Why do we need to FORGIVE those who offended us?

In the New Testament, Jesus speaks of the importance of Christians forgiving or showing mercy towards others. The Parable of the Prodigal Son Portrays a very Naughty & Rebellious child who ask His father his inheritance then squandered it like a game of chance; but at the end the son decided to go back and ask his dad to forgave him & let him feed the foods of his sherds or pigs so he can eat; but the Father instead runneth after him and HUG & Kissed him and said:" kill all the best and finest meat for my son was once death (by being disobedient) but now he is Found again and the father dressed him with a crown.

The Parable of the unforgiving servant are perhaps the best known instances of such teaching and practice of forgiveness which the servant asked forgiveness for his debt to his master but didnt forgave her own servant so when the Master knew it, then he finally threw him to jail saying:"you asked me forgiveness and I forgave you for your debts but you don't know how to forgive also others who indebted you"..

Forgiveness is not easy but we have to do it because it is the commandments of God and if you won't forgive, you will be the loser in the sense that you become angry everyday and that will lead to so many miseries. Practically speaking, if you wont forgive,Anyone who has ever been victimized—and that includes survivors of crime, accidents, childhood abuse, political imprisonment, warfare, and so on—must decide whether or not to forgive the perpetrator. There can be no middle ground to this decision: either you decide to forgive the person who hurt you, or you hold on to bitterness and anger.

Holding on to bitterness and anger can cause problems of their own, so if you have ever been victimized, being able to forgive your victimizer is a crucial part of your healing.


I’ve seen individuals, for example, who have lost a family member because of a crime. The survivors’ anger and desire for revenge poison their entire beings. They so focus on what they’ve lost, and what they wanted the dead person to be, and do, for them, that they completely miss the opportunity they’ve been given to learn about real love.

Instead, they seem to believe that hatred, even to the point of capital punishment, will satisfy their thirst for vengeance and will somehow bring them healing.

So, with hardened hearts and stiff lips, they say, “I’ll never forgive.”

And the sad thing is that in wishing to send someone to hell they end up sending themselves there as well.

Forgiveness, however, can be a problem for many people simply because they are not clear about what forgiveness really is. All too often forgiveness gets confused with reconciliation, a larger process of which forgiveness is but one part.

Medically & Psychologically Speaking, Unforgiveness can create psychological and emotional stress, but it can take a toll on the body, too. In fact, the negative health effects of unforgiveness have been well-documented, with research showing a link between prolonged anger or resentment and a host of heightened medical risks. Because of the ways in which resentment and unforgiveness interact with the brain, the body’s reactions can lead to chronic—and sometimes serious—physical ailments. These chemical changes can tax the body during recovery, impeding progress in the alcohol or drug treatment program you’ve chosen. By dealing with unforgiveness in individualized therapy, you can help your body reestablish homeostasis, and heal emotional wounds that have led to drug or alcohol addiction.

The Negative Health Effects of Unforgiveness
Unforgiveness can take many forms, from emotional states such as grudge-holding, bitterness and resentment to subtler manifestations of unforgiveness such as irritability and stress. While more overt forms of anger tend to be short in duration, lingering unforgiveness can last for days or longer. When unforgiveness persists, the prolonged anger involved heightens a person’s medical risk. In fact, prolonged anger can make people 500% more likely to die before the age of 50.

Anger triggers the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, creating hyperarousal in the body in order to cope with a perceived crisis. The resulting stress on the body mimics amphetamine intake, raising blood pressure, speeding heartrate, and depressing the body’s immune response in order to focus on the threat of the moment. Over time, these responses cause negative health effects in the body, as these natural responses exist for too long when unforgiveness lingers. As a result, those harboring grudges experience increased risks of heart disease, cancer, and stroke.

Additionally, due to increased arousal and stress levels, many who experience prolonged resentment seek to self medicate through alcohol, drugs, tobacco or unhealthy eating patterns—which can lead to secondary health problems. Other negative health effects of anger can include headaches, digestive issues, tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and high blood pressure. Many of these symptoms lead dependent individuals to self-medicate to eliminate stress or anxiety, often leading to drug or alcohol addiction.

The negative health effects of unforgiveness can also have negative effects on the brain. Studies have shown that even low-level resentment and anger tend to lower cognitive function and problem-solving capacity. Mental errors tend to increase, and alternate perspectives fall out of reach, making problems more difficult to solve. Additionally, unforgiveness can lead to negative mental health effects such as anxiety disorders, depression, and shame. Unforgiveness can also create a physiological and psychological “crash” into depression, once incidents of hyperarousal subside.




In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus repeatedly spoke of forgiveness, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 (NIV) “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV) “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25 (NIV) “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also.” Luke 6:27-29 (NIV) “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” Luke 6:36 (NIV) “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37 (NIV)

Elsewhere, it is said, "Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'" Matthew 18:21-22 (NAS)

Jesus asked for God's forgiveness of those who crucified him. "And Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.'" Luke 23: 34 (ESV) (Note: Some religions, such as the LDS church interpret this to be spoken toward the soldiers who nailed him to the cross, who truly did not know who Jesus was.)[17]

In his time, Jesus created controversy among the Pharisees, when he told people their sins were forgiven. "The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, 'Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?'" Luke 5:21 (NIV) See Atonement in Christianity and Repentance and Biblical law in Christianity.

The Christian statement on forgiveness is best demonstrated in the Gospel message itself, namely that God the Father, chose to forgive mankind not for their own merit, but by unmerited favor. Unlike other religions, a Christian's forgiveness is given because of Christ's sacrifice, and can not be deserved by any works done by the believer.[18] Out of the basis of this forgiveness, believers are motivated to forgive all debts without recompense because of their debt Christ forgave at His own expense.

Question: "Faith vs. fear -HOW TO FIGHT FEARS? what does the Bible say?"

Question: "Faith vs. fear - HOW TO FIGHT FEAR? what does the Bible say?"

By Rick M. Pila

ANSWER:

Faith and fear cannot exist together. Faith is described in Hebrews 11:1 as being "certain of what we do not see." It is an absolute belief that God is constantly working behind the scenes in every area of our lives, even when there is no tangible evidence to support that fact. On the other hand, fear, simply stated, is unbelief or weak belief. As unbelief gains the upper hand in our thoughts, fear takes hold of our emotions. Our deliverance from fear and worry is based on faith, which is the very opposite of unbelief. We need to understand that faith is not something that we can produce in ourselves. Faith is a gift, (Ephesians 2:8-9) and is described as a fruit (or characteristic) which is produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The Christian's faith is a confident assurance in a God who loves us, who knows our thoughts and cares about our deepest needs. That faith continues to grow as we study the Bible and learn the attributes of His amazing character. The more we learn about God, the more we can see Him working in our lives and the stronger our faith grows.

A growing faith is what we desire to have and what God desires to produce in us. But how, in day-to-day life, can we develop a faith that conquers our fears? The Bible says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Romans 10:17). The careful study of God's Word is of primary importance in developing a strong faith. God wants us to know Him and completely rely on His direction in our lives. It's through the hearing, reading and meditation in the Scriptures that we begin to experience a strong confident faith that excludes worry and fear. Spending time in prayer and quiet worship develops a relationship with our heavenly Father that sees us through even the darkest of nights. In the Psalms we see a picture of David, who, like us, experienced times of fear. Psalm 56:3 reveals his faith with these words, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you." Psalm 119 is filled with verses expressing the way in which David treasured God's Word: "I seek you with all my heart" (v. 10); "I meditate on your precepts" (v. 15); "I have hidden your word in my heart" (v. 11). These are revealing words which speak wisdom to us today.

