Tag: surrender

Christians: Experiencing Spiritual Warfare?

When I hear news of current events (political, within nations, globally, etc.) it often seems like we are living in a movie set during production with all the weird, unusual and horrific things that are happening. It seems like this can’t be real! But it apparently is real. Because of the level of evil that has transpired over the past 3 years, the only thing that makes sense out of this is spiritual warfare, in my opinion. Unfortunately, spiritual warfare is real. I didn’t think it was real until I started seeking God in my own life; and in hindsight, I believe I experienced quite a bit of spiritual warfare when I first asked God to guide my life, but at the time I didn’t realize what was happening to me. I just thought I was having “bad luck”- well I don’t believe in “good luck or bad luck” any longer, I believe “luck” is actually the spiritual influences on our lives.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

Because this is true, Christians need to know how to successfully respond in a spiritual war. How?

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Ephesians 6:13

I believe that every person will experience spiritual warfare to some degree when surrendering to God/accepting Jesus. Why?

The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I (Jesus) have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10

Unfortunately, those who don’t believe do not have access to the “armor of God” which is available to those who are “in Christ,” born again: born of the water (repentance) and born of the spirit (receiving the Holy Spirit). Until we believe, we are “prisoners in bondage” to the evil spiritual realm. All of us start there, some will stay there and some will make the decision to become “born again,” also called “a new creation.” It’s not an easy choice to make because it involves a true willingness to repent/change, many people will feel a strong resistance to do this, but it’s available to all, and it’s worth everything when you consider the eternal consequences of this decision!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

I watched a video about breaking demonic strongholds, the information is biblically supported and informative on this subject, I’ll include the link to the video at the end. The video is over 2 hours long and most people find it hard to listen for that long. I did listen and took notes, so this next part of this article is a summation of the video (but to fully comprehend this information, it may be necessary to watch the entire video.) Here is the summary:

WHAT ARE THE 10 MOST COMMON EVIL SPIRITUAL STRONGHOLDS?

  1. Indoctrination (believing a false religion, one that believes we can earn salvation through what we do, one that denies Jesus)
  2. Accusation (believing we are not forgiven for a past sin when we have repented)
  3. Temptation (the evil spiritual realm is all about luring us into temptation that is a struggle for us)
  4. Intimidation (having fear, anxiety)
  5. Depression (experiencing sadness when we should be joyful, depression can be caused by life experiences too)
  6. Distraction (interrupting us as soon as we begin to pray, read scripture, or make plans to go to church)
  7. Confusion (when truth vs. lies is competing in our mind- it’s easier to confuse someone than for them to believe something contrary to their core beliefs, ego plays a factor also)
  8. Affliction (mental torment)
  9. Isolation
  10. Addiction

HOW DO EVIL SPIRITUAL STRONGHOLDS HAPPEN?

  1. a LIE -this is how it starts, a lie comes into our mind: if we don’t believe the lie, the stronghold doesn’t work, but if we believe the lie, then we are deceived.
  2. Deception doesn’t happen until we believe the lie. Deception then becomes:
  3. a Mindset through which other thoughts become processed. Our future thoughts are then “warped”, not reality. This becomes:
  4. a Filter for all of our thoughts, which affects:
  5. our Feelings, which influence:
  6. our Actions, which determine:
  7. our Habits, which creates:
  8. a Cycle (then we are “on repeat” and stuck in this stronghold)

HOW DO WE BREAK THE STRONGHOLD?

  1. TRUTH: To break from this cycle, we need to identify the lie and replace it with the truth found in scripture, God’s word. Jesus did this when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness after Jesus’ baptism. Jesus quoted truth from scripture against every “lie” Satan presented. (Read Matthew Chapter 4) Jesus also said “truth will set you free” (Read John 8: 31-36) If we are not reading scripture, thereby knowing the truth, we are easy prey for evil spiritual attacks. The evil spiritual realm is convincing, cunning, manipulative, deceptive and effective in their works. Demons often use: a) deception, b) sickness and c) violent people to accomplish their mission. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be guided to truth and given wisdom as we read scripture. This is what is happening when we “discover” something new reading the bible, even when its been decades of reading the bible (people still claim to continually learn something new, see something they saw before but didn’t comprehend until that moment).

