Today’s Scriptures:

• “ 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Introduction:

This study will be wrapping up tomorrow, but no study series is complete without taking time to stop over in 1 Corinthians 13…the love chapter.  If you ever want a picture of how God loves us…just read this chapter.  If you ever want a picture…husbands…as to how we are to love our wives…read this chapter.  In reality…this is also the way we’re to love one another whether people are in the body of Christ or not.

So, today’s message is titled Suspicious of Suspicion, and I’m really interested to know how Joyce gets the title for this message of our this passage of scripture.  So, I’m not going to be long-winded here in the introduction.  Grab your Bibles, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, and let’s see how Joyce ties love and suspicion together.

Today’s Message:

In today’s scripture, these words about love are familiar to most of us, but I can honestly say that living them has not always been easy for me. As a child, I was not exposed to this kind of love–in fact, I was taught to be suspicious of everyone. I was told that the motives of other people were not to be trusted.

Right out of the gate Joyce helps us to understand where she’s going with the title of this message.  I started out as a child wanting to believe the best in everyone, and I did.  As a young adult, however, that sense of purity and wanting to believe the best in everyone turned into believing and trusting no one…not even God.  I had a skeptical view of everyone, and never really got to trust that anyone’s motives were pure at all…not even my own.  That is not a good place for an aspiring man of God to be.  I was never truly able to allow the love of God that has been shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit out because I had such a hard time not being suspicious and skeptical of anyone.

After all, when the people you believe the best out of turn around and burn your behind time and time again…you tend to learn to do things to stop being burned.  One of those things is to put up walls, and build a nice protective shield of skepticism.  You learn to keep everyone…including those closest to you at arms distance, and instead of bringing them in during the times you need them the most…you push them away further because eventually you learn the only one you can truly depend upon is yourself.

That was my attitude for most of my adult life, and even since I’d rededicated my life to the Lord my attitude was that everything would be handled by my and God.  Which is a great thing for developing your relationship with God, but not so great for developing relationships with other people.  The mentality of living life just me and God really taught me that I can truly rely upon God, and I learned much from life on life’s terms that way.  However, I can also tell you that it was a lonely time because I had relatively little human contact, and those I did have contact with were only allowed to be so close to me…because of my suspicions and skepticism.  I knew that the Lord wouldn’t ever hurt me, I knew that God was never out to hurt me, but when it came to other people…I began to assume that everyone would hurt me…or that I would hurt everyone I came into contact with…and I would because I never learned how to express the love in my heart towards others.

In earlier messages I may have mentioned that probably the first 36 years of my life could be summed up in the words of Johnny Cash’s version of the song “Hurt”.

When you hear a song like this and tears roll down your face because you relate to it in so many ways that you just can’t explain it…you reach a point where you realize that the wrong person has written the story of your life.  At least, I figured that out the first time I heard this version of this song.  I know.  It originally was release by Nine Inch Nails, but the reflective tone in which Johnny Cash sings this song caught me, and made me realize that I needed to put the pen down…and let God start writing.

While it is wise to be aware of people’s motives, we must be careful that we don’t allow our suspicious nature to negatively affect our feelings about everyone. An overly suspicious nature can poison your mind and affect your ability to love and accept other people.

Sadly just as I was able to see my life in light of a Johnny Cash song I can also relate to what Joyce writes here about having such a skeptical mind about everyone’s motives and intentions that it saps your ability to truly love anyone else because you never really learn to trust anyone else.  When your constantly skeptical and suspicious of people then there’s no room for the ability to trust, and when there’s no trust there’s no relationship.  You spend most of your life waiting for the other shoe to drop so that when that person hurts you, and it’s inevitable that they will…even though it still stings…it hurts less and less because you shield your heart, and it becomes hardened and calloused…and even worse…eventually you don’t have emotions…you become numb.

Consider this example.
Suppose a friend approaches you after a church service, and says, “Do you know what Doris thinks about you?” Then the friend tells you every detail of the things Doris said. The first problem is that a true friend wouldn’t share such information. And the second problem is that with an already suspicious mind, you now believe secondhand information.
Suppose that one day in church, Doris is sitting just a few rows in front of you, praising the Lord. Immediately you think, “She’s such a hypocrite.”
Then the Holy Spirit directs your thoughts to your own condition, and the fact that you were praising the Lord while harboring bad feelings toward Doris.