God is kind and understanding toward our weaknesses, but He requires us to go forward in faith, and the Bible is clear that faith does not mature and strengthen without trials. Adversity is God's most effective tool to develop a strong faith. That pattern is evident in Scripture. God takes each one of us through fearful situations, and as we learn to obey God's Word and to allow it to saturate our thoughts, we find each trial becomes a stepping stone to a stronger and deeper faith. It gives us that ability to say, "He sustained me in the past, He'll carry me through today and He'll uphold me in the future!" God worked this way in David's life. When David volunteered to fight against Goliath, he spoke these words, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1Samuel 17:37). David knew the God who had sustained him through dangerous situations in the past. He had seen and experienced God's power and protection in his life and this developed within him a fearless faith.

The Word of God is rich with promises for us to take hold of and claim for ourselves. When we face financial trouble, Philippians 4:19 tells us "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." If we are anxious about a future decision, Psalm 32:8 reminds us that God will "instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." In sickness we can remember that Romans 5:3 says "Tribulation works patience." If someone turns against us, we can be comforted by the words in Romans 8:31, "If God is for us who can be against us!" Throughout life we will continue to face various trials that would cause us fear, but God assures us that we can know a calm peace through every situation, "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding” which He has promised will “guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

MAYDAY! MADAY! DEATH IS LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT SO WE NEED TO REPENT & ACCEPT JESUS AS LORD & SAVIOR FOR TIME IS SHORT & HELL IS REAL...

Dear Friends & Families

The death of Claudia Zobel, a young & 19 years old bold star in the Philippine cinema during the 80's is an example of what the bible said:"Death comes like a thief in the Night" when she suddenly met a car accident coming from a night spot.. In other words , Death does not choose whether you are young or old but the question of this: Did Claudia Zobel were able to repent her sexual shows in the movie as it was banned due to it's sexual exploitation when the accident occurred or during that period? or is she save? Did she has the chance to repent during that fatal accident? as she was declared death upon arrival in the hospital unconciously? It is apparently bogus that she wasn't able to repent as the death and unconsciousness happened so quick like a TWINKLE OF AN EYE SO TO SPEAK. The lessons we learn here is that we need to be prepared always by running or getting out of habitual sins becoz Hell is real and the bible said that the wicked or evil doer will be snatched here on earth and be thrown to hell were pain is unending. The question I wanted to challenge you is are you ready to face Judgment of God when you die today. Two thousand years ago God sent His son Jesus Christ to save us all for those who believe and by turning away from all known sins in order to be saved.. But the story of claudia zobel is very frightening thing to me personally as death caught her coming from a night spot and obviously there was no repentance in my opinion as the movie she portray is like the a shameless woman who does sexual fornication and it was continues and this is not new in the history of the bible because there is a prophesy of John mentioned in the book of Revelation where there where a shameless women whose god is Sex without marriage but purely fornication and adultery and everyone goes with her will be with her in the blazing fire which is hell itself; and the bible says that anyone who does it will be punish in hell.. Therefore let us all repent now while there is time left for us coz if you don't then one day you will be like claudia zobel where death caught her by surprise"..

The GRACE of Forgiveness & Humility

Dear Peter Kairuz:

In reference to your request, you wanted me to email you of something I wanna say so you may just call me by phone to explain so it goes this way:

First of all, I wanted to confirm you that your discernment or I might call it your "prophesy" about the madrigal's that they are shrewd but not necessarilly bad has just happened. In other words, It came true while I was under employ with them but now, guess what?

The prophesy you gave me about the chinese employer that they are more rude is exactly happening now to me. In other words your "Prophesy" again came true.

Look my friend, I really dont understand the second wife of our President or the EVP because she is shunning everything what the president is advising me to do. In other words, One example is what happened a while ago, My appointment was supposed to submit requirements for accreditation in the banks but the EVP stop all the requirements by ordering her secretary and by asking an application form first which is out of context. The bank is somewhat laughing when I spoke to them earlier today. There is no such thing as application form for accreditation for developers. Therefore our meeting is a waste of time for me and for them and but anyway I am still paid so its not on my part but since I work by heart I can felt the waste of time;

Second, It was stipulated in our contract between me and the President that a car will be delivered to me and a driver if necessary but the EVP Overrule by inserting another memo which is contrary to law and Right conduct so I am just enduring it compare if you dont have job..

The only thing I consider why I endure First is the big salary and most of all the I was inspired when I read the book of Rick Warren entitle:"Why Can't I change?" that connotes what the bible is saying that whatever happens in your life has a purpose whether irritations, hurts, abuse & even crimes espcially when you see how Paul was beheaded in rome.

What I am trying to say is :"there is a purpose in order to develop the fruits of the spirit that is already in us"..Besides the bible says:"if someone slaps you on the right, give him your left as well and if someone throws you stone, throw them bread.. Look peter whether we like it or not, this is what the bible is saying. I remember how our House and lot was stolen by one of our sisters and her crime partners.. We were nearly shot to dead during confrontation in the Barangay council then after seeking help from our other families we were left in the air so the only thing to do is to get & buy an armalite then took revenge or to Forgive and forget so we and my wife decided to forgive and forget in fact we even had one of her babies be dedicated last two months; so just imagine, the person who cause you nearly to be shot to death, was the person you had her babies dedicated with a big party..

I cant imagine even how I did it but this is what you called the GRACE of God. Remember what the bible says in ephesian that "we are saved not because of any righteous acts we did but rather because of the mercy and Grace of God only so lest no one can boast".. This is all for now, May the world read this testimony in order to bring all the glory to God always and forever"..

OVERCOMING VICES

OVERCOMING VICES!

We all have habits, both good and bad. Anything you do automatically without consciously thinking about it, or without specifically deciding to do it, is a habit. Good habits or practices--such as tidiness, courtesy, good manners etc. are a real blessing. But when the habits you've picked up are BAD or DESTRUCTIVE, and you find them hard or almost impossible to change, they are known as VICES.

There's a true story about a man who owned an eagle, and for many years had chained him to a stake. Over the years, the eagle had walked around and around that stake so much on the end of his chain that he'd worn an actual rut in the ground. Finally, he was getting old and his master felt sorry for him and thought, "These are his last days, so I'm going to set him free!" So he took the metal ring off the eagle's foot, took him up in his hand and tossed him into the air. But what do you suppose happened? The old eagle had almost totally forgotten how to fly! He flip-flopped right back down to the ground, walked back over to the old rut and started walking around the rut like he had done for years! No chain or birdband held him!--Just the habit!

It has been said that "The chains of bad habits are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken!"--EXCEPT by the Lord! And "Habit is a cable; you weave a thread of it every day, and at last you cannot break it."--These are very true.

How many times have you tried to quit a bad habit, but found yourself almost powerless to get rid of it or stop doing it, no matter how much you tried to exert will power against it? The fact is that, in one area or another, we are all weak and very human and fallible, and subject to many different problems which can turn into bad habits and vices.

What most people do not realise is that a vice or a bad habit is often MORE than just an ingrained natural reaction. When you have a certain weakness, and you entertain and give in to it for a prolonged period of time, very often evil spirits--demons--are BEHIND these habits, playing them up and trying to keep you addicted to them, especially if they are bad habits which endanger you or your health, or your relationship with others.