Use the Armor of God. What is the Armor of God? (Read Ephesians 6:10-19) This is for the Believer: ALL can be defeated by this biblical strategy! A summary of the Armor of God:

  1. Prayer (First Step always)
  2. Know the Truth (through scripture, which is the word of God, the Holy Spirit and sound teachers- meditate on the word)
  3. Righteousness (Obedience to God’s way, obey the word, scripture, God’s teachings)
  4. Peace (that comes from knowing the Gospel Message)
  5. Faith (in God)
  6. Salvation- Living in God’s future kingdom, a new earth (the promise of God, received through Jesus’ death and resurrection)

These strategies will make a difference in your life! I personally experienced this in my own life and know because this worked for me.

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

James 4:7

The video is worth watching in entirety when you have 2 hrs 25 min! Here is the video:

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Obedience Struggles

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

John 10:27

This is a follow up to my prior post yesterday, titled “Trust and Obey.” I think many of us struggle with obedience at different times in life, just think back to the days of being a toddler, a teenager and it continues into adulthood!

CHOOSING OBEDIENCE

The “obedience” subject I’m referring to is a situation of CHOOSING to be obedient, NOT being FORCED to be obedient. Forced obedience is NOT God’s way; God gives us freewill; obedience is our choice. But even if we choose to be obedient, there will be times when our selfish desires or selfish gain are “at war” with the choice of “obedience”: we know what the right thing to do is, but we are tempted when there is something beneficial for us in not choosing what we know is right. This is where scriptural wisdom is clear: we “can’t serve two Masters” as Jesus stated. He was referring to God or Money being the “Masters,” but Jesus also said a house divided will not stand – this is applicable, because we (as a symbolic house) will make a choice at some point, it’s impossible to choose “both,” we can’t be divided. If we are divided, we “will not stand” or in other words “fall.” So what does “fall” mean? In scripture, to “fall” is negative and often indicates a separation from God. Ultimately “the fall” involves having a Master over our lifes; someone or something other than God.

THE POWER OF EVIL AND SIN OVER US

There is something else to consider here, and this will not be well received to say it, but it is truth. Until we choose God, we are under the influence of the evil spiritual realm. Think about it, someone is our Master, people may say, “I’m my own Master”- well that’s a comforting thought to tell ourselves, but it’s not true unfortunately, Jesus states this to Saul/Paul. (Read Acts 26:15-18)

to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Acts 26:18

Don’t be misled, as Deuteromy 29:19-20 indicates, people are not “safe” or “saved” when they persist in going their own way and not God’s way.

In choosing to become obedient to God, we will be under attack by our own internal desires and by evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realms.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

WHY DO THIS?

So why would I want to go through all this? If life was easier before I choose to become obedient to God, why would I want to bring on trouble or attacks of the spiritual realm?

Because God has greater plans for those who choose Him as our Master. Yes, we have to become humble, we are not our own Master, we have a Creator- God made us and we must choose Him as our Master, if we want what God offers us. As God often revealed in scripture, He is the Potter, we are the clay that was formed by His own hands. It’s insightful reading the references to “potter” in scripture, just search that key word in a digital bible.

GOD’S PLAN AND PROMISE

Getting back to what God has planned for us, in His physical presence ON EARTH: immortality, peace, joy, abundance, healing, no more tears, pure love and gentleness, a physical place to live forever, more beautiful than we can envision, music, celebration, comfort, strength, and more. We will “soar on wings” like eagles, we “will run and not grow weary”, “walk and not be faint” (Isaiah 40:31) Read Revelation 21 and Revelation 22 for a glimpse of what God has planned for those who choose Him. Who doesn’t want to live in this future Kingdom of God? Is it worth going through the “trouble or attacks”? When we are in those times it is challenging, but if we keep our mind focused on the end result, we can endure and persevere because the end result in God’s future Kingdom on earth WILL BE WORTH IT!

