Strength Beyond Ourselves

We long for strength beyond ourselves to help us cope. Have you ever wondered if God could be that strength?

If so you’re in good company. Polls show that while most people believe in God, and even pray, they still have questions. Is Faith really rational? How can I know if God exists? And if He does, does He really care?

Some describe it as a hunger or thirst for something more. Maybe you have gone down that road, “if only I had more money, a nicer car, a bigger house. If only I could experience this or that, that would bring purpose to my life. But then after climbing the ladder, so to speak, we look back and say, “is that all there is?” “Isn’t there a bigger purpose to life, something that will give meaning?” And we wonder if God could give us purpose?

Others have been brought to the end of their rope by the stresses of life. It could be martial or family responsibilities, illness, the death of a loved one, or something that has happened in your past that’s tearing you apart. Yes, we try to keep a stiff upper lip. But on the inside we know that, as strong as we may try to be, the reality it that we feel helpless. We long for strength beyond ourselves to help us cope. And wonder of God could be that strength?

Still others realize that the stresses in their life are their own doing. Whatever it might be, we can look back and see that we are living with the consequences of our own choices. And many wonder if God can love someone who has been down the path we have chosen?

These questions are the kind of questions that the Bible describes as spiritual seeking. We are all on a spiritual journey whether we realize it or not. Being a spiritual seeker is a great thing to be, because according to Jesus. Seekers always find what they’re looking for.

I go to church regularly, but that isn’t what makes me a Christian. I go to church because I thrive on having great friendships and the support of those who also go to church. Church has become a close family for me. I know if I need the love and support of any of these people I can count on them 100% of the time. I realize that it’s sometimes difficult to find a loving, non- judgmental church but they are out there.

We have to make a distinction between having a relationship with God, and having a church family. There’s a huge difference between having a personal relationship with God, and having a church family. It’s my personal relationship with God, that makes it possible to have a supportive church family.

Many seek God through a process of inquiry, that may include church attendance, but I don’t see how you can have one without the other. At some point in our spiritual seeking we need come to a decision that we will trust in God. Faith is personalizing the message of Christ. It is trusting in what He did for us personally by dying for our sins.

The outcome of our faith is sometimes referred to as spiritual birth. Just as physical growth follows physical birth, spiritual birth follows spiritual birth. The learning environment found in the church is a important part of the spiritual growth process. While spiritual birth follows a decision to trust Christ, and Him alone, as our means of forgiveness and relationship with God. It is this faith decision that makes us a Christian.

At Grace, we’re all about this spiritual journey, helping each other move toward God.

I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my church, and my pastor. I have learned a huge amount about God and my relationship with Him, through the church. And I cannot begin to imagine how people survive without a church or a personal relationship with God, especially in today’s world.

To seek the valley of easy victory is to miss life’s deepest meaning.

Henry David Gray

Enough Is Enough

And it will come to pass, when you become restless, that you will break the chain (yoke) your neck (Genesis 27:40).

Are you fed up with the enemy raising havoc in your life? Perhaps you are facing a situation that makes you want to shout enough is enough! That’s good, because when you’ve finally had enough of the constant battling in your life, you will throw off Satan’s chains.

I’ve learned that if things aren’t too bad, people have a tendency to tolerate or endure their troubles, thinking surely God understands what they are going through and He will eventually correct the problem. However, when they become desperate enough, then they will do whatever is necessary to free themselves from the situation.

God declared through the Prophet Isaiah, “shake yourself from the dust, arise… Loose yourself from the bonds of your neck” (Isaiah 52:2). Not only has He told us to free ourselves, He’s also given us the means to do it through His word.

The Word of God is not a defensive weapon; it is referred to as “the sword of the Spirit.” It is an attack weapon! The word is always available for us to use against our adversaries, but we have to be comfortable enough to pick it up and apply it.

We have to reach the point where we grow restless over what is happening to us (or our Nation). When we become uncomfortable enough we will rise up and use our authority in Jesus to throw off the enemies chains he has around us.

So declare today “enough is enough,” and rise up in the name of Jesus and begin to walk in the freedom that He has already given you.

Most people think someone else will fight for us in our situations and nations. But the fact is we have to fight for ourselves. No-one will do it for us.

Choose To Walk in freedom today.

Satan’s Plan Against You

“For Everything in the world- the luster of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:16.

Something I pray about on a regular basis is the God will give me keen awareness of the enemy’s plans and schemes against me. I want to be able to recognize his traps and avoid them. I have fallen for his traps abs schemes in the past but, I have decided that under no circumstances will I let him deceive me again. I will not let Satan win.

In reading the Bible I believe part of His answer came one day as I studied the account if Satan tempting Eve in Genesis 3 and the verse I mentioned above.

As I compared these passages. I have a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses show us Satan’s 3-pronged plan of attack on our hearts. And it’s the same plan we see him using while tempting Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11. A fact that tells us while the enemy maybe very powerful he is also predictable.

Here is a closer look at Satan’s plan as revealed in Eve’s and Jesus’s account:

1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Whether it is sex, drugs, alcohol, food or gambling.

Satan tempted Eve with fruit, which “was good for food” (Genesis 3:6).

Satan tempted Jesus while on a fast with bread. (Matthew 4:1-11).

Satan tempts us with whatever physical stimulation we are too preoccupied by – be eat taste, smell, sound, touch or sight. These things are good within boundaries where God meant for them to be enjoyed. But venture outside of God’s intention for them, and they become an attempt to try and get our needs met outside with will of God.

2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the God of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after the shiny things of the world.

Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was, “pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6).

Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Him that He could have it all (Matthew 4:9).

Satan flashes the newer, bigger and seemingly better things of this world in front of us, trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. “This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy.” And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is.

3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride.

Satan tempted Eve by promising an increased awareness which would make her become more like God.

Satan tempted Jesus by telling Him to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple, and then command the angels to save Him. This would impress everyone watching and certainly raise Jesus’s status and significance.

Likewise, Satan tempts us to try and elevate ourselves over others. We wrongly think we have to become something the world calls “worthy.” This creates a need within our flesh to have people notice us, commend us, revere us and stroke our pride. We then dare to boast about all we ate.

We must stop and remind ourselves that we don’t have to be held hostage by Satan. We have to be onto his schemes, and his power over us is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God.

Once we’re onto his schemes he will not be able to trap us anymore,

There is a huge difference between Eve’s response to Satan and Jesus’s response to Satan. Eve dialogued with Satan and allowed him to weave his tangled emotions of justifications. Jesus on the other hand, immediately quoted truth. With every temptation, Jesus quotes Deuteronomy as He answered, “It is written…’ and shut Satan down with the truth of God.

What will our response be?

It’s Our Choice.

Satan has no power over us except what we give him. Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step – will we operate in God’s all-powerful truth or will we allow Satan to entangle us in his web of lies?

There’s Always A Way Out

We I think that if we’re really spiritual, we will never be tempted. But that isn’t true. Every Christian will be tempted. The fact is that if you’re really living a godly life, you will tempted, That’s because the devil doesn’t want you to succeed. He will oppose you.

James 1:12 says “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

I have a friend that says “Temptation is not a sin; it is a call to battle.” Just because the bait is dangling before you, it doesn’t mean that you were sinning. It isn’t the bait that constitutes temptation and sin. It’s the bite. It isn’t a sin to be tempted.

You might want to say “ I get tempted all the time. What’s wrong with me?”

Maybe it’s not what’s wrong with you but what’s right with you. In the book of Job, we find an incident where God is bragging about his servant Job (1:8). And what happened next? A series of attacks came against him.

Reminds us that sometimes the exact we’re facing actually a result of a godly life not an ungodly one.

So can temptation be resisted? Yes. In fact God will not allow you to be tempted above your capacity to resist (1 Corinthians 10:13). Sometimes the way out it’s a simple as walking out the door, hitting to off button, Or terminating a conversation. But there is always a way out.

And not only is there a way out, but there’s a blessing attached to the person who resistant temptation. James 1:13 says, “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God Promised who those who love him.

So if you’re going through a trial right now, if you’re going through a time of testing in temptation, know this: You can grow stronger through it instead of weaker.