According to God's Word, there are definitely demons who play up certain sins and vices and try to destroy us through them.--Such as demons of gluttony, demons of alcohol and drugs and cigarettes, demons of gam bling, demons of sexual perversions, of homosexuality etc. These are some of the most OBVIOUS vices, but what many people do not realise is that things like hatred, guilt, bitterness, worry, pride, jealousy, self-righteousness, fear, lying and deception are also bad habits and vices, and the spiritual powers that bind people to them can be just as strong and destructive as the addiction that drives someone to compulsive gambling, drugs or alcohol abuse!

There are demons that will try to harm and destroy you in almost every phase of your life if you let them. This is especially true if you have a TENDENCY or a BESETTING SIN along some line, say, for example, a strong inclination to be jealous or to critically judge others.--Or if you have a WEAKNESS towards alcohol or anything else. The Enemy can play on that and tempt you with it constantly.

ALCOHOLISM is a vice that has plagued mankind for millenniums, and though drinking wine in moderation was very common in Bible times, the Bible has much to say against the constant ABUSE of and OVER-indulgence in wine and other alcohol.--See Proverbs 2O:1; 21:17; 23:29-35; 31:4, Ephesians 5:18; Titus 2:3. The Lord can not only set you free from the spirit behind alcoholism, but He can also give you the will power to continue to resist it once He's delivered you.

We all know, of course, that the nicotine and tar in TOBACCO is very bad for our health and has been proven to be a major cause of cancer! Even most smokers recognise that smoking is a vice and a bad habit, but the point is, how can they STOP?--As it can have such a grip and be so addicting! The solution to stopping is to desperately pray for the Lord to free you from the physical dependence on the nicotine, and to rebuke any bad spirits which could possibly be aggravating and adding to the addiction. Ask the LORD to DELIVER you, and He WILL!

DRUGS are also very addicting and very harmful. This includes not only the illegal drugs, but also the "legal" prescribed drugs that millions of people buy across the pharmacy counter. Many are addicting, and whatever "benefits" they give--whether escape from reality or relief from pain--almost all of them have bad side-effects, are harmful and expensive! But the good news is that the Lord has DELIVERED untold thousands of people from drug addiction of all kinds!--MIRACULOUSLY!--And often without any withdrawal symptoms!

GAMBLING is a vice as addicting as alcoholism or drugs, and is clearly a case of deceptive evil spirits compelling someone to gamble their hard-earned savings away at a toss of the dice, the turn or a wheel, the speed of a horse or a chance good hand of cards. The principle behind gambling is that you can make easy money without labour, just the opposite of the values of diligence, hard work and thrift that the Bible teaches. Also, the dependence on "luck" is nothing more than wishing for the blessing of the Devil, as the word "LUCK" comes from his name, "LUCifer". It's bad enough that some people are foolish enough to take RISKS or CHANCES in gambling, but those who are actually "good" at it or "lucky" are even MORE in need of deliverance!

HOMOSEXUALITY--or Sodomy, as it is known in the Bible--has been more fully covered in another article in this book, "The Doom of the Sodomites". Please read this story and its "Food for Thought" if you have a problem with homosexuality.

Many Christians who self-righteously condemn others who are caught up in the obvious vices of alcoholism, drugs or sexual perversion think nothing of over-eating and obesity.--Yet GLUTTONY, or COMPULSIVE EATING are often spiritually induced vices as well, and a compulsive bad habit that takes real prayer and determination to overcome. Gluttonly is often as strong and as bad a habit as drug addiction or alcoholism, and God's Word gives ample warning against it. (See Proverbs 23:2,2O-21; 1Peter 4:3.)

Speaking of SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS and a condemning CRITICAL SPIRIT, these are definitely very serious spiritual problems and vices also. If you find yourself constantly judging and critical, looking down on others, thinking you are better than they are, then you should definitely seek for deliverance from the negative, divisive spirits which cause you to be that way.

Self-righteousness is very closely related to PRIDE, and stems directly from it.--And though we all have the besetting sin of pride and a love and concern for ourselves, the Enemy of our soul can often play on that natural human weakness and blow it up into the worst of all problems! Pride is the root of ALL sin, and was the cause of SATAN'S downfall.--Isaiah 14:12-15. The Lord HATES pride!--Proverbs 6:16-17.

Two other common vices that countless millions of people are afflicted with are HATRED and BITTERNESS. Like other sins of the mind and of the heart, these are definitely weaknesses brought on by evil spirits. For what the Bible has to say about bitterness, read Ephesians 4:31; Colossians 3:19; Hebrews 12:15; James 3:14-15. For hatred, read Proverbs 1O:12; 15:17; 26:26; Galatians 5:19-21. Not only are these bad habits detrimential and even dangerous to others, but medical science has proven that they cause all kinds of psychosomatic illnesses to the one who is bitter or hateful by releasing actual poisons into the bloodstream.

FEAR and WORRY are related negative emotions which cause no end of bad effects to the one who is plagued by them. Being deeply fearful or constantly worrying are usually more than just ingrained habits or the result of some bad childhood experience. Fear especially is a terrible bondage, and the Bible clearly states that "GOD has NOT given us the spirit of fear, but of POWER, and of LOVE, and of a sound mind!"--2Timothy 1:7. See also Proverbs 29:25; Luke 21:26; 2Timothy 1:7; Hebrews 2:15; 1John 4:18.

JEALOUSY has been covered in a separate article. (See "Jealousy: The Green-Eyed Monster!") GUILT or a feeling of condemnation is also definitely spiritual, and brought on by the Devil, whom the Bible calls "the Accuser of the Saints".--Revelation 12:10. People usually suffer from guilt because they are either disobedient and "have a certain fearful expectation of judgement" (Hebrews 10:27), or because "their conscience is weak" and therefore susceptible to the lies of the Enemy.--1Corinthians 8:7; Titus 1:15. The solution to breaking such an oppressive habit is to study the truth of GOD'S WORD to know what is WRONG and what is RIGHT, and then to OBEY and do the RIGHT THING!--Hebrews 10:22; John 15:3.

Some people have a compulsive bad habit of LYING or of practicing DECEPTION. The Bible makes it clear that this is also a serious vice. For Bible verses on lying, see Psalm 119:163; Proverbs 6:16-17; 1O:18; 12:22, 13:5; 26:28; Ephesians 4:25. For deceitfulness, see Proverbs 12:5,17; 14:8,25; 26:24. There are many more bad habits and vices which we could list, but these are just a few examples of some of the most common ones. But remember, ANY bad or negative habit you have that hurts yourself or others is a VICE, and it is very possible that the Enemy of your soul is behind it, using it to try to defeat or hinder you.

It's interesting also that a VICE is a workman's TOOL that GRIPS something so it cannot move!

If you're a Christian, evil spirits can't permanently possess you, but they can try to put thoughts in your head to motivate you to do things which you shouldn't. They try to INFLUENCE your mind and your spirit, and try to get you to yield to them.--And if they can get you to yield to their influence or to decide to do their will, they get control and can almost bind you into vices or bad habits. If you get into a bad habit and do it continually, you can wind up in total defeat to where you're obeying and listening to the Devil instead of the Lord.