OBTAINING THE REWARD OF GOD’S KINGDOM

To be in God’s Kingdom, we turn to God (repent) ask for forgiveness of the things we do wrong then commit to become obedient to God going forward, knowing we won’t be perfect, so we ASK Jesus for the Holy Spirit to HELP us follow through with obedience and to give us wisdom. When God sees our heart is set on doing this, He gives us this help, when we ask. The point is many people don’t know to ask for this but it is available to ALL who’s heart is turned towards God. Jesus said, No one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are “born again”: born of the water (repentance/ie. baptism) and of the Spirit (receiving God’s Spirit- becoming a new creation as a result of receiving God’s spirit). (John 3) After this, we stay connected to God for strength, protection and wisdom through reading scripture and prayers. Obedience does matter because God gives the Spirit to those who are intent on being obedient and having the Spirit indwelling is necessary to be changed into the perfected immortal person who God originally intended for us to be when Jesus returns. Having the Spirit indwelling (being prepared) is what is talked about in parable of the 10 Virgins in Matthew 25.

STAY CONNECTED TO GOD EVEN WHEN WE MESS UP

Here is another “unpopular” truth: Revelation 3:5 says names can be blotted out from the book of Life by God, to be blotted out means the names were once written in the Book of Life! And God’s spirit can depart (1 Samuel 16:14) if we continually choose “sin” when given a choice to choose “obedience” or “sin” as Saul did when he kept choosing his own way/sin not God’s commands. (Search Spirit of the Lord in scripture) for more understanding of this. Why do you think it says “the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom?” Fear of the Lord is referenced 453 times in scripture! This isn’t to put us in constant fear, but it is there to tell us the importance of REMAINING focused on God, in a good relationship with God, (sin separates us from God) we can’t be casual about our ongoing relationship with God. Scripture tells us this is true. If we remain focused on God, we have NOTHING to fear! Remember that too!

GRACE ISN’T A “FREE LICENSE” TO CONTINUE IN SIN

Don’t let people give you false information about the concept of Grace we have been given for our salvation (read Jude Chapter 1):

For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

Jude 1:4

ONLY THROUGH JESUS IS THIS POSSIBLE

Jesus also said: “No one can come to the Father, except through me.” Jesus is the only one who made it possible for us to have the opportunity to be in God’s Kingdom. There is no way we could be “good enough” or do enough “good things” through out life to get into God’s Kingdom (it is far more holy than that), even if we are obedient, if we don’t accept, acknowledge or understand what Jesus did on the cross to literally save us- it is meaningless. Jesus, who was sinless, was the only one who could be the acceptable sacrifice according to God’s Law that could be the substitute death for all mankind. Jesus essentially “purchased us” back from death by his action on the cross and resurrection thereafter. Think about this: a scroll was the form of a contract long ago. In Revelation 5, Jesus (the lamb) is the only one worthy to open the scroll (contract) and Jesus break the seals (Revelation 6) securing the contract- this is the “re-purchasing of us” from death. Yes there are some awful things that happen when the seals break but they are necessary according to God’s law as revealed in scripture. Those events have to happen and will happen in accordance with scripture, to refine some, to have some turn towards God, and to ultimately separate those who choose evil from those who choose God. When “the fall of mankind” happened in the Garden of Eden, when humanity (through Adam and Eve) chose to listen/and obey the serpent (Satan)- that’s where mankind came under the influence and power of evil. Jesus’ action broke this evil hold on mankind, but if we don’t understand this and accept what Jesus said, we remain in the dark. And if we deny Jesus, he will deny us before the Father and we will be subject to the Laws we have broken when it’s time for our judgement. Jesus’ action is a gift to those who accept the gift.

SUMMARY

So considering all these things, this is why I want/choose to become obedient to God. Speaking the truth is not easy because it makes us uncomfortable knowing these things, but the way I look at it, I would rather know the truth in advance, so that I can prepare and take this seriously, than be caught by surprise at an untimely point (my physical death) when there is no turning back possible. Remember, God gave us this warning because He LOVES us and does not want us to perish!

REMEMBER GOD’S LOVE!