Yes.  Has anyone other than me ever been in this place?  I’ll admit I’ve been here a time or two.  You know what happens and how this example ends just like I do:

Didn’t Jesus tell us to make peace with others before we present our gifts to Him? (See Matthew 5:24.)
Convicted by these words of Jesus, you apologize to Doris for the bad feelings you have toward her…and she stares at you in absolute shock. Then you realize your mistake. You misinterpreted the information your friend shared with you about Doris, allowing the devil to turn you against a wonderful, godly woman.

Here’s a quick tip that’s free of charge.  Never believe second-hand information.  Don’t listen to gossip, and don’t be one who spreads gossip.  The Bible has a lot to say in Proverbs about being a talebearer.  I would encourage you to take your concordance and look up “talebearer” and see how God views those kinds of people.  Never…ever accept second-hand information as fact…especially in this situation.  I have learned to go directly to the person in question, and let them know that an un-named source had brought it to my attention that you have said this about me.  Give them the opportunity to give merit or disprove what was said…and rely upon the Holy Spirit to help you to discern whether or not that person is being truthful.

Don’t go confronting someone with a skeptical ear, and don’t go there angry.  Take some time to seek the Lord, and then find out if what they supposedly said was said or misinterpreted.  It saves a lot of hassle, and it’s much better to do it that way than any other way.

This is a good example of how suspicion can cripple relationships and destroy our joy while it leads us astray.

So, now that I’ve put down the pen to my life, and allowed God to write the rest of my life’s story it’s been a better road.  I am still learning to overcome that suspicious mind, and that’s one of those giants I’m going to have to defeat before I enter into the promised land that God has for me.  I definitely have to do so before I wind up serving the Lord full-time.  You can’t serve the Lord with a suspicious mind…I have to get back to the place I was as a child…always believing the best in people.  There is such a thing as “healthy skepticism”, but for the most part I like to refer to that as discernment from the Holy Ghost.  Oh…and there’s a new song to my life as well.

Let me just take a moment to ask you a simple question to close out this message…Who has the pen and is writing the story of your life?

Conclusion & Prayer:

It took me a while to overcome a lifetime of suspicions, but I finally learned that when we love God’s way, we have no place for suspicions of others.

As I shared, it has taken me a while to overcome that myself, and I am still overcoming the skepticism that had invaded my life for so long.  It became a save and protective shell that really was more like an egg-shell than that of a turtle.  However, the longer I worked at that shell the harder it got.  The good news is that the Word of God says that we overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony.  So, I believe that God’s softening my shelf and my heart, and that eventually I’ll get to having the heart of flesh that ministers need in order to effectively minister to the sheep in which the Lord entrusts to our care.

Pray: Lord, I thank You for showing me how to overcome my suspicious nature by teaching me how to love others with Your kind of love. Thank You, Jesus, for being patient with me and for being my great example. Amen

I guess I feel like posting songs that reflect God’s work in my life:

* Quotes are from the book Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2005 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

*  Johnny Cash- ‘Hurt”

*  Michael English“Feels like Redemption “

*  Klaus:  “I Give You Glory”

Today’s Scripture:  “5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

Introduction:

Today we come to one of the most well-known set of scriptures in the Bible.  Just about anyone who is a Christian who has a fairly workable knowledge of Scripture can at the very least paraphrase Proverbs 3:5-6.  Getting what we want from the Lord has conditions to it, but few are willing to actually do what it takes in order for us to actually get things from the Lord…because we always want what we want from the Lord on our terms and not His.  Oh, am I the only one who has figured that out?  That can be a cause and trap for the devil to work in our lives because when we are seeking the Lord for something that we want, and it’s not happening…the first one to make sure we notice what we’re asking for isn’t happening is the devil.  It’s here when we may be tempted to listen when he says that if God really loved or cared for us wouldn’t we have exactly what WE wanted exactly when WE wanted it.  Isn’t that how he got Adam and Eve to take a bite of the fruit from the only tree in the garden God said not to eat from.  He convinced Eve that God was holding out on them because of the beauty and thrill.

