allies with each other. One of Satan’s tactics is to use our own minds (thoughts) to promote us to build strongholds in our minds, he can use strongholds to torment us and hold us in bondage.

Examples of this are giving us the incorrect perception of who God is, or who we are.

2 corinthians 10:4-5 states that, “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah.”

Ephesians 6:13 describes the spiritual forces of wickedness we face and Isaiah 61:1 speaks of God’s power to bring liberty and healing.

We have divine power to tear down strongholds by taking our thoughts captive and obeying Jesus, rather that’s relying on worldly methods.

As followers of Jesus we are equipped with weapons that are not physical but have divine power to demolish strongholds. And strongholds begin in our thoughts.

Demolishing arguments involves tearing down false ideas and arguments that oppose God’s knowledge.

The power of changing my thoughts and how I perceive things is what healed me from my childhood. Every thought can be brought under control if we make them obedient to Jesus.

That being said, there are symptoms of strongholds in our life. This includes lacking the desire for a close relationship with God, and feeling that God is distant and cold, rather than an intimate, loving and personal. Irrational fears of God will hinder us from drawing near to Him.

Another symptom is a lack of love in our hearts for God, the reason the world doesn’t care about God, is because they really don’t perceive Him correctly. If you find it hard or boring to spend time with God and would rather do other things, then you may have an incorrect perception of Him.

We may Feel unwanted, and unloved by God. For many years, I felt that God was mad at me. I didn’t understand why He let things happen in my life, when I was praying for help. And the truth is, I didn’t want to have a relationship with Him. I just wanted Him to fix everything. I wasn’t ready to make a commitment to following Him.

Anyone who has fears of an unpardonable sin is pretty much guaranteed to have a stronghold. And that was me, in a nutshell. I had a hard time, trusting God in some areas of my life. Trust is the fundamental foundation of any lasting relationship.

When someone has a stronghold , they feel unworthy, guilty, and often suffer from low self-esteem. How can someone who is man-made by the creator Himself in His own image look down on themselves. Stronghold slave, very big part of a person struggle against feelings of low self-esteem. Since thoughts dramatically affects our feelings, if we are constantly seeing ourselves as a failure, we will feel like one.

People who have strongholds can also have shame based thinking. They see themselves as a failure.

If we have a dirty conscience it can hinder our faith. We need to know that we are clean, our faith depends on it. Many churches or leaders have made us feel that we can only take communion at church. When the fact is we can take communion anytime. That’s one of the reasons Jesus died for us on the cross. So, we could commune with God anytime. All we need is a little, red wine or grape juice and a small piece of unleavened bread (I use tortillas). God can forgive us 100 times a day, if we repent and ask forgiveness. Repenting is a deep change of heart, mind, and action, turning away from our sin and embracing a new way of life. It is more than just feeling sorry. Asking forgiveness is the act of seeking grace or a pardon for a wrong deed. Repentance leads to forgiveness. Genuine repentance is a necessary step to receive forgiveness from God.

The key elements of a communion prayer are:

Remembrance: The central theme of remembering Jesus‘d sacrifice for sins, is His broken body and shed blood.

Gratitude: A Prayer that express thanks for God’s love and spiritual benefits received through Jesus’s sacrifice, for forgiveness and eternal life.

Consecration: A Prayer that asks God to sanctify the bread and wine or grape juice as Holy symbols of Jesus’s offering.

Confession and Renewal: asking for our sins to be forgiven and the Holy Spirit to help us grow in faith and love toward God.

Commitment: A prayer that includes a commitment to follow Jesus more closely and live as reflections of His love.

Prayer example: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to you and remember all that you have done for me on the cross. Thank you for allowing Your body to be broken so that mine might be whole. God, we ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread and wine. Thank you, for this most precious gift. That washes me clean. Strengthen me to do your will. In Jesus’ Name Amen.

The Great Divide

If you’re paying attention, you are able to see the spiritual division between believers and believers due to their faith in Jesus, and familiar societal divisions. The world is being divided. People are calling for unity, but to look around I just don’t see this happening.

I’m Luke 12: 51-53 Jesus says to us, “Do you think I have come to give peace in the earth? I tell you, no, but rather division. For from now on, there will be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son, and son against father, mother against daughter, and daughter against her mother, mother in law against daughter in law, and daughter in law against her mother in law.”

There will be Spiritual Separation. Humanity is divided into two groups, those who are saved, and those who are perishing, and their stand on the cross of Christ, determining spiritual destination.

Jesus prophesied that his message would cause division, even within families, as people chose between following him or the world (Luke 12:51-53).

In Matthew 25:31-33 Jesus speaks a parable, “But when the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the Holy angels with Him, then he will sit on the throne of His glory. Before Him all the nations will be gathered, and He will separate them one from another, as a Shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on His right-hand, but the goats on the left.”