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9
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Surrender Prayer

In hindsight everything is clearer. Thankfully, God accepts us despite our fumbling process along the way. So there isn’t a specific prayer with all the right words, other than the one Jesus taught:

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:9-13

From this prayer we learn that God is in heaven and His name is to be respected. God’s kingdom will come to us (when Jesus returns) and His will happens whether we submit or resist- God’s will happens (and the consequence will be a result of our choice.) God gives us everything we need (our daily bread/scripture) and He forgives our sins- as we forgive others. God can lead us away from temptation and protect us from the evil one (through the Holy Spirit) when we ask Him to do this for us.

There are so many “religions” in the world but Jesus kept the instructions for all of us pretty simple:

  1. Believe (click here for link)
  2. Repent (Luke 5:31)
  3. Be Baptized (Matthew 28:18-20)
  4. Receive the Holy Spirit (Born of the Spirit; Born Again) John 3

We can recite prayers but if the words don’t come from our heart – they are meaningless, it is better to speak our own words and heartfelt thoughts to God, submit/surrender “our own will,” accepting God’s will, because His will happens despite what we may want, ask God for guidance and ask God for the Holy Spirit to perfect us as we grow in our faith and obedience to God’s commands.

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Rise Up after the Fall Down

Some will understand this, some won’t. Some will believe this, some won’t. Reading this is absolutely worth your time and understanding, because it is true, beneficial and doesn’t cost any money.

SOLUTIONS

We put so much effort in misguided ways, numbing the pain, bad advice, wasting time and money and often finding disappointment when a lasting solution isn’t achieved. But the lasting solution is here to be found 24/7 (right now). “seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9, Jeremiah 29:13, Deuteronomy 4:29) I won’t make you wait until the end to hear the solution: “surrender your life to Jesus- once you seek and find him.” Before you dismiss this, give it a chance, this is not just “Christian talk”- it is the truth, based on my personal experience and many others. You don’t have anything to lose, but everything to gain.

HUMILITY

If you talk to people who have surrendered to Jesus, some of the strongest believers I’ve met overcame the worst imaginable circumstances. Unfortunately it seems that it often takes “hitting bottom” or some extreme tragedy before we truly seek Jesus. It also takes being in a humble mindset; the proud don’t need anyone. The proud can do it on their own- or so they think. However, pride comes before the fall. (Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 16:18, Proverbs 11:2, Proverbs 18:12) God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. (James 4:6)

SURRENDER

I didn’t know what “Surrender your life to Jesus” meant when I first heard it, but it’s pretty simple: basically stop trying to handle it solo, seek God, ask for help from God, pray to the One who truly can make change happen in our lives. Ask God to guide your life, pray for guidance on every decision. With God all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26)

ASK FOR HELP

But there is something more to know, God is not like a “genie” or a “vending machine” where we just “ask and receive”- it takes a desire within us to want to change ourselves for the better, to want to be more godly in our actions, more Christlike – more like Jesus. It takes a willing attitude of “not my way, but Your’s” (God’s will). (To know about Jesus, we can study the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and/or John. There is similar content in each, but also different insights since they were written by different people. Matthew and John were each one of Jesus’ original 12 followers, Luke was a medical doctor and interviewed people who experienced Jesus in person and Mark was a friend of Peter who was one of the original 12 followers of Jesus also.)

SIN – REPENTANCE- HOLY SPIRIT

We can’t ignore the topic of “sin” though if we want to rise up (metaphorically and physically). Sin separates us from God. Sin hinders our prayer requests. (John 9:31). I think most of us know what sin is: going against the commands of God (Exodus 20– 10 Commandments), but Jesus tells people that the commands of God are even more extensive (Matthew 5) than what we see at “face value” in the 10 Commandments. But don’t be discouraged by that, God created us, He knows we are weak and stumble from sin, so He gives us a way out when we experience a temptation and He also is merciful and forgiving- if we truly are sorry and ask for forgiveness. He is quick to reconcile with us. And not only that but after we “repent” of our sin (which is ask for forgiveness and intend to change our ways), when we are honest and intend to change for the better, He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us change- this is how the impossible is possible- with God (the Holy Spirit). When we receive the Holy Spirit, we are “born again”– born of the Spirit, a new creation. We can let our past go because that no longer defines us, we have a new life, we become part of Jesus’ family, we become the son or daughter of God, we become a new creation!