There’s a phrase that I once saw that I really like when it comes to the devil because he is always willing to give us exactly what we want when we want it because he is interested in making sure our gratification is instant.  The phrase:  “Satan will always give you the thrill without giving you a bill.”  So, as we continue to walk through this short sample of Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind devotional let’s see how our scriptures for today apply to what we’ve been studying.

Today’s Message:

I usually know what I want, and I like to get it. I’m exactly like most people. When we don’t get what we want, our negative feelings flare up.

Too often, we Christians expect life to be perfect and for everything to go smoothly for us. We expect success, happiness, joy, peace, and everything else. When we’re thwarted, we pout or complain.

We all have a pretty good idea of the things we want, and am aware that the only way I’ll receive some of them is by the grace and mercy of God…but the catch is I have to wait for His timing and when my wants line up with that perfect plan for my life-like we talked about yesterday.  I am also honest enough to admit that there are times when I want something, and when I don’t get it when I think God should give it to me or bless me with it…I am guilty of pouting too.

You know what?  One thing I’ve learned since stepping over from just being a believer into working in ministry is that I’ve learned just how fake and inauthentic some in the body of Christ really are.  Isn’t that the truth?  They never admit to pouting or being impatient with God, they’re always just like “whatever You want Lord”…like their perfect little angels…have you ever met those kinds of Christians or am I the only one?  You can almost hear the deceit as they talk about how great life is, and how free and easy things are for them.  Well I guess I’m glad for them, but either I’m just not mature enough to be in a place like that or I don’t live in a world with rose-colored glasses…and I certainly don’t pretend that everything in my life is hunky dory.

There are times that I find I can be like the Israelites who one moment are worshipping and all excited about the journey and what God is doing, and then there are times I can be like them as they murmur and complain about how God’s not meeting their needs and life in Egypt was so much better than life in the wilderness.  Am I the only one who can freely admit I can be like them?

Although God does want us to have a good life, there will be times when we must be patient and endure not getting our way. These disappointments test our character and level of spiritual maturity. They actually show whether or not we truly are ready for promotion.

I can be transparent to admit that there are times I’ve whined to God about how I know He came to give us and “abundant life”, but it sure didn’t look like I was the recipient of that abundant life.  Why?  Because it didn’t look like I thought the abundant life should look like.  I thought the abundant life meant all of my needs would be met, that I wouldn’t be in lack or want for anything, and all the material things would be there.  Love, work, money, shelter, and the list went on and on.

I had this picture of what the abundant life was supposed to look at from…can I honestly say it…the prosperity message that’s invaded the body of Christ.  I concluded that I must not have enough faith or be blessed enough because my picture of the abundant life was clearly not what I was seeing.  However, now that I’m much more mature in my Christian walk I realize that I really have the abundant life that God promised me I’d have.

I have a wonderful home life, a beautiful woman for a wife, I have a decent job where I make an alright living, I have a roof over my head, food in my stomach (probably too much since I’ve gone from a size 32 waist to a size 36), and while I still don’t have the exact picture of the abundant life I had…I realize that I have the abundant life that I was promised…and let me be honest enough to say the Promised Land God promised me is better than the one I pictured.

God has truly blessed my socks off, and I’m not in need for anything at all these days.  There are things I want like more money from my job, but I understand that to get there I need to perform my job as though I’m doing it for the Lord and not the paycheck.  I’ve begun to treat this job as though it’s not just a job, but my company.  I realize that God’s going to eventually honor what I do because I’m doing it for Him.  I know promotion is going to come, but it’s going to come when the time is right and it fits into HIS perfect plan for my life.

I would like a nicer vehicle, but for now I’m going to have to be content with the one I have.  My wife and I would like to have our own home, but now before we get there we have debt we need to pay down and finances that we need to get a godly handle on.  So, we took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University through our church, and now we’re still working on baby steps 1 and 2.  We’re having to work and live like no one else now so that one day we will be able to LIVE like no one else.  We also have to get ourselves to a place where we’re trusting of God with our finances to tithe because it’s the right thing to do, and I believe once we begin to do that faithfully we’ll reach another level of promotion.

I’m the same way when it comes to my ministry.  We have just now for the first time reached the 30 followers plateau on our Facebook page.  Now, I understand that if I really want my page to be legit I need 200 plus.  So, by my count that means we need at least 170 more followers to visit, check it out, and like our Facebook fan page.  Don’t you know that the devil has used that to discourage me, and I’ve allowed it to get me frustrated.  I’ve even had one of my pastor’s give me a word of knowledge for the Lord that my ministry will grow…but not at the speed I want it to.