Even born-again Christians who love the Lord are sometimes subject to evil spirits.--Not permanently possessed, but OPPRESSED or under their influence. A Christian is the LORD'S property and possessed by the LORD and HIS Spirit.--But of course, if you have some besetting sin, some dark corner of your life or bad habit that you're not willing to yield to the Lord, the Enemy can bother you and plague you on that point. He can use that thing to weaken you or to cause defeat in that particular area of your life. This is why God's Word says, "Neither give PLACE to the Devil!"--Ephesians 4:27. The Scripture calls them "BESETTING SINS" because they are SPIRITS that ATTACK you, "WEIGHTS" you must "lay aside".--Hebrews 12:1.

When you "give place" to the Enemy in your life, it's like having an evil boarder in your house: He's not in control of the house, but he annoys you and causes you trouble and all kinds of damage. You tell him to leave several times but he won't leave, so finally by the authority and the law--in this case the authority of the WORD and the Name of JESUS--you literally THROW him out!--Otherwise he just won't leave!

It's sad that many Christians go so long without getting complete DELIVERANCE from deep-seated vices and bad habits! They just sort of harbour them and allow them to hang around without really getting RID of them. They don't recognise that their problems are SPIRITUAL as well as physical, so they don't take SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY over these spirits and REBUKE them and get RID of them.

You have to first of all be willing to RECOGNISE that there is a SPIRITUAL FORCE binding you into that vice, and you have to want to be FREE of it enough that you are not only willing to CONFESS it to the LORD and cry out to HIM for help, but you have to be willing to confess to OTHERS that you need help and prayer to overcome your weakness and bad habit.--Because some vices have such a strong grip on people--even Christians--that they're almost powerless to overcome them on their own.

If you have a real serious problem and you cannot seem to get deliverance through private prayer or trying to resist some vice on your own, then you need to contact other Spirit-filled Christians whom you know and trust and let them know you have a serious problem and ask for their united prayer! Never be ashamed to ask for help or prayer when you need it.

Remember, God's Word says: "ONE can chase a THOUSAND, but TWO can put TEN THOUSAND to flight" (Deuteronomy 32:3O), and it helps greatly to have someone else pray with you when you feel oppressed or distressed or attacked by the Enemy. "Where TWO or THREE are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them." And, "If any TWO of you shall AGREE on Earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven."--Matthew 18:19-20.

"If there is any SICK among you (SPIRITUALLY as well as physically), let him CALL for the ELDERS of the church and let them pray over him, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick. And if they have committed any sins, they shall be forgiven them. CONFESS your FAULTS one to another, and PRAY one for another, that ye may be HEALED."--James 5:14-16. When you pray, quote and remind the Lord of the Promises that He has made in His Word. When you remind God of His Word, it shows you have faith in it. He has promised to keep His Word, so remind Him of it, cling to His Promises, memorise and quote them continually, and never doubt for a moment that God is going to answer--and He WILL! He HAS to! If you sincerely WANT deliverance and PRAY for a real victory over any bad habits, the LORD will help you! Jesus never fails! He always answers when we call upon Him with a WHOLE HEART.

"ALL power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth," Jesus said (Matthew 28:18), and we have JESUS, so we have HIS power, so even the evil spirits and demons are subject unto us!--Matthew 1O:1; Luke 9:1; 1O:17-19, Acts 8:7. If there are demonic powers behind your bad habits, you can rebuke them in the name of Jesus, and they HAVE to DEPART!

To overcome a vice or bad habit, you first or all have to get delivered of the spiritual power that is behind the bad habit. Before you're delivered, the binding spirit may pretty much have control, but after you are DELIVERED, it will be within your power to RESIST its re-entry!

But even after prayer and spiritual deliverance, it sometimes takes awhile to completely break free from the HABIT. Although you are delivered of the SPIRIT, you still have the ingrained HABIT, and the spirit may keep trying to come back to tempt you for awhile and play up on your weakness or tendencies along that line.---Especially if a certain weakness or vice has been a big problem or habit for many years. It makes you much more SUSCEPTIBLE to attacks along that line. So for some time after prayer you may still have some battles with it.--But don't give up! It's a real battle to overcome a strong bad habit you've had for years, but you need to resist even thinking about doing those things again.--Rebuke the very THOUGHT of temptation, quote Scriptures and praise the Lord continually!

It's not YOUR fault that you get TEMPTED. Nobody can keep temptation from coming, but you don't have to YIELD to temptation! "You can't keep birds from flying over your head, but you can CERTAINLY keep them from building a NEST in your hair!" Attack and hit the Devil back every time he tries his tactics on you! The Devil can only win if you SURRENDER! He can NEVER win as long as you keep FIGHTING. "RESIST the Devil and he will FLEE from you!"--James 4:7. As long as you keep resisting, he'll keep fleeing. But if you stop resisting, he uses his lies and temptations and persuasion to win. When JESUS WAS TEMPTED by the Devil, He fought him with SCRIPTURES!--Luke 4:1-13. So quote the Word of God and rebuke the Enemy!

Some changes are instantaneous, overnight, and others take awhile. You can't get over some habits in one day necessarily, because the Enemy doesn't very willingly surrender territory which he has controlled so long. When people have had weaknesses and had channels open to the Enemy before, he tries to get back in if he can. But if you keep praying and asking the Lord to protect and deliver and give you the complete victory, and you claim and quote His Word, He WILL! "Whom the Son shall set free is FREE INDEED!"--John 8:36.

One of your best protections is to KEEP BUSY for God and others, doing what you know you SHOULD, as well as filling your mind and heart with positive, encouraging, strengthening and faith-building thoughts from His Word, remembering, memorising and continually quoting to yourself and even to the Enemy when he attacks you. And "pray without ceasing!"--1Thessalonians 5:17. As the poem says: "The Devil flees when he sees the weakest saint upon his knees!"

"Ye are of GOD, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is HE (JESUS) that is IN YOU, than HE (THE DEVIL) that is in the WORLD."--1John 4:4. The power of the Lord is far greater, and is able to break all the chains that may bind you!

WHATEVER your bad habit is, JESUS can set you FREE!--Are YOU free?--Or do you need HELP?--"ASK and ye SHALL RECEIVE!"--Amen?

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The following is a sample of a prayer for deliverance that you might find helpful, as it offers you an example, not only of how to call out to the Lord for His help to overcome vices, but also how to CLAIM and QUOTE Scriptures as you rebuke the Enemy:

(PRAY:) "Lord Jesus, I call out to YOU now with my whole heart and ask You, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to FREE me from the terrible grip that this vice has on my life! YOU said in Your WORD, Jesus, `Greater is He that is in me (YOU in my heart, Lord!) than he that is in the World (the Devil)!'--So I KNOW that YOU are GREATER than the Enemy and CAN overcome this vice! You said, `ALL power is given unto Me in Heaven and on Earth' and that `if ye shall ask ANYTHING in My Name, I WILL DO it'!--So I ask You right now, Jesus, to BREAK every hold the Enemy has in my life and DESTROY the power of this bad habit! I REBUKE the Devil and ALL of his influence, right NOW, in Jesus' name!

"Your Word says, `Give NO place to the Enemy', and I don't want ANYTHING that's not of YOU, Jesus! Your disciples said, `Even the evil spirits are SUBJECT unto us!', so I CLAIM that promise, I claim that SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY over the power of the Enemy--right NOW!--And I REBUKE the Devil in the Name of JESUS CHRIST! I claim Your Promise, Lord: `RESIST the Devil and he will FLEE from you!' I RESIST you, Satan, in the Name of JESUS CHRIST! I BIND and REBUKE any hold you might have on my life, any power you might have over me, in the Name of JESUS!