BORN AGAIN- FREEDOM

When we are truly “born again,” we have God’s spirit residing within in us. We and others will know we have God’s Spirit because the evidence will show in our character. People will see the “fruit of the spirit” which is: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. No one who is born of God continues sinning. (1 John 3:9)

MADE POSSIBLE BY JESUS

When we have God’s spirit within us, we know we will be in God’s kingdom in the future. This takes away so much uncertainty about our future, knowing this. The only way this became possible, for us to have the opportunity to be in God’s kingdom, is because Jesus broke the curse of death that comes upon us when we sin, he did this when he died on the cross and raised from the dead. All our gratitude and thankfulness is to Jesus, without his resistance to sin, his obedience to the Father, this would not have been possible. Jesus is the way (to God’s kingdom), the truth (belief/faith) and the life (eternal life). No one comes to the Father except through Jesus. Jesus asks the Father for the Advocate (the Holy Spirit) and gives it to those who are sincere in their desires to be close in relationship with God. This is our adoption into God’s family, into His kingdom that will come.

It’s good to realize the freedom found being in Christ – having the Holy Spirit – brings us.

FREEDOM FROM:

  • a Broken Heart : there will be no more tears (Revelation 21:4) God is close to the broken hearted (Psalms 34:18)
  • Loss: those who put their faith in Jesus, who had the Holy Spirit indwelling when they passed away will come to life (Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 15:52)
  • Anxiety- Do not worry, God knows what we need and provides it (Matthew 6:25-34), Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7) (John 14:27) When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy (Psalms 94:19)
  • Anger – anger is the foothold of the devil, when we have the protection of God, the Spirit of God residing we have strength and self-control (Ephesians 4:27) (Galatians 5:22-23)
  • Worthlessness– we were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), for a specific kingdom purpose (Phillippians 2:13) (Ephesians 2:10), we are valuable or Jesus wouldn’t have suffered what he did so that we may be saved and live in eternity with God. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalms 139:13)
  • Temptation -God provides a “way out” for us, a way to avoid the temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13)
  • Depression – God refreshes us (Matthew 11:28), gives us peace and guards our minds (Phillipians 4:7)- Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken. (Psalms 55:22)
  • Lust- So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16)
  • Addiction – I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philipeans 4:13), Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18) Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7)
  • Guilt – if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God (1 John 3:21) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness
  • Shame- those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. (Psalms 34:5)
  • Condemnation -Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

FREEDOM BY:

  • Acceptance – though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me (Psalms 27:10)
  • Adoption – we become God’s son or daughter (Romans 8:16)
  • Mercy – he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our sins (Psalms 103:10), the Lord accepts our prayers (Psalms 6:9)
  • Forgiveness – For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 6:14)
  • Love – For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38) God is defined as love. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8) and Jesus also said the greatest commandment in the law to LOVE, love God and love others. (Matthew 22: 34-40). Love is everything.
  • Hope/The Promise of Eternity – “For I know the plans I have for you” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) while this message was specific to Jeremiah, after reading the bible, we see this message is consistent throughout and specific for all those whom God loves.
  • Truth – Jesus said: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”(John 8:32), Jesus also said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). From these statements, it is through Jesus that we are freed! All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)
  • Value – So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)
  • Peace – And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7) The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:6)- people who have the spirit indwelling feel peace in circumstances those without would not have peace.
  • New Creation – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17) All things will be made new (Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21, Revelation 22)
  • a Defined Purpose – For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)

FILLED WITH JOY! God works all things for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28, Romans 15:13) But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2.10) That good news is Jesus, his mission and purpose on earth was to save mankind from the law of sin and death and give life to us so we can live in eternity with God as brothers and sisters. This is truth – Flourish with it!

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12 Questions to answer and find out if you will have eternal life.

Let’s just get to the point. Russia is currently setting up outside Ukraine. China has been threatening Taiwan. Iran is enhancing its nuclear capacity and openly expresses its unacceptance (to put it mildly) of Israel and the United States. The Middle East in general is continuously in some level of conflict.