I still have yet to go through the Discipleship Track through my church which is one of the things I need to do to follow along the path that God has set before me.  I still have yet to be able to order and begin the Ordination and Licensing through World Christianship Ministries…another one of the steps I need to take before my ministry grows, I’m legally a pastor, and I can get the charter to legally register my ministry.  So, there are steps that I still need to take and follow before I get where I want to go…and since God doesn’t grade on a curve…promotion isn’t going to come until He directs it into my life.

The secret of the Christian life is that we commit ourselves fully to God. If we surrender our wills to God, what happens doesn’t make us angry. If God doesn’t give us what we want and ask for, our faith is strong enough to say, “Not my will, but Yours.”

These are the things that slowly, but methodically God is teaching me.  Surrender and Faith are the keys to everything in the Kingdom of God.  However, I’m not going to pretend that I’m always good at coming to the “not my will, but Yours” conclusion.  I still find that I can murmur and complain just like anyone else, but that’s just because the flesh is weak and wants what it wants when it wants it.

One day at a time I’m getting closer to becoming the man who God’s always designed and destined for me to be.  In my ministry is where I find today is the place where I have more of a struggle to believe I’ll get where I’m trying to go, but it’s still up to me to realize that it’s not about my will and my timing and my plan.  God spoke to me at the beginning of the year, and gave me a detailed outline of what this year was going to be about, and again through that same pastor that gave me the word of knowledge this year.

God said that my development as a pastor this year was going to go along the lines of my church’s mission statement.  Seeking God…Loving People…Making Disciples.  I’m going to reach and get to where I want to go, but it’s not going to happen any faster than God’s plan and timing demands.  The Discipleship track is going to take about 6 months, the ordination is going to take anywhere from a year to two years to complete, and so what I have to be mature enough to understand is that this is just the beginning.

However, in the mean time I am doing exactly what God wants me to do, and how He wants me to do it.  This is exactly what I’m supposed to do with my ministry.  The Social Network sites are my mission field, and this is how I’m supposed to reach people.  Growth will come, people will come, and eventually this will become a full-time ministry.  But now, I have to walk exactly how God wants me to walk…one step at a time, and just like the Israelites I am not always good at being patient.  However, I have a much more mature understanding today, and that helps me to complain less and less…and praise more and more because I know in my heart that I’m on the road to getting and becoming all that God has designed for me to become…and the fulfillment of His purpose and will for my life comes as I put Proverbs 3:5-6 in to practice on a daily basis.

Conclusion & Prayer:

Why do we think we should always be first? Why do we think we are entitled to the perfect life? Perhaps sometimes we think more highly of ourselves than we ought. A humble mind enables us to take a back seat and wait for God to move us to the front. God’s Word says that we inherit the promises through faith and patience. Believing God is good, but can we continue to believe God and trust Him when we don’t feel that life is fair?

There is a shrinking in me that’s taking place…especially since I began this fast about setting aside some of the worldly interests that have overtaken my desire to be in the presence of God.  I had turned certain things into idols, and while He has no issue with me having those interests the issue He does have is that they were becoming more important than spending time in His Word, in His presence, and as a result I was challenged by a message my pastor taught this past Sunday.

Life isn’t fair, but it’s much better when we’re walking in God’s presence.  It took me being humble and honest to realize that I’d placed things above Him, and it took obedience to His voice to know that I needed to lay those things aside for a while.  It started out being kind of difficult, but now that I’ve spent the last few days reacquainting myself with His presence I realize that it’s all worth while.

Now, I’m starting to come to the place where I realize that I really don’t need those things, and that I need to remember that they’re there strictly for entertainment value and they have no eternal value.  I’m also finding that being in God’s presence is just as fun and entertaining as watching television, playing games on the computer, and listening to nothing but praise and worship music or sermons on the radio is much more beneficial to me.

The peace of God’s presence has invaded my life, and I realize what a joy and honor it is to have it…and how easy it is to take it for granted.

Pray: God, help me. I often have strong desires, and when I don’t get what I want, I get upset. Forgive me. Remind me that Jesus didn’t want to die on the cross, but He lived in total submission to Your will. I ask You, through Jesus Christ, to help me live in total submission and be content with what You give me. Amen.