"JESUS, You PROMISED that `When ye shall call unto Me with a WHOLE HEART, I WILL answer thee!'--And Jesus, I AM crying out with ALL my heart for You to deliver me!--And I EXPECT you to do it! You promised, `Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth SHALL be BOUND in Heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth, shall be loosed in Heaven', so I BIND the power of the Enemy in YOUR NAME and I loose the grip he has on me and I ask You to cast him far away from me, NEVER to return!--In JESUS' name! I count it DONE, Lord! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You for setting me FREE! Help me now to take a stand of faith against the Enemy's devices! Please give me the spiritual power to do what I can to resist temptation, and STAY free from the ingrained habits, Lord! In the Name of Jesus Christ!--AMEN!"

Our First Enemy is Ourselves called the "FLESH"

Dear Friend:

Before anything else, let me just point out that we Have Three enemies and they are the Devil which I discussed earlier; then the World; which makes us hooked and Idolized it; but the worst is Ourselves which is the The first enemy among the Three and that is the FLESH. The Flesh according to the bible is anything that is contrary to the the Word of God and they are the Following:

A.)Hatred, Immorality, Lust, Vengeance, Anger, Lust for sex; Jealousy, Unforgiveness, Gossip, Slander, Murder and many more just read the book of Romans but the fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Self-control, Patience, Endurance, Humility, Fortitude and anything that is not in the spirit is the work of the flesh.

A lot of preachers today claim that their messages, all of them, can change your life. They say that to get you to buy what you just heard them preach. They are dealing with this issue or that issue or problem area of you life. But if that were so, then there are a thousand messages you have heard that should have, but didn’t change your life. The problem is that they never got to the core problem and went to the foundational issue.

This Word of God will do that. No message or word of man has the power to change your life, but the Word of God, if it is heard and received and believed and acted on, has the power to change your life, for that is how you get or got saved to begin with. It was because you heard the Word and you were brought to conviction and repentance and so were born again by the Word of God. 1 Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” The power of God is in His Word. When that logos becomes rhema in our spirit, then the Spirit of God uses it to make a change and transformation in us.

We think, look I’m saved, I’m born again, I have the spirit of God in me, why do I keep sinning and doing the wrong thing, I just can’t seem to overcome my flesh. You can overcome the flesh and live in God’s abundance by walking in the spirit and not fulfilling he lusts of the flesh. How do you do that? We need to find our how to be led by the spirit and stop walking in the flesh and how to walk in life and victory.

The flesh is a way of thinking that leads to a bad decision that leads to failure. Failure doesn’t come from being in the flesh or being out of control in your emotions but failure comes from making bad decisions and bad decisions come from being in the flesh and from letting your emotions rule over you.

The enemy of our inheritance is not the devil, but the flesh. The devil doesn’t stop us from walking in the spirit and having what God wants us to have but our flesh. The flesh opposes the spirit and the spirit opposes the flesh. If you are not walking in your inheritance it is because you are not walking in the spirit, but in the flesh.

John 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” The spirit quickens, it gives life. The flesh profits nothing. If the flesh profits nothing, if something, anything profits nothing then there is no benefit in doing it and that is not where we want to be or to be headed. Why do people walk in the flesh? It isn’t because they have too but because they choose to, especially if they have been redeemed. Most people walk in the flesh because they think it will accomplish something, or produce something. Why do people get angry? They think it will cause others to do what they want. They think it will get others to change their behavior or whatever. But the flesh profits nothing. The spirit is the words of God. To walk in the spirit is to walk in the Word of God. When you walk in the word, you walk in the spirit for the Word is spirit and life. And if you walk in the Word, you will not walk in the flesh and think and do that which will lead to failure, sin and that which is bad for you.

We are talking about a mindset. What you mind is set on and the basis for your thought life. We are also talking about a worldview. Do you think and see things in this world, in your life and circumstances through the filter of the Word of God or is it by what man say, by humanistic thinking, by modern psychology, by that which is convenient to you or that which you think will benefit you. Today society is being taught to think contrary to the Word of God, to think that they are not a creation of a loving God, to think that God shouldn’t be in our society because everyone doesn’t believe in God and that there are no moral or other absolutes. That way of thinking leads people to walk in the flesh and produce the lusts of the flesh and do that which is contrary to God and that which is life and to live in sin. So, let us start with some definitions.

Our spirit is that part of our being that is conscious of what is above us. It was created to be God conscious. Our soul is that part of our being that is conscious of that which is around us. Our flesh is that part of our being that is conscious of what is wrong with us, and what is in us. Our flesh is that part of our being that is what is in us, not what God has put in us, but what our emotions and that which we feel, see and hear or that which is on us.

There is a part of us that can be conscious of what is above us. What is above us but heaven, God and life. Colossians 3:1-2 says, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” It is where Jesus is “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (Ephesians 1:21) and “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

Galatians 5:16-17 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” The flesh is at war against the spirit, and the spirit is at war against the flesh and they are fighting one another and you can’t do the things you want or desire and you can’t have what you want. The war between the flesh and sprit will keep you from having the things you wish, desire or that God wants you to have. So we have to put an end to the flesh.

The Bible doesn’t say battle your flesh, but crucify your flesh. Romans 13:14 “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Galatians 5:24-25 “And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” That means to walk in the power and by the leading of the Holy Spirit. What does the Spirit of God use to speak to you and lead you in making the right decisions? The Word of God. Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” What is that word you will hear, the spirit speaking to you God’s Word, bringing a verse to mind, causing your consciousness to be pricked because of the truth you know and what God has commanded you to do and how He has told us to live.

Look at this verse, Isaiah 42:16. “And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” How does God do this? To bring one from darkness to light is by the revelation of God’s Word. Christ told Paul that he was sending him to preach the gospel to “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God,” (Acts 26:18). 2 Peter 1:19 puts it this way, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” That is because God’s word is the light. Psalm 119:130 “The entrance of thy words giveth light.” The Word of God brings light into the mind. That which is contrary to the word of God is darkness and blindness of the mind. 2 Corinthians 4:4 brings these two things together. “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

That thinking which is contrary to truth is thinking which is not according to truth or that which is a lie. Romans 3:4 says, “let God be true, but every man a liar.” Any thought that is contrary to truth is a lie. The truth of God’s Word is light. So any thinking that is contrary to the light of God’s Word is darkness. God’s Word is spirit and life and all thinking that is contrary to God’s Word is flesh and death.

Romans 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” To walk after the Spirit is to walk under the authority and under the obedience of the Word. If you walk contrary to the Word you are walking according to the fleshly mind and that brings condemnation because you are in disobedience to the Word. Therefore, it continues, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” When you walk in the fleshly mind, you will make wrong decisions that lead to sin and sin leads to death.

Scripture says that you have to take up your cross daily, not fight your flesh daily and that is because the flesh tries to resurrect itself. Luke 9:23 “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” What is your cross? Your cross is where your will, your desire, your thoughts are contrary to the thoughts, will and desire of God for your life. It is where your will and the will of God come into conflict and you have to do as Jesus when He walked as a man and pray, “Father… not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Why is this true? We can verify this with another scripture. Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” So when we are following our ways, our thoughts, that is walking in the flesh because it is contrary to God’s ways and God’s thoughts which are given to us through His Word.

But you have to crucify your flesh once and for all. That is done by your coming to the cross and surrendering your life and identifying with His death, burial and resurrection, which is shown in baptism. Therein through baptism we tell the world that we have died to our self and living by our flesh, the ways that are contrary to God’s Word and now are a new creation in Christ Jesus and will walk according to His Word and His Spirit. You crucify your flesh by identifying the flesh to the simplest definition and then you won’t have to constantly battle it.