On Judgment day God will separate people into two groups, often depicted, a sheep and goats, based on their faith in Jesus, and determining their eternal destiny. 

We all have an internal conflict going on in us. In a believer. The division exists between our spiritual nature and our fleshly desires, this is our daily struggle and reliance on God.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18, 2-5 Paul gives an explanation of the message of the cross and creates a fundamental division in the world between those being saved and those who are perishing.

“For the Word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

“So that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power” (NIV).

God created a fundamental division by separating light from darkness in the beginning. From the very beginning God has shown the division between light and darkness. Showing us that two would exist in the world separately from each other, with light being the dominant force.

Feeling Grown Up

When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

I was forced to grow up fast. I grew up with mom who ignored me most of the time, when she didn’t just screamed at me awful things. I learned it was better to stay as far away from her as possible. I have the freedom to roam my town, making decisions that I should have not been able to make.

I had a strong sense of self-reliance. The trouble at 7 years old I made some not so good decisions. And got into drinking and drugs early. To look back it was staggering hoe much responsibility I had to handle so young.

Raiding the first for left overs or mayonnaise sandwiches. Walking myself to and home from school.

I had to interpret grown up emotions to adapt to keeping the peace. I was raised on cocktail independence, neglect and figure things out on my own. I was way too young when I realized that no one cared about what I was going through, or what I was feeling. I craved care and attention and that just wasn’t there. I got the message that I had to just keep going, even if I was not okay.

Things Worth Fighting For

According to the Bible, there are 4 things worth fighting for. They are, your faith, spiritual freedom, righteousness and justice, and your family. This spiritual combat is waged using the “armor of God” not with worldly conflict.

These four things are based on the Bible:

  1. The good fight of faith. The Bible describes a spiritual battle against temptation, sin, and the spiritual forces of evil, rather than against other py. Fighting for faith means staying focused on God’s truth and promises.

“Fight the good fight if faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called” -1 Timothy 6:12

This means guarding your heart and mind from worldly distractions, submitting to God’s will, and resisting the devil through faith.

2. Spiritual freedom from sin. We are called to actively resist our sinful nature and embrace freedom in Christ Jesus. This is an internal fight against our own desires, pitting them to death for the sake of living in the Spirit.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be bordered again by a yoke of slavery” -Galatians 5:1

We should work every day to reject worldly temptations and make choices that honor God, and pursue a godly life.

3. Righteousness and Justice. The Bible repeatedly calls God’s people to stand up for the weak, defend the innocent, and fight against injustice. The key here is to seek justice that aligns with God’s character, not the world.

“Speak up and judge fairly, defend the rights of the poor and needy” -Proverbs 3:19

This means taking a stand against systemic injustice and advocating for the marginalized, acting justly and showing mercy in our own lives.

4. Family. The Bible giving s examples of people, like Nehemiah, being called to defend theur families and honest against those who would harm the,. This fight is for protection, not aggression, and it extends to defending the most vulnerable within our communities.

“Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sins and your daughters, your wives and your homes” -Nehemiah 4:14

This involves building and protecting a healthy family and home, and using our strength to defend those under our care.

What Could I Do With A Million.

If you had a million dollars to give away, who would you give it to?

If I had a million dollars I would Pay off all my bills, and buy a smaller house with some acreage. I would bless my children with some, invest a little, and the rest would go for charity.

Haggai 2:8 says, “the silver is mine and the gold is mine, declares the Lord.”

We are supposed to manage it well.

Discerning The Spirits

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God” -1 John 4:1

John is talking about spiritual discernment here, being able to differentiate between the many spirits present in our world. We should know that when God is replaced in society something else will take His place.

We must understand that there are two different realms that are present in the world – a physical realm and a spiritual realm. We are spiritual beings shelled in our physical bodies that occupy the physical realm. The physical realm is made up of physical matter that you and I are able to interact with.

The spiritual realm is one that we are unable to see. Yet, the spiritual realm had a great presence in the world and it highly influences our lives. Once we understand this that in the spiritual God and Satan have a fight going on got our souls it’s easier to understand what is happening in the world today. I believe we are seeing that fight in the physical realm today. It’s getting easier to see by each passing day.

That being said, being able to discern the spirits we interact with daily is of the utmost importance for those of us who genuinely believe in the Lord.

We are like sponges in our spirit. What I means is we are capable of attracting other spirits, and like sponges we are able to absorb things in our spirits from those around us.

Spiritual discernment was very important to John for a few reasons I believe. If you have read John you see John talk about future days and the person Antichrist but he also talks about the spirits of antichrist that are already present in the world today. What we attract and absorb is capable of influencing us in our spirit. That is why spiritual discernment is very important to us as believers because we don’t want to be led away from the Lord.