Today‘s Scripture(s):  “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16

Introduction:

I thought I was done writing for the day, but the Holy Spirit has been gentle and methodical about keeping the thought on my heart that there was more for me to do today.  So, when I started writing messages I started by writing message not just for my ministry page, but taking time to do my own personal devotion…and writing messages on my own personal Facebook account about my own personal devotional…and I have a sense that the Lord wants me to go back to doing just that.

So, as I searched YouVersion for something else to do in addition to what I’m posting on Christlike Ministries Arkansas…I found another two-week mini-series from one of Joyce Meyer‘s devotional books.  So, I thought since I was doing one for Christlike Ministries Arkansas I could do a different one here.  After all, I need to spend time in God‘s Word, and be fed just like anyone else.

So, I hope you’ll follow along with me as I attempt to draw closer to God, and like I did with the other devotional I’m going to allow Joyce to introduce this devotional that I’m about to begin.

It’s so important how you spend those first thoughts of your day – spending just even a few minutes every morning with God is your opportunity to get off on the right foot and set a positive tone. New Day, New You gives you that opportunity. In this exciting devotional, compiled from several of Joyce’s most popular books, you’ll experience a fresh word from God for each day of the year. Before you take on the challenges that life may bring, start each day with encouragement and strength, reminders of God’s mercies, and God’s perspective. Become the new you that each new day can bring! – From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved

Today’s Message:

Now, I know what you’re going to say already.  How come your writing this closer to the end of the day than the beginning, and to that the only answer I can give is that I just now came to the understanding that I had more to write about, and while I realize this is a devotion for the start of a day…this is actually more about returning to the theme for this year that God gave me…Being Serious About Being Serious With God…and I think what this is really about is that it’s a new month, and it’s full of new opportunities for me to be renewed, transformed, and be ministered to while I minister God’s Word.

So, let’s look at today’s message.  The title of it is; “Willpower: The Fair-Weathered Friend”.  As a diehard sports fan of the Chicago White Sox, and the writer of a Facebook page that’s dedicated to White Sox fans…one of the biggest pet peeves I have are the people who I like to call Fair-Weather, Bandwagon Riding fans.  But don’t you know that when it comes to walking with God our own personal Willpower is just the same?  Our own willpower can be a strange thing can’t it.  Some days it seems like we do really well with the things we struggle with, and then there are other days where we just can’t seem to do anything right of our own strength.  Anyone other than myself ever been here?

Well, the reason for that is that we’re not meant to do things of our own power.  We’re meant to rely and be totally submitted, surrendered, and dependent upon God in every area of our lives.  However, if we’re honest…most of you are a lot like me.  Give me some time, and maybe I can prove that we’re more alike than you think.

Willpower sure sounds like a great thing. We are led to believe that we have enough of it to fight off every temptation that comes our way. And sometimes it works. But let me tell you a little secret about willpower. Willpower is your best friend when things go well, but it’s the first friend to check out when you get weary. I have found that if I really don’t want to do something, my mind gives me plenty of reasons why I don’t have to. My emotions even join in, saying, “I agree because I don’t feel like doing it anyway.” – From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Okay, let’s see how super spiritual, or honest you guys are.  Has anyone other than me ever had the thought that we really “just don’t want to go into work today”?  Come on, let’s be real.  I know I’m not the only one who desires to play hooky from work once in a while.  We know we’re not sick, but what happens when we come up with that thought is sort of good way to illustrate what happens when our willpower checks out.

Since I’m the only one who’s ever done something like this let me give you an idea of how this scenario plays out.  It’s the first thing in the morning, and you wake up a little more groggy than you’d have liked to.  You haven’t prayed yet, you haven’t even had your first cup of coffee yet…so in pops this thought of…I’d really just like to stay home today, but you get up and half heartedly begin to go about your routine of getting ready for work, but maybe a bit slower than usual.  You still haven’t prayed, you still haven’t had your first cup of coffee, and your just kind of going through the motions.  That’s when other thoughts start to come in, and you begin to have an emotional connection to those thoughts.  Thoughts like: “I really could go back to sleep now.”, “There really isn’t much to do today.”, or “I have a few things that I could get done if I were at home instead of at work.” or “It was sure nice to be cuddled up next to my wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend this morning…sure wouldn’t mind going back to bed for a while.”