You won’t have to think, now does my flesh want to eat a piece of pie or whatever. At the simplest definition, the flesh is the opposite of the spirit. John 6:53-58 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.”

So what is Jesus talking about here? This passage is twofold. In this passage there is an indirect application in communion, but in this context it is primarily speaking about His Word. Yes, we remember His life and death by partaking of the elements of communion and thereby identify with His sacrifice for us and come back to the cross and apply it to our lives.

But more importantly, Jesus was the Word become flesh, the living bread that came down from heaven and we live by Him by eating His Word and living by His Word, which is our heavenly manna. Jesus lived by the Father by living by His Word and so do we. John 5:30 “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge.”

Concerning us, in John 5:24, Jesus said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” How do you pass from death and condemnation into life? By hearing the Word and believing His Word which means to live by His Word and allow it to influence and control our decisions. John 8:31-32 “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The truth is God’s Word is what sets us free from all lies and deceptions of the world and the devil and walking by His Word is what makes us His disciples. Walking in the flesh is walking contrary to God’s Word.

The words of Jesus are the spirit of God, walking in the spirit is walking in the Word. Walking in the flesh is walking contrary to the Word and it happens without thought because it is a mindset and that is why our minds must be renewed by the Word of God. Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world:(don’t be made in the image of this word, to look and act like the world, we are to be conformed to the image of Christ) but be ye transformed (totally changed in nature so as to make fit for a totally new purpose so that your outward man looks like the inward spirit of Christ) by the renewing of your mind (by the living and abiding Word of God within), that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” The only way to transform your mind and thinking is by filling it with the Word of God and walking according to the Word of God is the only way to prove that good and acceptable and perfect will of God for your life.

I sinned, I fell, I blew it. Does that mean I was in the flesh? No. It’s being in the flesh that caused you to sin, to blow it. Being in the flesh is not an action, but a way of thinking. It is a disease condition of the soul that leads to corrupt decisions and that is where failure comes from. The flesh is a way of thinking that leads to a decision against God’s Word that leads to bad decisions to being out of control in your emotions. Bad decisions come from being emotionally ruled instead of ruling over them, it is a way of thinking that opposed the Word and opposes righteousness. The flesh stays alive through a system of thoughts.

Therefore the flesh is crucified by taking thoughts captive. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Imaginations speaks of images in the mind and those images that come from worldly, carnal, ungodly thinking must be cast down because they are contrary to Christ. God said bring your thoughts into line with my Word, into obedience of His Word and that is what it is to bring them into the obedience of Christ. You can only do that by displacing incorrect thinking with the Word of God, by filling your mind with God’s Word that you will then walk and make decisions according to that Word.

That is what the word to Joshua was all about in Joshua 1:8. “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” When you fill you mind with His Word, you meditate on His Word and it is in your heart, then you will speak it and do according to it and then you will have success because you will be walking according to the spirit and not the flesh.

Romans 8:4 “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Righteousness is fulfilled by the spirit, by walking in the spirit. Those in the flesh mind the things of the flesh and those in the spirit have their minds on the things of the Word. Romans 8:5-6 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally (worldly) minded is death; but to be spiritually (Word) minded is life and peace.” To be fleshly minded, carnally minded is death. The flesh is a way of thought, a way of thinking, of words that are contrary to the scripture and to Jesus. It is not that the flesh wants this or that. It is a way of thinking that leads to immorality; that leads to lust and other works of the flesh. The words of the flesh lead to the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. Lasciviousness is living without boundaries. This list of the works of the flesh, are the manifestations of a wrong way of thinking. The flesh is simply a wrong way of thinking, a wrong attitude of the mind, a wrong mindset.

The flesh is not thinking of lusting things. No the flesh produces lustful things. Lustful things are the fruit, the harvest of the flesh. The flesh is not thinking “that sin that I did, that will finish me off; that will doom me.” You wouldn’t think that that thought is the flesh talking to you, but that is what it is; because it is contrary to what the Word says. No sin or failure has to result in your ultimate doom. The word says God will remove our sins as far as the east is from the west when we repent of them. The Word says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). End of subject. God is faithful and just to forgive. Our part is to humble ourselves and repent of that sin and then change our way of thinking, that is the about face of repentance, so that we do not go back to that sin and continually walk in that sin we have repented of. It is done by a change of mind, a change of thinking. Repentance is first and foremost a change in attitude of the mind and therefore a change in direction.

When we think, “I don’t know if I will ever get over this sickness.” That is the flesh, not the spirit because it is not the Word of God. There is a difference between the manifestation of the flesh, the byproducts of the flesh and what it is. The sprit says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me,” and the flesh says, “If I just do this or that, or fast enough, I can do it myself.” I am not saying you shouldn’t fast, but fasting doesn’t crucify the flesh. Fasting can help put your mind on spiritual things and help you focus on spiritual things and to quiet the appetites of the body so you can feed on the Word to help renew your mind to the things of God.

The flesh’s appetite is fed by a wrong thought pattern that leads to fleshly actions and sin. “I don’t know if I can do this, if I can stop doing this, or get victory over that.” That is the flesh. The flesh opposes the sprit, which is the Word that says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It is not I can do all things. That is also fleshly thinking that will bring us into condemnation before God because it is pride in our ability rather than faith in His ability to work in us and enable us to do it.

We cannot do what He asks in and of ourselves or by our flesh. We can only obey and do God’s will by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Yes, the Spirit of God can work and lead a new believer in that which is right, even though he or she doesn’t yet know the Word concerning something, but still can convict of God’s desire for us and lead us in the right way. Yes, but the problem is our thinking being by a worldly, humanistic mindset that has to be changed by the washing of the water of the Word, which bring sanctification, which is a process and doesn’t happen all at once. It is when we see ourselves in the mirror of the Word and see that we are doing something that God doesn’t want or not doing what He does, that we change our thinking in that area and ask the Lord to enable us to then do that which is right, but it begins with your changing your thinking so that it is according to His Word. Why? Because scripture tells us this about man, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). That is because you first think, then you do or act on what you think or meditate upon. You become according to your thinking. So you’re thinking and your life are either being conformed to the image of Christ by being conformed to His Word or you are being conformed to the image of Lucifer by your thinking more and more like the world and its ways.

James 1:13-15 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” How are you tempted? In your mind! It is by thoughts of the mind that temptation comes. Then the question is, what do you do when a bad or evil thought comes. It isn’t the first look or first sight that is or causes lust and adultery in the mind, but the second look that continues to look and admire and think upon. No one ever robbed a bank or another person without thought and planning. It begins in the mind. No one lied without thought to try and conceal truth to protect themselves or whatever. What you think upon, you will move toward and then you will do it and sin and if you continue in it that continual sin will lead to spiritual death. It is that simple. You can loose your salvation. You once made a decision for Christ, okay, but that isn’t good enough. It isn’t where you begin the race but where you finish it. You must continually choose to follow Jesus. You still have a free will and many, like Demas, in love with the world and the things of the world, turned away from God and the ministry he was once a part of. Unconditional eternal security forgets your own free will which doesn’t change when you come to Christ. As I was told when I came to Jesus, try Jesus, if you don’t believe serving Him is better than your present life, you can always change your mind and walk away and take your old life back. Many have and when they walk in the flesh and according to its lusts; that leads to spiritual death as with the prodigal son. But yet, God in His great mercy; allows for repentance and restoration of the prodigal who turned away from His grace. That is grace beyond understanding and love I cannot comprehend.