John even says in the same verse “test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone into the world.” What we must understand is that there are two kinds of spirits present in the world. Those two spirits being a righteous spirit and an unrighteous spirit.

John spoke of the children of God and the children of the devil (Satan). He said, “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother” (1 John 3:10). John has touched on spiritual discernment, but I’m going to dive a little deeper.

Who may be asking “how can I tell when a spirit is good or bad?” John says, “By this you know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:2-3). John tells us that to discern whether we are interacting with a spirit of God the first place we begin I’d with Jesus. The righteous spirit will acknowledge, confess, and genuinely believe that Jesus was born into this world and walked in it. This is an acknowledgment that the Lord became flesh and dwelt among mankind.

This is a difficulty for many people who live in the world today. Some will say that they do not believe that the Lord was ever in the world. And others will say that Jesus was a real person, but He was no Messiah. Those who do not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah will fall into either of these two categories.

In Isaiah, it is prophesied that Jesus would be a stumbling block of offense to both houses of Israel, and as a trap and snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Isaiah 8:14). This prophecy occurred at a time when Israel was divided into two kingdoms. The northern kingdom of ten tribes and the southern kingdom of the tribe of Judah (the Jews) and Benjamin. The levites returned to the southern kingdom prior to the Assyrians conquering the northern kingdom.

The southern kingdom was conquered by the Babylonians after the northern kingdom had been conquered. Part of this prophecy is talking about the gentiles that would inhabit the city. So, this was prophesied before Jesus was in the world they He would be a stumbling block for the Israelites. Peter also quoted this prophecy in 1 Peter 2:8. And this prophecy still stands today. Jesus is a stumbling block for many people.

These people may not confess Jesus but at the same time they don’t speak against Him. These are the people who have a curiosity about Jesus and want to learn about Him. There are many people who don’t know. I think John was painting a picture in these two verses that is black and white.

The person that is unsure is not someone who is full of conviction in their faith and I don’t think that John is talking about this type of person. I believe that at one point in time every believer fell into a category where they were not full of conviction in anything. We were all lost sinners at one point in time.

However, we eventually sought the Lord and found Him. When we found Him and began to believe in Him and our faith began to grow. We confessed and acknowledged that we genuinely felt God in our spirit. The unsure, lost sinners is someone who can be reached. It is important that we love people, lead by example and allow God to speak through us if we are given an opportunity. I believe this is where the church messed up. We cannot force Jesus on people and expect them to believe in Him. It is because of what the church has done that some people hate the church and think they hate Jesus.

The person John is speaking of when he says “every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” is someone that is full in their convictions of not believing. John says that the one who is fully convinced in their disbelief has the spirit of antichrist. They are not the person antichrist but they are antichrist.

There are two polar opposite ends of the spectrum with the spirits, those in the light and those in total darkness. Those in the light are fully convicted believers of God. John says to those in the light, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

Those who are in total darkness are of the world and speak as of the world. Those who are in total darkness are fully convicted non-believers and by being fully convicted they refuse to repent and turn to God. Then there is the other group I think that fall in the middle that are considered to be unsure or lost.

John says that we can listen to the confession of these spirits to discern what part of the spectrum a spirit is in. If a spirit confesses Jesus, then they are in the light. If a spirit does not confess Jesus and speaks against Him that Spirit is in darkness. Then there are spirits lost in darkness that want out of the dark, these are the spirits (people) we should be ready to help.

If I Was Guaranteed Not To Fail

What’s something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.

If I was guaranteed not to fail I would try traveling solo. Or speaking in public more without fear.

There’s a quote by Denis Waitely that says. “It’s not who we are that holds us back, it’s who we think we’re not.”

Most of us have limiting beliefs that high,ight our negative self-talks and beliefs about our perceived deficiencies that prevent us from achieving our goals. Self doubt is often a killer of progress.

The Hardest Goal

What was the hardest personal goal you’ve set for yourself?

The hardest goal I ever set for myself was changing my perspective.

We are wired to defend our current belief system especially if it is tied to our identities, and upbringing .

It was hard for me to let go of believes I was taught since childhood. I had reached a point I could not function anymore believing the lies I was told as a child.

I had come to the point I knew I had to change. That’s when God came into my life. That’s when I chose to let go of all the unforgiveness, bitterness, and hate I was holding onto you.

We have to have a willingness to change if we’re going to change our perspective. It was a willingness to be open, curious, and reflective. I knew I could not be defensive or rigid because the overwhelming evidence I had wasn’t helping.

I had to practice empathy, stay, curious, and most of all stop judging.

The bottom line was changing my perspective was difficult because it meant changing me, or at least how I seen the world. But with time, openness, and effort it was one of the most transformative things I’ve ever done.

Having Peace Of Mind

I’m today’s world it’s easy to feel stressed, worried, or anxious. In a chaotic world finding peace of mind can sometimes be hard.