Is anyone with me yet, or am I the only one who’s ever been here?  What starts to happen is amazing isn’t it?  Based on those few thoughts, and emotions that connect with those thoughts…eventually that willpower that usually gets you through the morning, and on your way to work isn’t quite as strong.  More thoughts begin to come to talk you into calling in sick, and before you know it your rehearsing an excuse to miss work, your on the phone calling in with the excuse you rehearsed, and your back in bed.  Like I said, since I’m the only one who has ever done this…I guess I’m the only one who really understands the dynamic of how this works.

However, this is exactly what happens to us on a deeper level.  Obviously playing hooky from work isn’t as serious when you think about the fact that sin works in our lives the same way.  All sin starts with a thought that comes into our minds that’s planted there by satan, and goes unchallenged.  Here’s a really good example of something that you can’t do on your own, but people try to do anyways…on their own willpower.  Quitting smoking.

I’ve known many people who have tried time and again unsuccessfully to “kick the habit”, and they all say the same thing when they go back to smoking.  I thought I could do it, but the urge was just too strong.  I didn’t have enough willpower to quit.  And most will tell you that they didn’t start going back to smoking two packs a day.  At first, they were out at a party or bar, and they were having a pretty good time.  Drinking and smoking went hand in hand, and eventually they were having a really good night…after all it’d been a few weeks (maybe even months) since their last cigarette.  So, in the name of willpower they decide that just one would be okay.  Then they have another one, and before you know it they buy a pack…and they’re back to smoking again.

What happened?  The decided to quit on their own willpower, and not rely upon God for the strength to help them quit.  I also submit that the degree of difficulty in overcoming something like smoking is linked to the amount of time you have spent smoking.  If you’ve smoked for 10 years…your going to need a lot more than a couple of weeks or so to be strong enough to not want a cigarette.  Now, I know that there are many people who asked God to deliver them of the desire to smoke, and were delivered instantly…but that’s exactly the key point.  Asking God to deliver you…not relying upon your own strength.

Our soul (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, but the Bible says we are to be led by God’s Spirit. We are never instructed to be willpower-led, we are told to be Spirit-led. Willpower and discipline are important and vitally necessary to a successful life, but willpower alone won’t be enough. Determination gets you started and keeps you going for a while, but it is never enough to bring you across the finish line. Zechariah 4:6 (NKJV) says, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” – From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

You know something.  When I read about people in the Bible, and their struggles I find that I am encouraged to know that I’m not the only one who has issues.  Think about Paul for a moment.  Paul was in my mind the Christian of all Christians.  I’m talking more than Smith Wigglesworth, Martin Luther, Calvin, Charles Spurgeon…they are all mighty men of God, but Paul I believe was the Christian that we should all aspire to be like.  He knew all the law, all the commandments, and he got to see and know things that no one before or since got to know.  He had the mystery of the gospel revealed to him.  Yet, he writes a few things that I relate to.  In Romans 7 we see Paul write that he had a war in his flesh, and that he didn’t understand why he didn’t do the things he should and did the things he shouldn’t…if you have opportunity…you should read Romans 7.  In one of his letters to the Corinthians he writes that he prayed over and over that God would remove a thorn in his flesh, and that the only thing God would say to him is…”My grace is sufficient for you for My strength is made perfect in your weakness.”

What was God saying?  He’s saying that His strength is far superior to our willpower.  He’s also saying that when we reach the end of ourselves, our strength, and our abilities…then and only then can He step in…and can we be helped through HIS strength.  See, at the end of ourselves is where God begins…and that’s why you can see people who were hopelessly addicted to all sorts of things who have been delivered…and we’ll all tell you that it wasn’t our strength that helped us to overcome…it wasn’t our willpower that made us successful…it was God’s strength.  I said “we” and “our” because I know what it’s like to try to stop something under my willpower, and not be successful at it until I realized that I couldn’t do it without God’s strength.  Not really to my surprise…once I stopped trying to rely upon my strength, and surrendered my will to God…He helped me to stop.

