We think that the devil can put
thoughts in our head, right? Sometimes we hear, “Don’t let the devil put them
thoughts in your head.” The devil doesn’t have the power to do that! Now get
this. Those thoughts are the result of your perspective.
What the devil CAN do is bring
distractions into your life. When he brings those distractions, he knows just
what will work. He gets you to focus on the wrong things and because our minds
are not yet renewed and still carnal, we look at those things and they affect us a
certain way.
Two of us could look at the same
situation; we could even talk about the same person and have two entirely
different opinions. Some people love me; others hate me. They won’t say it
because they’re Christians, and they’re afraid to. God sees our hearts. You see,
this leads to a life of frustration because some of you are going through life
with love/hate relationships, not only with people, but also with things . . .
with situations. You’ll love it on one hand and hate it on the other.
In an earlier blog, we used the
example of walking around the room with your eyes closed as you listened to
voices, sometimes even voices you think you can trust. “Take a left.” Well, you
might trust that voice, take that left, and then run into a chair. The human
inclination would then be to go through life blaming somebody else. No, you
shouldn’t have listened to that voice! Don’t listen to all those voices!
Satan can bring these voices into
our lives. He’ll get our eyes off the things of God, our purpose, and the
prize, and before long, we’re going for the wrong thing. It works; it’s very
effective. Think about the children of Israel. What was the greatest weapon against
the armies of Israel? Well, I’ll tell you what I think it was: beautiful Pagan
women! Man, if nothing else works, send the hotties! You read about that throughout
the Bible; it works almost every time! It still works today!!! You watch men
and some pretty thing walks by and every head turns. Huh? It doesn’t take much.
What were those beautiful women? A distraction. “If we can get them to look at
these women,” and what Israelite soldier ain’t gonna look at a pretty Pagan
woman? So send in the beauties! It was simply a distraction to get their eyes
off the prize and keep them out of the Promised Land!
How many distractions is the
enemy throwing your way? The Bible says that, “He roams about as a roaring lion
seeking whom he may devour.” How is he going to devour? How’s he going to
steal, kill, and destroy in your life? He’s going to do it by coming after the
Word of God in your heart and mind. If he can get you thinking about things
that will bring destruction, and you think about them long enough and get them
in your heart, you’re going to do it sooner or later given the opportunity.
We need to get our minds
renewed so we are no longer thinking carnally, because to think carnally is to
put ourselves at enmity against God. The carnal mind is at enmity against God.
Now, walking in the promises of God requires that we walk in agreement with
God. You’ll never walk in the fullness of His promises until you’re walking in
agreement. Walking in agreement doesn’t mean, “Thus saith the Lord, amen, God
said it; I believe it; that settles it!” We think that if we just put a bumper
sticker on our backs, that we’re going to walk in the fullness of God’s
promises. Do you really believe it, and are you really doing it? Are we moving
in agreement with God? How do we do that?
We’re going to have to get our
minds renewed. We have to be thinking like God thinks and get on the same
wavelength! Now that doesn’t mean being woo woo or super-spiritual.
Christianity is not simply based upon some spiritual experience; true Christianity
is based upon the Word of God. I’m sick and tired of spiritual frivolity that
is not bringing people to a fuller measure of God’s promises in their lives;
it’s just giving them goose bumps and making them feel good for an hour a week.
It’s cheap and it’s artificial.
True Christianity is based on
truth and the Word of God is the final authority. It’s a whole lot easier to
have some Shundai experience than it is to conform your life to the Word of God
so that you might walk in the fullness of His promises! I feel better; I don’t
know about you . . . but I’ve been wanting to say that.
Thanks for joining me as we continue to look at steps we can take towards obtaining God's promises, and pitfalls we can avoid that keep us distanced from the prize.
~ pg
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