Deceptions

One of the greatest weapons is deception. Even the strongest person in the universe could not compete with the most deceptive. Deception is many times how we defeat those who are stronger than we are. So how does the devil and even our own sin nature achieve victory over our new, changed hearts? Deception. The devil and sin come as an angel of light. Ever notice how easy it is to do something that's wrong, but how difficult it is to do what is right? Ever notice how quickly we find ourselves in situations that previously we decided were not right, and how we justify them in every way possible? But the truth is, all sin will eventually lead to destruction and misery.

As I ran on the treadmill this morning, I thought of where I was with the Lord just six months ago. I had set my sights on Him alone, and on glorifying Him and not myself in life. Slowly, I slipped away. Looking back, I see the many things which have slipped back into my life that I had purposed not to do again. Oh how quickly and often we fall away? It doesn't have to be this way, for "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." If only I had stayed where I needed to be and relied on Him instead of myself, I would not be in situations now that I regret and see the need to change. How true it is that Christ's yoke is easy and His burden is light, but also how true it is that the narrow is the gate to eternal life, and wide is the path to eternal destruction. Even being saved from my sins, I so often slip away into my own perception of what is right, disregarding what His true, faultless word says. But in the end, I find myself in misery, needing to be rescued once again.

So how are we to avoid this trap...this snare? It creeps in so quietly, and who can notice it? Only God can protect us. We are nothing on our own. When we least expect it, the things that seem right are many times are not. Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit within us who discerns our thoughts and actions and convicts our consciences when we are wrong. So in the wake of the battle, we must utilize God's mighty armour, His sword, His shield, His helmet, His shoes, His belt, His breastplate...We must be in constant prayer and always feeding upon His word. If a soldier does not constantly train and better himself, he will not be prepared for the battle at hand. We must also join with others, and have them pray for us, and we pray for them. We are not in this battle alone. There are other soldiers serving the same Master, and in any battle or mission, teamwork is a must! And most of all, we have a powerful Leader who guides each one of us all the way.

So how do we get out of the enemies prisoner of war camp? WOW! A tough one, and one I must achieve if I want perfect fellowship with my Master and Leader. When we find ourselves caught in situations that are not right, but we don't know how to get out or change what is going on, we must look to God every step of the way. Without Him, we can do nothing. Only He can send His armies to save us from the enemy. And we must also take up arms and be strong in Him. We mustn't despair, but rather we must keep our heads held high, knowing that He will help us through if we turn from the wrong and strive for the right.

But failure happens so frequently! I fail every day, and so many times it is in the same areas as those failures the day before. All we can do is strive for a closer walk. This is what I must do. To anyone out there who reads this, you are not alone! What ever your struggle, there are others going through these challenges as well. Don't give up! Fight with all your might, and you will prevail! You don't have to be subject to the powers of sin. God can help you achieve victory! But it will not come without a fight, and it will not come if you sit in a corner despaired feeling like you are too great a failure to pick yourself up and try again. Christ didn't fail you, and we do not have to fail Him. With Him, we can live a life of peace and joy! But we must follow His rules and regulations to find this peace and joy.

My final words are this. A two-faced soldier may play both sides for awhile, but soon enough his motives will be seen, and he will be killed by one side or the other. We, likewise, cannot live with one foot in the world, and one in Christ. Either we must live our lives 100% for Christ, or we are lying of our testimony and are serving two leaders. We cannot defect to the other side! God wants our devotion wholeheartedly. Please pray for me in my battles, and know that you are in my prayers too. God bless you all!