What happens if, instead of turning first to willpower in your time of need, you turn to God instead? God releases His power into your willpower and energizes it to bring you across the finish line. Willpower does not get the credit for our success, God does. – From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

Here lies the real reason behind us not wanting to give up our willpower.  We want the credit.  In other words, the reason we don’t want to surrender, and admit that we cannot do something in our own strength is because we’re too prideful to get out-of-the-way.  We want to get the credit for stopping on our own, but the truth is that God shares His glory with no one.

Jesus said in John 15:5 (AMP), “Apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.” This is one of the most important and most difficult lessons we must learn if we want to enjoy the life Jesus died to give us. – From the book New Day, New You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2007 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.

And here it is.  Jesus said in His own words:  “Apart from Me you can do nothing”, but He also said:  “With God all things are possible.”  There’s a reason He said this…because it’s true.  I know the illustration about playing hooky from work is silly, but do you know that I’ve actually had to ask God to help me overcome thoughts like that sometimes?  The point is that if I need God’s help to overcome something silly like getting up and going to work…even when I don’t feel like it…then when it comes to bigger matters…then there’s no way that under my willpower I can do things without Him…and just like Joyce writes.  The key to overcoming things in life is not just coming to realize that, but when things arise instead of relying upon willpower…getting out of the way, and surrendering to God’s.

Willpower is no match or substitute for God’s power.

Study Scripture:  “ I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” – Deuteronomy 30:19

Introduction:

We’re now 5 days into this 14 day trial of Joyce Meyer’s Battlefield of the Mind Devotional book, and I have to say that I’ve really enjoyed this series.   I hope that you have enjoyed it, and learned from these messages like I have.  So, today’s message is titled “I Can’t Help It”, and I’m really interested to find out what this one is all about, and how I can apply it to my life.   So, let’s see what we can learn today about winning the fight on the Battlefield of The Mind.

Today’s Message

When God begins to deal with us about wrong behavior, it’s easy enough to say, “I can’t help it,” but it takes real courage and faith to say, “I’m ready to take responsibility and get my life straightened out.” – Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2005 by Joyce Meyer

Sometimes it’s a joy to know that God is dealing with us about stuff, and sometimes it’s not so much of a joy is it?  It kind of depends on what God’s dealing with us about isn’t it?  If He’s dealing with us on something that we dislike about ourselves it’s a lot easier to agree with God that we need to get rid of what He’s dealing with us about.  However, if it’s something that we’re comfortable with, and something that appeals to our flesh it’s much harder to agree with God that it needs to go…isn’t it?  I know, you’re probably super spiritual, and no matter what God is dealing with you over you agree with God 100% of the time.  Well, if that’s you, then I’m assuming this message isn’t going to be for you.  However, if you’re like me, and you don’t always agree with God about things He’s wanting to remove then this message is probably going to be for us.

“Much of our thinking is habitual. If we regularly think about God and good things, godly thoughts become natural. Thousands of thoughts flow through our minds every day. We may feel we have no control, but we do. Although we don’t have to use any effort to think wrong thoughts, we have to use much effort to think good thoughts. As we begin to make changes, we will have to fight a battle.

Our mind is the battlefield, and Satan‘s primary way of initiating his evil plan for us is through our thoughts. If we feel we have no power over our thoughts, Satan will entrap and defeat us. Instead, we can determine to think in godly ways.” – Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2005 by Joyce Meyer

I’m going back in time today for a moment when I was part of the Living-free Program when I was a resident at the Kenosha County Detention Center.  Don’t judge.  I’m sure none of you found the Lord while you were in jail, or some other kind of institution right?  Anyways, the main program facilitator used to always say; “Thoughts lead to feelings, feelings lead to actions, and actions lead to consequences.”  It’s a program way of saying the same thing that Jesus says when He tells us what’s in our hearts will come forth from our mouths.  It’s the same thing the writer of the Proverb; “As a man thinks in his heart…so is he.”.  It is also a way to remind us that we reap what we sow.

When we allow thoughts to go unchallenged by the Word of God that’s when our troubles begin.  Our thoughts are going to go through one of two filters.  It’s either going to be filtered by the Word of God, or it’s going to be filtered through the flesh.  What happens to our thoughts depends upon which filter our thoughts go through.  If most of our thoughts are filtered by the flesh…then we’re most likely going to do something carnal because our flesh is at war with our spirit.  Our flesh doesn’t want to do anything according to the will or Word of God.  So, when thoughts and feelings are filtered through the flesh…the end result is something pleasing to our flesh.  If our thoughts are filtered through the Word of God…the end result is something pleasing to God.