If you haven’t done this yet, it’s time to make sure your ETERNAL future is in the place of your choosing, because you may not end up where you expect. You need to make a decision and take action now. So here are 12 questions to know where you may end up and find out what you need to do if you don’t get the answer you want:

  1. Do you believe that JESUS is the ONLY way that you can be in eternity with God? (You can’t be “good enough” based on your own actions.) Yes or No?
  2. Are you familiar with the 10 Commandments? Yes or No?
  3. Do you admit that you break God’s commands? Yes or No?
  4. Do you know the following is prohibited by God and those who continually do this (and don’t change these ways) will not enter God’s eternal kingdom? (sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, theft, lying, slander, “magic” such as seances, astrology, mediums, practice of witchcraft, spiritist, interpreting omens, casting spells, anger, getting drunk, sexual perversion, false teachers of religion, false prophets of religion, pride, a person who stirs up conflict in the community, a person who loves and practices any false teaching, hypocrites, taking advantage of other people, practicing homosexuality, slave traders, anyone who speaks against God’s Spirit (the Holy Spirit), being conceited, prioritizing money or wealth) Yes or No?
  5. Have you rebelled against/sinned against God by doing anything in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
  6. Have you asked God for forgiveness and subsequently made an effort to avoid all things listed in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
  7. Have you told God that you want and intend to be obedient to Him by not breaking anything in #3 and #4, even though it is hard to do and you will mess up occasionally, but not regularly? Yes or No?
  8. Do you ask God for forgiveness then change the behavior if, or when, you do anything listed in #3 or #4? Yes or No?
  9. Have you publicly shown your commitment and surrendered to God and without hesitation state your belief in Jesus being the Son of God, the Messiah, who made it possible for you to be in eternity with God by being Baptized? Yes or No?
  10. Have you asked Jesus for God’s spirit (the Holy Spirit) to help you live according to God’s will? Yes or No?
  11. Do you know God personally? Do you have a personal relationship (ie. pray, read the bible, study the bible) with God? Yes or No?
  12. Is the Spirit of God residing in you? Yes or No?

If you honestly answered “Yes” to ALL the questions above, you can know that you will have eternal life with God. If you answered “No” to any of the questions above, then you have work to do if you want eternal life with God.

Here are some (but not all) links to scripture validating the questions above:

  1. John 14:6
  2. 10 Commandments: Exodus 20
  3. We all sin: 1 John 5:17, Romans 3:23, 1John 3:4, John 8:34
  4. Many Verses, Drinking
  5. Mark 21:7, Romans 3:12
  6. Acts 3:19
  7. Matthew 7:21
  8. 1 John 1:9
  9. Get Baptized, Matthew 10:32, Romans 8:2
  10. John 15: 26
  11. Matthew 7:14, Hebrews 8:12
  12. Romans 8:11, 1 John 5:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:8
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Secrets of the Universe

…this is meant for you.

I woke up compelled to write about this because you may not hear this from someone close to you, maybe not even your local religious organization, for many possible reasons that may become obvious to you after reading this. I intend to condense 4,000 years of history into a brief summary hoping it will be relevant and worthwhile for you and answer many “why” questions. This is the truth, not a fictional story.

CURRENT TIMES

You and I are caught in the middle of, and and are living with the residual effects of a war continuing today, that started approximately 4,000 years ago, or maybe even before then. Unfortunately and unknowingly we have been brought into this war, as participants, and we don’t have a choice in participating. There is no way to avoid being involved; we can’t “opt out.” This is one of the most challenging types of wars to succeed in because it literally is invisible, so if we can’t see it, how are we going to defend ourselves?

THE BACKGROUND

We are not the only beings in the universe: there are angels (both good and bad ones), demons, cherubim, and other creatures and spiritual beings that have not been revealed to us yet and most importantly, there is a God, who created all of this. Despite the intelligence of many in this world, the human race is not all knowing or as wise as some want to believe. Just think of the “food chain”- the rank that exists in nature, we are part of a rank as well, different than the food chain. I don’t know where we rank relative to other beings in the universe, but since angels and demons can travel back and forth and we can’t, that may indicate we don’t rank that high compared with all that exists.