Peace of mind includes having an inner calm that no one can disturb. Peace of mind helps us feel at ease and centered amidst any chaos.

My peace comes from trusting God. God promises us that when we trust in Him, He will give us a gift that the world cannot give, peace of mind and heart. A peace the surpasses all understanding.

Managing our thoughts begin with trust, by intentionally turning our thoughts away from fear and evil toward the goodness of God.

Faith is the refusal to panic.

We need to think of God as God and let the Bible shape our view of Him, rather than shaping Him into our own image, relying on our limited understanding and confining God to human standards and abilities. We must trust Him wholeheartedly instead of acting as though we are in control or have all the answers.

I think the pandemic was a great example of whether we trust God or not. We watched as the world went crazy. I think “where was I on that spectrum?” Yes, I was infected but even then I chose to trust God to get me through it. We have to remember if anyone is worthy of our complete trust, it is God alone.

Trusting God means intentionally setting our minds on Him as the sovereign, ever present, all knowing, merciful, just, and compassionate Creator we sees us, hears us, and knows everything we need. And if we truly believe that He sees and hears us, then we should obey Him by casting all of cares on Him and not be anxious about anything.

God is only a breath and a prayer away. We can cry out to the God of grace who made a way to Himself through His Son, Jesus. Trust in Jesus’s words,

“Peace I leave with you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” -John 14:27

Peace and rest are gifts of grace, that flow from a loving and eternal relationship with the “prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:6) As we entrust our worries to God’s care each day. He gives us His peace. This peace isn’t given automatically, but it is freely available to all who seek and submit themselves to Jesus by faith.

We are not meant to carry the weight of anxious or overwhelming thoughts alone. God never intended for us to bear life’s burdens in isolation. He invited us to come to Him, to trust in His help, and to find rest in His presence. He has designed us to be in fellowship and lean on each other. He designed the church body to build healthy relationships. Many people say the church is too “judgy” I see this as an opportunity to find another church. Find church whose preacher teaches from the “Word of God,” and you will usually find a church that treats you like family. We were meant to “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). We are stronger, safer, and more resilient when we walk together and support each other through life’s trials. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, then one will lift up his fellow, but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up” – Ecclesiastics 4:9-10.

Who walks with you through life challenges, in addition to your relationship with God? Are you walking alone or are you allowing others to walk with you? Find someone that you connect with in the body of Christ and lean on them to support you to grow your faith and share your burdens, and vice verse.

God is deeply and personally invested in our well-being. His care is the foundation of our confidence in our releasing burdens to Him. His love is not distance or abstract, it is real, present, and active. His care is not reluctant or forced, it flows freely from His heart of compassion. Jesus Himself affirmed this truth in Matthew 6:26,

“See thr birds in the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your Heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value then they?

This is a beautiful picture of God’s personal and loving attention to even the smallest details of His creation. More importantly, if He cares for birds and animals, how much more does He care for human beings who He made in His own image. He created men and women to reflect His likeness. Genesis 1:27 tells us,

“God created man in His own image. In God’s image He created him, male and female He created them.”

The cross gives us a clear sign that Jesus personally cares for us. How astounding is it that the Son of God would give up his comfort, privilege, and honor in heaven to take on a second nature becoming fully human, while remaining fully divine, and die in our place on a Roman cross meant for criminals.

Managing our thoughts starts with trust, by intentionally returning our hearts and minds away from fear and evil towards faith and goodness found in His care. It’s a daily, hourly, minute by minute, intentional shiftfrom inward anxiety to upward surrender.. Peace comes from my mind anchored in God, I like how Isaiah 26:3 directly connects thought management with trusting God,

“You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in You.”

We must ask ourselves. How well do we manage our mind by filtering every thought that comes our way, from daily conversations, entertainment, social media, music, news, sermons, work, interactions, personal worries, books, cultural, narratives, self talk, and beyond?

This is why managing our thoughts isn’t passive, it requires deliberate, filtering, and renewal. The Bible shows this at last in peace flows from my mind shapes by true faith. Paul encourages us in Romans 12:2 to be transformed by renewing of our mind. Managing anxious thoughts to me replacing fear with God’s truth through prayer, scripture meditation, and fellowship.

We must make trusting God a daily habit. It’s not always easy, but peace grows in a mind, rooted in Him.

Artists

Who are your favorite artists?

As far as Artists I think my favorite are Christian Artists/ Singers that songs portray good values. There are a few the sing about light not darkness.

Phil Wickham has some amazing songs out there like “What an awesome God” and House of the Lord.

Also Brandon Lake is very good, if you like new generation music. He sings “Gratitude” and I need a Ghost.”

One of my all time favorites is and will always be Crowder. Just because he sings songs I can listen to if I’m going through a spiritual battle. Songs like “Crushing snakes” and “Grave robber.”