Again, the flesh says I’m afraid, I can’t believe that, that isn’t going to work. That is the flesh. Your right, the flesh doesn’t believe anything but self. It only believes what it can see, touch, hear and smell. The flesh lives by its five senses and the flesh can’t please God.

Romans 8:7-8 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” The carnal, fleshly mind is hatred against God and the things of God and it cannot be subject to the Word of God. Why can’t you please God in the flesh? Because the flesh lives by what you see and if you live by what you see you can’t live by faith and without faith it is impossible to please God. Romans 10:17 “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” The opposite of faith is the flesh. Faith comes from hearing the word. Fear comes from hearing you flesh, something contrary to the word of God.

All depression is from listening to your flesh. Those who know who they are in Christ have crucified the flesh, that worldly, ungodly mindset and its affections and lusts. Those who walk in the righteousness of God have crucified the flesh. It’s a righteousness that comes from God versus that which comes from our flesh. As we think righteousness and know we are righteous in Christ; that causes the flesh to stay hidden.

How do you think righteousness? Righteousness becomes the filter of your mind. Nothing can go through your mind without asking righteousness decision. Every thought that comes into your head needs to stop at the registration desk and check in with righteousness and let righteousness decide whether to allow that thought in or not. That is how we must live to come to victory and becoming what God wants us to be, conformed to the image of Christ. Romans 8:19 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son.” The registration of your mind must be righteousness, God’s righteousness.

Remember your thought life controls your actions and the flesh is a way of thinking. If you think the way God tells you to think, then you will see results and you will get victory over your flesh and its desires. The key is to take charge over your flesh by taking change over the fleshly thought life and mindset and bring it into the obedience of Christ. This is the key to a walking in the spirit.

Walking in the spirit first takes filling your mind with the Word of God and then prayer and learning to become sensitive to the spirit of God by practice and exercising your spirit and faith in everyday life.

Romans 8:9-10 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” We have to remember, that it must always begin with being born again of the spirit of God. The natural man, not born of the Spirit, cannot walk according to the Spirit of God, cannot be led by the Spirit of God, cannot have his mind renewed by the Spirit of God, which uses the Word of God to renew and cleanse the mind of the things of the world and the past life, when we come to Christ and walk with Him. But if you have come to Christ, you have come to the cross and put your faith in the finished works of Calvary and the blood of Jesus shed for your sin, then the Spirit of God comes into your life and that will bring life and righteousness. 1 Corinthians 1:20 “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”

Those without the Spirit of God can only know the letter of the Word which is death. 2 Corinthians 3:6 “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” Without the life giving Spirit of God, there is no life and the Word of God is a dead book, words on a page for there is not revelation and understanding of the meaning of those words, so they are death and not life. The Spirit must first convict the sinner using the Word of God to bring them to repentance and then He can do His work of salvation and renewing of the spirit within man that makes us born-again. “… but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.;” (Titus 3:5).

We must begin with the Spirit by being born of the Spirit and then we must continue in the Spirit, allowing Him to renew our minds by His Word as we read and study and meditate upon it and then allowing Him to speak to us in our daily life and become sensitive to His leading that we know His voice and leading and then we will find a new level of success and victory in life and we think according to His Word and allow it to direct our decisions in life.

Bringing the words of God to Joshua we read earlier into the New Testament and summarizing this we do so with the words of James 1:22-15. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” It does no good to read or hear the Word if it goes in one ear and out the other and we do not hear, believe and then act according. When God’s Word shows us the way and rebukes something in our life, then we need to allow it to cleanse our lifestyle by cleansing and renewing our thinking. Then we will walk according to His Word and Spirit and be doers of the Word and receive the blessing of God. The one, who hears only, doesn’t receive the blessing and the inheritance, but the one who is a doer because He allows His thinking to be changed and conformed to the Word of God, which conforms us to the image of Christ.

In closing: Romans 8:12-14 “Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” You must walk as a son of God to be a son of God. To be a son is to come under the authority of your spiritual Father. To be a part of His kingdom, you have to be under the authority of the King. That is what sonship is about, not just confessing, “I am a son of God.” That doesn’t make you one any more than swimming or going fishing makes you a fish.

You are what you do, not what you claim by profession. If the Word is directing your life and decision, therefore your actions, then you are being led by the Spirit of God, for His Word is spirit and life (John 6:63-64). “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you that believe not.”

What is the TRUE Meaning Why Many People Are Experiencing Weaknesses in Life?

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into Paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. Though if I wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Distorting the Message to Make It Marketable

One of the reasons biblical Christianity has to be so drastically distorted in order to sell it to mass markets is that the market wants power to escape weakness in leisure, but Christianity offers power to endure weakness in love.

Verse 9 just doesn’t sell: “Jesus said [in response to Paul's prayer], ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” IN weakness? What the market wants is escape from weakness, not power in weakness. But to meet that felt need in the market the message must be distorted—and often is.

But by distorting the message to make it more immediately appealing, two things are lost:

1. the truth of the message is lost, and
2. the chance to meet the really deep need that we all have in the midst of adversity is lost.

So what I want to do—for the sake of God’s truth and for the sake of meeting your deepest need—is lay open this text with as little distortion as possible. You have it in front of you. You be the judge.

Three Questions About Christian Weakness

We are going to talk about the Christian experience of weakness. There are three questions to answer in the time we have:

1. What are the weaknesses that Paul has in mind here when he says, “The power of Christ is made perfect in weakness”?
2. What is the source of such weaknesses? Do they come from Satan or from God? Or both?
3. What is the purpose of such weaknesses? Is there a goal or an aim for why the weaknesses come?

I ask these three questions not only because they are the ones answered in the text, but because knowing these things and being reminded of them in our hearts as God’s truth will give us the strength to live and endure and often even to thrive in the midst many weaknesses.

Bringing the Questions Closer to Home

Just to bring it closer to home, on Wednesday we had a really good all church strategy meeting. One of the songs we sang has a chorus that goes like this:

Since Jesus came into my heart,
Floods of joy o’er my soul
Like the sea billows roll
Since Jesus came into my heart.

As we sang it, I wondered how everyone in the chapel was processing that statement in the light of real life experience when sea billows of joy do not roll over the soul. Here’s how I fit it in my own experience: Yes, since knowing Jesus, joy has rolled over me like the waves of the sea, but not always. There are times when the tide goes out. God is still God; joy is still joy; but I am baking in the seaweed on the beach waiting for the tide to come in.

What makes days and months and years like that livable is the grace and power of Jesus described in our text.

1. What Weaknesses?
What are the weaknesses Paul has in mind here when he quotes Jesus as saying in verse 9, “My power is made perfect in weakness”? And then says, “I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses”? And then again in verse 10 says, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses”?

Four Other Words to Fill Out the Meaning

I think the safest way to answer is to let the four other words in verse 10 fill out what he has in mind. What he summarizes as weaknesses in verse 9 he spells out in four other words in verse 10: insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.

1. Insults—when people think of clever ways of making your faith or your lifestyle or your words look stupid or weird or inconsistent. When we were giving out “Finding Your Field of Dreams” at the dome, I heard one man say mockingly, “And the Lord said, Play ball.” And all his friends laughed.
2. Hardships—circumstances forced upon you, reversals of fortune against your will. This could refer to any situation where you feel trapped. You didn’t plan it or think it would be this way. But there you are, and it’s hard.
3. Persecutions—wounds or abuses or painful circumstances or acts of prejudice or exploitation from people because of your Christian faith or your Christian moral commitments. It’s when you are not treated fairly. You get a raw deal.
4. Calamities (or distresses or difficulties or troubles)—the idea is one of pressure or crushing or being weighed down; circumstances that tend to overcome you with stress and tension.

Not Sin or Imperfect Behaviors

So you can see that what Paul has in mind here is not sin. He is not talking about a kind of behavior—like we might say he has a weakness for lust; or she has a weakness for overeating. Paul is not talking about bad choices that we make. He is not saying, The power of Christ is perfected in my bad choices. Or: I will all the more gladly boast of my bad choices. Weaknesses here are not imperfect behaviors.

What Theses Weaknesses Are

They are circumstances and situations and experiences and wounds that make us look weak; things we would probably get rid of if we had the human strength.

1. If we were “strong,” we might return the insult with such an effective put down that the opponent would wither and everyone would admire our wit and cleverness.
2. If we were “strong,” we might take charge of our own fortune and turn back the emerging hardship and change circumstances so that they go the way we want them to and not force us into discomfort.
3. If we were “strong,” we might turn back the persecution so quickly and so decisively that no one would mess with us again.
4. If we were “strong,” we might use our resources to get out of the calamity or distress as fast as possible, or take charge of the situation and marshal our own resources so masterfully as to minimize its pressure.

But in reality we don’t usually have that kind of human strength, and even when we may have it, Christians don’t use it the way the world does. Jesus tells us not to return evil for evil (Matthew 5:38-42). Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4:12-13, “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate.” And then he added, “We have become like the refuse of the world, the off-scouring of all things.” In other words, this kind of lifestyle, this kind of response to abuse, looks weak and beggarly and feeble and anemic and inept—at least it looks that way to those who thrive on pride and equate power with the best come back.

So the answer to our first question is that weaknesses are not sins but experiences and situations and circumstances and wounds that are hard to bear and that we can’t remove either because they are beyond our control or because love dictates that we not return evil for evil.

2. Where Do They Come From?

What is the source of such weaknesses? Do they come from Satan or from God? Or both?

Paul’s “Thorn in the Flesh”

Let’s take Paul’s thorn in the flesh as an example and see what his answer is. In verses 1-4 Paul describes what amazing revelations of God’s glory he had been given—he was caught up into Paradise and heard things that cannot be told on earth (vv. 3-4).

How easy it would have been for Paul to think that he was already rising above the ordinary hardships and troubles of earthly life because he was given such a privilege. But verse 7 shows what actually happened: “To keep me from being too elated [RSV; a better translation would be: "to keep me from exalting myself," NASB, or: "to keep me from becoming conceited," NIV] by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from exalting myself.”

Now this thorn in the flesh (whether it was some physical problem or some relentless enemies) is one of the weaknesses he is talking about. We know this because when he prays that God would take it away in verse 8 (“three times I besought the Lord”), the Lord answers in verse 9, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” So the thorn in the flesh is one of the weaknesses we are talking about.

A “Messenger of Satan”

And where did it come from? Paul calls it a “messenger of Satan” (v. 7) given to harass him. So one clear answer is that some weaknesses come from Satan. Satan afflicts the children of God through his angels or messengers. His aim is destruction and death and misery.

But it is not that simple is it? Satan is not the only one at work here. God is at work. This thorn is not just the work of Satan to destroy. It is the work of God to save.

The Work of God to Save

We know this for two reasons. First, because Paul describes the purpose for the thorn in terms of preventing pride. But Satan’s whole design is to produce pride not prevent it. That’s how he kills: either with pride in what we have done, or despair over what we haven’t done. Paul’s revelations in Paradise made him vulnerable to pride and self-exaltation. So God uses the hostile intentions of Satan for Paul’s holiness. Satan wanted to make Paul miserable and turn him away from the faith and the ministry and the value of the visions he had seen. But God wanted to make Paul humble and turn him away from self-exaltation. So God appointed the thorn of Satan for the work of salvation.

The other reason we know the thorn is God’s work and not just Satan’s is that when Paul prays in verse 8 that God would take the thorn away, the Lord says, No, because my power is made perfect in this weakness. In other words, I have a purpose in what is happening to you. This is not ultimately Satan’s destroying work. It is ultimately my saving, sanctifying work.

Just like it was with Job—God permits Satan to afflict his righteous servant, and turns the affliction for his good purposes. (See also Luke 22:31-32.)

The Truth of God’s Sovereign Grace

So the answer to our second question is that the source of our weaknesses may sometimes be Satan and his destructive designs for us; but always our weaknesses are designed by God for our good. This is why the truth of God’s sovereign grace is so precious in the midst of hardship and calamity. God is in control of Satan. Satan does nothing to God’s children that God does not design with infinite skill and love for our good.

Which brings us to the final question, which we have already answered.

3. For What Purpose?

What is the purpose of such weaknesses? Is there a goal or an aim for why the weaknesses come? Why insults, hardships, persecutions, calamities, troubles? Why can’t I find a job? Why am I trapped in this awful marriage? Why does my dad have cancer? Why can’t I have children? Why do I have no friends? Why is nothing working in my life?

Paul gives three brief answers about his own experience and I think they are tremendously important for us to live by.

Satan’s Purpose to Buffet You

First, he says that Satan has the purpose to buffet you or harass you (v. 7). And so it is OK to pray for relief. That’s what Paul did until he got word from the Lord. Pain is not a good thing in itself. God does not delight in your suffering. Satan does and he must be resisted.

God’s Purpose to Humble You

Second, God’s purpose over and through Satan’s harassment is our humility. Paul was in danger of pride and self-exaltation and God took steps to keep him humble. This is an utterly strange thing in our self-saturated age. God thinks humility is more important than comfort. Humility is more important than freedom from pain. He will give us a mountain top experience in Paradise, and then bring us through anguish of soul lest we think that we have risen above the need for total reliance on his grace. So his purpose is our humility and lowliness and reliance on him (cf. 1:9; 4:7).

God’s Purpose to Glorify Jesus

Finally, God’s purpose in our weaknesses is to glorify the grace and power of his Son. This is the main point of verses 9-10. Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” God’s design is to make you a showcase for Jesus’ power. But not necessarily the way the market demands: not by getting rid of all our weaknesses; but by giving strength to endure and even rejoice in tribulation.

Let God be God here. If he wills to show the perfection of his Son’s power in our weakness instead of by our escape from weakness, then he knows best; trust him. Hebrews 11 is a good guide here. It says that by faith some escaped the edge of the sword (v. 34) and by faith some were killed by the sword (v. 37). By faith some stopped the mouths of lions, and by faith others were sawn asunder. By faith some were mighty in war, and by faith others suffered chains and imprisonment (see also Philippians 4:11-13).

The ultimate purpose of God in our weakness is to glorify the kind of power that moved Christ to the cross and kept him there until the work of love was done. Paul said that Christ crucified was foolishness to the Greeks, a stumbling block to the Jews, but to those who are called it is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:23f.).

The deepest need that you and I have in weakness and adversity is not quick relief, but the well-grounded confidence that what is happening to us is part of the greatest purpose of God in the universe—the glorification of the grace and power of his Son—the grace and power that bore him to the cross and kept him there until the work of love was done. That’s what God is building into our lives. That is the meaning of weakness, insults, hardships, persecution, calamity.