The hardest aspect to comprehend is God, probably because we don’t know anyone or any thing that has “no beginning and no end, is omnipresent, all knowing”- again we have limited knowledge, limited comprehension. It is hard to comprehend a divine Person who created everything, because we didn’t see it happen and haven’t seen God. That’s an obvious reason why many “logically” don’t believe this.

WHAT CAUSED THIS WAR

We aren’t given all the details, but there was a rebellion in heaven by Satan, by name, and some of the angels who began to think they were as good or better than their Creator. God had blessed them with beauty, limited power and limited knowledge (in comparison, more knowledge than the human race has) and they evidently felt they had the ability to be as good as, to compete with, or be better than God. We can easily see this reality in our everyday life if we think about our business world: we have creators of a product or service and we have people who help the creators. Some of those people who help the creator begin to think they can do something better (sometimes they can and other times it’s not as good as the original) but they venture out on their own. Same concept, but there is much more to gain when we are talking about the level of God and His Kingdom. Satan was given limited authority over the air and the earth, I’m not sure if this was before or after the rebellion; but it would make more logical sense if this authority was given before the rebellion, when Satan was in God’s good grace. Satan apparently didn’t start out evil, but something happened: pride occurred. In this rebellion, Satan is attempting to take away or gain a following from God’s created children, probably out of revenge, proving his ability to do this to God. Historically, Satan has been, and will be successful in doing this with many people, but not all.

THE ULTIMATE PLAN

God creates everything that is good and has good intentions for it, but when He gave “choice” to the beings He created not every thing or everyone chooses to love Him back, obey Him or recognize their “rank” in the Universe. God is going to get rid of everything that has turned bad, that doesn’t love Him, that doesn’t want to obey Him, that doesn’t recognize their rank. God created the universe with an order in His design and that order will prevail, despite efforts by any other being. Only God knows the timeline for this because he designed it. He has a new kingdom that will be revealed in the future, it will be on Earth (but it will be a new earth; this existing earth will be destroyed) and He will live among the people in His kingdom; but none of those who turn against Him will be part of it.

THE HISTORY

In the beginning, God was both physically (walking in the garden) and spiritually here interacting with humans, but when sin occurred, He could no longer be physically present and the earth was cursed at that point. That’s something else which is hard to comprehend: the law surrounding Holiness: not being able to be present where sin exists. Only God knows why He made the law this way. Perhaps this was part of the knowledge Satan had from being in God’s presence: if Satan created sin, God couldn’t be present and Satan could gain influence and rule?

Without God’s physical presence it obviously was a challenge for people to believe He exists and since the earth was cursed once sin was present, everything on earth was then under the influence of Satan. Other beings in heaven that rebelled against God came to earth too. In fact there is a very brief mention of this in the bible; these beings came from heaven because they became infatuated with, lusted after some women on earth. They had physical connections with these women producing children called Nephilim. There is a book of Enoch that is not certified as completely without error or incorporated into the bible, but IF this part is true, the angels who rebelled against God, took some of the knowledge they had and taught humans- that is where astrology originated and much of the occult. The bible is very specific about astrology being something bad that God does not want the human race to get involved with, it actually separates us from God. Just think about that, doesn’t this all make logical sense now?

Because the world was getting so corrupted by this and filled with sin, God decided to flood the earth, and destroy the majority of life, saving only a small portion of humans (those God determined were the most obedient to Him) and animals, and there was an opportunity, a new beginning for humans once again. In the beginning of the human race, people had much longer lives (hundreds of years), but after seeing the bad choices and sinful nature of humans, God changed the average life span to 120 years. After this “cleaning up” of the world through the flood, God promised the survivors He would never do that again and as a symbol of this promise for people to remember, He created the rainbow which appears after rain.