Remember Paul’s battle in Romans 7?  That’s really what today’s message is about.  It’s about helping us to find victory like Paul did when he was at war between his flesh, and his spirit.  It’s worth pointing out here that this battle isn’t an external battle (remember Ephesians 6:10-18), but it’s very much an internal battle…and the winner of that battle is going to be what ever is strongest.  If you feed your flesh more than your flesh is more likely to win the battle.  If you feed your spirit more than your spirit is more likely to win the battle…so which one are you feeding?

God has given us the power to decide–to choose right thinking over wrong. But once we make that choice, we must continue to choose right thoughts. It’s not a once-and-for-all decision, but it does get easier. The more we fill our lives with reading the Bible, prayer, praise, and fellowship with other believers, the easier it is for us to continue choosing right thoughts. – Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2005 by Joyce Meyer

It’s of vital importance today to shut off ESPN, and turn on TBN or Daystar or The Word Network.  It is of vital importance that we put down the daily newspaper, and pick up our dusty Bibles to start meditating upon God’s Word.  It’s of vital importance sometimes to turn off secular music, and turn on worship music or radio sermons.  It’s of vital importance to get rid of all the distractions, and take time to fellowship with God.  All of these things are of vital importance to us as believers…especially in today’s world.

I’m guilty as anyone of wanting to watch ESPN, and not the latest message by Charles Stanley.  It’s easy to want to listen to sports talk, and not listen to worship music or a good sermon.  It’s easy to get busy, and lessen the premium of spending time in fellowship with God.  I am guilty of doing all of this as recently as the last couple of weeks.  It’s very easy to get sidetracked, distracted, and bombarded by the cares of the world.  That’s exactly what satan wants…he wants our focus and attention divided, and he certainly doesn’t want it to be on godly things.

There is a decision-making process here like Joyce says.  The decision about what is more important the stuff you like, or spending time with the Lord.  Can I tell you that I don’t always make the right decision either?  I just told you that there are times I’m more interested in what’s on CBS.  There are times that I’d rather be lazy and watch television.  However, when I choose to do those things I’m feeding my flesh, and I’m neglecting the thing that’s really of utmost importance…fellowship with God…and more specifically God’s presence.

I was challenged in my spirit yesterday as my pastor taught the first message in a new series, and the question that challenged me is am I placing enough importance on being in the presence of God.  I had to answer no.  I had to be honest to admit that I was in one of those lulls where watching television was more important that studying the Word of God.  So, I was faced with a choice, and the one I made was to fast from television, sports radio, and secular music for 21 days…and replace all of it with spending more time in the presence of God.

Conclusion & Prayer:

Today, I am beginning a 21 day fast from all the stuff I just mentioned, and replacing it with things that will enable me to have a deeper relationship with God.  I’m turning off the television, and turning on God.  I’m turning off sports talk, and turning on sermons and worship music.  I’m turning off the meaningless games on Facebook, and writing more messages.  I would like to invite you to join me in shutting off the worldly distractions, and replacing it with things that are going to strengthen our walk with God…and more importantly keep us in His presence.

I’m certainly not going to judge you whether you do this or not.  I’m just inviting you to do this along with me if you feel like I do that you’ve placed worldly stuff before the Lord, and it’s distracting you from having the kind of relationship with God that you’d like to have.  I know that it’s impacting my ability to make decisions, and have right thoughts of my own.  It’s time to shut out the garbage, and allow the things of God to cleanse my system.

It takes time to learn to choose good and push away evil. It won’t be easy, but we’re moving in the right direction every time we take responsibility and make the right choices. Battlefield of the Mind Devotional by Joyce Meyer. Copyright © 2005 by Joyce Meyer

I don’t know about you, but I want to make sure that I’m not placing more of an emphasis on the world than the presence of God.  That’s the reason for this fast from television, sports talk, and the games on Facebook.  I don’t want anything to be more important to me than my relationship with the Lord, and when I notice that things are more important…I need to set those things aside…and get back to the basics of life.

Pray: Powerful God, remind me that I can and do make choices every day. Please help me to monitor my thoughts, choosing only those that will help me overcome the devil and win the battle for my mind. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.