Addictions...the Silent Killer

As I railed myself over the head this morning for binging last night (seriously I ate three bags of cheese-its, a pack of crackers, three packs of cookies, and a couple other things), I thought of how so many things rule our lives in the place of God. We often think of the classic addictions, such as drug abuse, alcohol, sex, pornography, etc. The fact is, we can become addicted to anything, even going to church or succeeding at our job. An addiction is anything that we do to gain satisfaction, contentment, or fulfillment outside of God. This is why addictions drag us down so bad, because the desire will just grow stronger and stronger since nothing will ever fill the void when we shut God out. I ask myself, "Why do you turn to food for contentment and work for fulfillment when neither will ever satisfy?" I am continually drug down by my obsessions, when God gives true freedom through His grace and love. We do not need to be subject to the powers of our obsessions! God can give us everything we need if we just follow and trust Him with our lives. The next time you begin to turn to that desire that you think will fulfil the void, think again. Turn back to the Lord, our King, and the One who sustains us until the end. He provides our every need, and He can satisfy when nothing else can. He will not leave us empty.

Victory in the Old Rugged Cross!

So many times life seems overwhelming, and we feel like we can no longer go on. The battles we face every day are just reminders of how helpless we really are. Sometimes I ask myself, "how is it that food, studying, and even attempting to have control over my future can take such control over me and rule my life?" I am helpless when I try to live my life on my own strength. To live life without going to God for guidance through His word and prayer is like fighting in a battle and using nothing but your hands when the enemy has the latest in weapontry technology. So today, running in the cool windy air with those old and yet so relavant words to "The Old Rugged Cross" playing into my ears, I found a moment of peace in the wake of the storm. I realized how useless my pursuits are in life when I don't cling to that old rugged cross, for my only crown in life and in death is by that cross. Jesus won the war over sin when He died on that tree. We may win and lose battles in this life, but at death, we will win the war and enter the promised land by His strength alone! How glorious that day will be, and how we all long for it, but we mustn't lose sight in the battles at hand as we long for ultimate victory in the end. This life is a tes, and by clinging to that old rugged cross, we can win the battles and the war. Freedom comes when we become servants of the living God wholeheartedly! He longs for our service and for our love. God bless you all and have a wonderful day!

The battle rages, but God never lets His soldiders down!

I woke up yesterday morning unprepared for the day at hand. I slept in till 0800 and I had a big exam in ... egh! ... GEOMETRY! I am a math major, but this stuff isn't even math to me...it's like a math based, abstract writing class! Already into the fifth week, we have barly begun discussing line segments and rays, being it took that long to explain the abstract "logical" concepts behind it. So frustrated, I sat in my room, wishing I could just hide in my bed. But no, that exam was staring at me in the face like a sniper with his scope already aimed dead center at my head saying "I will get you at 1500, just wait!!!!!" I stumbled down the stairs, and soon found myself swamped with other tasks that took me away from my last few hours of studying. I finally left the house at 0950, and went to the gym to get a short "stress relief" run in! Then it was time to go to chinatown. Of course by this time, I was not even thinking of fGod...bad mistake...but I went there totally panicked thinking "great, I have this test right after I get off work, and I bet today will be so busy, I won't even get a change to skim the notes." WRONG!!!!! Don't ever underestimate God! The restaraunt was incredibly quiet, and I had time to not only skim, but to study in depth everything that I needed to know! When I went into the testing center at 1445, I was fully prepared to take down that sniper while he slept waiting for me to arrive! The lesson learned is, God will never ask us to fifght a abattle that He does not equip us for. We must face all our trials and struggles head on, knowing that He is our commander and will lead us through! True stress relief is casting our cares upon Christ who strengthens us. There is no other way. Lean on Him and He will fight for you. God bless and have a wonderful day!

The beginning!

WOW! I have a blog! Well, guess this is post one, and it will be short and sweet since I just got home after a 14 hour day and took benadril. All I want to say is this...God is real, and He loves us no matter what! Why do we find it so hard to serve such a perfect Commander? He is our true Captain, and He knows our every need. But serving in God's army is not all fun and games. It's a constant struggle, and basic training is only the beginning! We must continue to grow in the knowledge of Holy warfare, and know how to defeat our greatest enemies, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and the devil. Our instructional manual is God's Word, and He will explain it to us through prayer and meditation. Lean on Him tonight and always, and He will win the battle for you!

Goodnight and God bless!