Due to the law surrounding holiness not being able to be in the presence of sin. God had to use other means to reach people, so He did. He used other people (prophets, and those who had faith and believed in Him) to reveal Himself, through miracles, supernatural events, letting people know that He truly exists, even though they don’t see Him. Remember this is part of a spiritual war, as it has been from the beginning: Satan is trying to take people away from God, gain them for Satan’s purpose. Both Satan and God use people who are willing to be used. This is where we only have two options: either we are being used by God, or we are being used by Satan. This is the participation we can’t avoid. From history, we see that despite these supernatural events, people were still skeptical and didn’t believe. Satan has much more influence in a cursed earth environment and easily manipulates people through money, greed, lust, perversion, pride and self-centeredness. None of these things have any value at the end of history, but somehow people are blinded by the deception, perceived value. We are not the most intelligent beings created! Satan uses temptation, lures people into thinking they are getting something of great value, for people only to be disappointed after a period of time. One of the supernatural events God used was giving Moses the 10 commandments (a collection of 10 rules that God wants His people to live by); people still didn’t keep them. Within a very short time, people were back to their sinful ways.

Finally God sent his son, Jesus to be a physical presence here on earth, interact with people, do supernatural things and fulfill in real life the events that the prophets told people about, so that this information would be believed. Still some people didn’t believe, but others did. Jesus told those who believed, he wanted them to spread this information to others, to save the others. When Jesus was here, he gave insight into the heavens and tried to give humans a better understanding of God, God’s nature, God’s expectations, God’s plans and to let people know how they will be able to be a part of God’s future kingdom, when Jesus returns again. This continues today, in an effort to save people.

WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN

One misconception that people have is that if we are “good” nothing bad will happen to us. That is not true, unfortunately the earth has been cursed and there are two reasons bad things will happen to us: spiritual warfare (Satan’s power against God’s people) or a consequence of our sin. God does give blessings to his people and God will use the spiritual warfare to make us better people. He turns something bad into something good and promises us even more in the future. God stays true to His word. He is trustworthy.

HOW WE CAN BE A PART OF GOD’S FUTURE KINGDOM (A NEW EARTH AND HEAVENS)

  1. Seek God. Learn about the bible, study the bible, pray/talk to God, ask God to reveal Himself to you. Pray as often as you can.

2. Make a decision, but don’t take this decision lightly, because your intention matters: Are you willing to surrender to God and let God lead you? This means a willingness to give up the “valuable” things in this world, which are ultimately meaningless in the eternal world, but are very valuable to people in this world. A willingness to make God your priority, your #1 priority. A willingness to admit ‘I don’t know it all, I need God to provide. Admitting it when we are living differently than how God wants us to live and then committing to change that. A willingness to trust God. A willingness to let God use you, to serve God in some way with your abilities and help others. A willingness to accept God’s commands and do your best to obey them, knowing you won’t be perfect, but that you will keep trying. A willingness to put others first, rather than yourself. The honest intent is what matters, if you’re afraid you can’t do all these things, don’t be afraid of that, God will help you; you just have to be WILLING and give it to God. God has seen throughout history how hard it is for humans to be “good” he knows it’s impossible, and that is the main reason Jesus first came to earth: to save us (He became the required sacrifice to release Satan’s hold on us) when he was crucified, died on the cross and was the first to be resurrected (given a supernatural humanlike body, but better). That supernatural body is what all who surrender to God will be given in the future, because of Jesus. And we will be living with God in eternity, doing things/enjoying a NEW physical life on the new earth, not just floating around “in heaven” as some imaginations/teachings may have you thinking.

3. Get baptized. This is symbolic, but Jesus said it was required to gain eternal life and get this supernatural body. It symbolizes a “rebirth”: a death to our sinful natural self (old ways) and a new life (living according to God’s commands) This is where “born again” got its name, from a conversation Jesus had with Nicodemus.

4. Ask for the Holy Spirit. God’s spirit is what enables a person to be resurrected and live in eternity. When you have God’s spirit residing in you, you will know you are saved. You will feel like a different person, and the following character traits in you will be seen by others: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. God will be working within you. God’s spirit also give you courage, strength and power. We will need all these things to make it, endure until we are in God’s future eternal Kingdom.

5. Remain connected to God by prayers. The bible is also a way that God can communicate with us; so reading and studying the bible has many purposes: teaching, letting us know right vs wrong, correcting and training people in God’s ways.

I hope this makes a positive difference in your life! If you think this might be valuable to someone, please share it. Thank you.

by Categories: FAITH, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, Sex, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment