tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19131765424130788372024-03-06T15:30:50.703+09:00Raw FaithDAVID HIGGINBOTHAMUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger811125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-86563566438593899222017-04-21T00:13:00.000+09:002017-04-21T01:33:48.702+09:00The Cancer of False Humility<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I’m so grateful to have grown in my faith around people who are audacious and gutsy – who say things like “I don’t accept that!” “I determine this!” “That’s tied up!” and “God has to do this!” It’s become second nature for me to really believe and react with these attitudes, and the Holy Spirit confirms those words when I do. God instills this kind of stubborn faith into His children who don’t get tangled up in religiosity because He’s a no-nonsense God. It’s as if His own Spirit confesses those bold truths through our mouths, and those truths return back to Him, having accomplished exactly what He wanted. But speak like that among Christians who aren’t accustomed to that kind of audacity, and I get very strange looks. But then again, God opens doors that unseen demonic forces were trying to keep shut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I understand them because I was there once. But being audacious shows respect for God, and if I have to offend others by doing so, then what choice do I have?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">False humility is one of the biggest cancers of modern Christianity, infecting even the most sincere believer until whatever faith they have is totally impotent. A prayer request could be given for a family member in the hospital, and all that are offered are prayers for mercy and comfort. No demons of infirmity are rebuked, no anger against the attack of the devil, no binding of spirits, no determining of healing, no fire, no zeal, no certainty of God’s word coming true. And when the prayers are over, there’s an attitude of relief that they did their duty. Then the subject switches to daily chit-chat. Spiritual forces are battling for the health of that sick person, forces that we can directly affect by faith, yet bringing up the subject is offensive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If I told you to call the fire department to save your burning house, would you be offended? If I could show you a real solution to your overwhelming problem, would you reject it because it doesn’t agree with your style of worship? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The reason why I continue to stubbornly stick to my audacious, rude and pushy form of faith, is that it works. If the way I rebuke demons was a sin, why do problems crumble? Why does it bring me closer to God? Why does God respond so graciously when I tell Him that I don’t accept a problem and that He “has to” answer me? I sense Him cheering me on, telling me, “Keep it up! Don’t give up! This is the kind of faith I need from you! Fight!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I belong to the church of spiritual revolt that brings about physical changes. But that means being so sure of God, so certain of His promises and His character that we can at times appear arrogant. But the absolute certainty that He is Lord to the point of basing your life on it, is the essence of humility. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It’s so important to purge ourselves from anything false, anything that would nullify our faith. So important, that my next few posts will be on that topic. What are the differences between true humility, false humility, and outright pride? Are you wallowing in either extreme without knowing it? Check back tomorrow for the beginning of our series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man viewing his natural face in a mirror. He views himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in his deeds. </i> James 1:22-25 MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-8584922474548798242017-04-15T23:00:00.001+09:002017-04-16T07:32:21.475+09:00Loving until death<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I recently heard this true tale of a poor peasant girl during the Korean War who was expecting a child during the cold winter months while her husband was away at war. A snowstorm came, triggering early labor pains that wouldn’t subside. She knew that a missionary doctor had a clinic a mile or so away, so she bundled up and started walking towards it. But the blizzard was harsh, and she was forced to stop under a bridge and give birth to her baby boy all alone. A good while later, the same missionary came traveling past that bridge, and heard the sounds of a baby’s cry. He rushed down to see where it was coming from and found the baby in his mother’s arms. The mother had frozen to death. She had removed all of her clothing to keep her baby warm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The missionary took the baby to his home, and found a way to bury the mother’s body. He raised the child as his own son. Years later, he decided to tell the boy the whole story of his birth. He led him to the grave of his mother and saw the tears flow as he recounted what she had done for him. He watched the little child remove his clothes, lay them over her grave and then lay down on top, as if clinging to her. “Oh my mother!” the boy wept in Korean, “How cold you must have been that day.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A simple story of love and sacrifice for a beloved child is enough to bring us to tears. But this beautiful love of a mother is only a small reflection of the enormous love Jesus has shown to us by allowing Himself to be beaten and crucified in our place. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How alone He must have been when the Father turned His face away – because He had become a curse for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How much agony He must have felt, carrying every curse, every infirmity, every sin of every sort upon His body that day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How much agony He continues to feel today, though He died to set us free 2000 years ago, the world continues to ignore, reject, mock and revile His perfect sacrifice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He paid the highest price for the most glorious and undeserved reward for us to become His own children – if only we would surrender our will to Him, DIE to our old sin and LIVE in that new life. But not all who call Him Lord honor His sacrifice with the response it deserves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is the time of Easter and Passover when we ought to be on our knees in gratitude for all He has done. But are we really? Or are we just caught up in the busyness of another holiday? Another special church event? Will we congratulate ourselves for a good Easter because we accomplished all our holiday duties? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If we haven’t been moved to the core of our being to sacrifice our entire lives because of what Jesus has done for us, we haven’t even come close to honoring Him as Lord on this day. The maternal instinct of that young mother was to give her life for her baby. God’s holy paternal instinct was to allow His Son to be brutally killed in exchange for our own lives, so we could become His children. The instinct of a true child of God is to live in gratitude to Him through every action, attitude, thought, desire and decision. But unlike that young mother, Jesus will continuously bless, care for, speak to and guide us for eternity. Don’t let another Easter go by without choosing to honor Him forever, from today forward.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”</i> 1 Peter 2:20-24, MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-53474733052743587562017-04-08T22:22:00.000+09:002017-04-08T22:32:35.814+09:00Using “Faith” to Manipulate God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you know the story of how Satan tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness, you’ll remember one of His responses: “you shall not tempt the Lord your God…” It’s easy to think that we would never fall for a trick like that. But what exactly was it that the devil wanted Jesus to do?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1. To treat the promises of God like a childish game. The devil took God’s holy promise of protection (found in Psalm 91) and reduced it to a dare, a mere game. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2. To doubt His identity as if He had to prove to the devil that He was really God’s Son: “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written…”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">3. To manipulate God into rushing to His aid, just because “it is written.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Most would agree that point number one is a terrible temptation that would work only on immature or false believers. But what about point two? How many times do Christians want to “prove” how spiritual they are? This temptation works on the insecure, the people-pleasers. Being admired by others means more than seeking the quiet contentment of knowing that God is pleased with them. They’ll go out of their way to perform some sort of public good deed, which they then have to pretend was spontaneous and from the heart. But God sees their game, and the praise of others is all the reward they get. Unfortunately, this affects everyone no matter how long they’ve been saved, how much they know the Bible, or what their title in church is. To our shame, all of us can remember times when we’ve fallen for this stupidity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But point 3 is the most dangerous of all. It can appear like real faith, but is degrading and disrespectful to God. A person with a secret sin can say, “God has to bless me, I’m going to make a sacrifice and go on a fast in the faith that I’ll get this new job! I’ll pray every night at midnight, I’ll go to church as often as I can, I’ll read my Bible every morning and God will be faithful to His word to bless me, because I’m using me faith and His word can’t lie!” He looks so on fire for God. But he has no intention of killing his old life. He still loves his secret sin. He may suspend that sin for a while and even ask God to forgive him, but he never hates it enough to repent in true sincerity. As he fasts, prays and reads his Bible while ignoring the condition of his soul, he treats God with the worst form of contempt: “You are the All Powerful God. I believe you keep your Word. I will continue to serve my flesh, and I demand that you serve me.” Satan’s thoughts exactly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tempting God, or putting Him to the test, is trying to manipulate God to perform for you. You may look committed, but it’s all for show. Christians like this will go so far as to cry out in boldness, “Oh Lord, I don’t accept these attacks of the devil!” and turn around to please the devil the same day. Any repentance is just a religious rite to alleviate guilt, and then they’ll scour the Bible to justify why God has to bless them, like expert lawyers compiling arguments to trick their opponent into handing over what they want at minimal cost. “I have rights before God!” Sure you do…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you think God wants business partners that haggle with Him, go right ahead and tempt (test) Him. But what God truly wants is relationships. He wants bonds of trust and understanding and obedience based on love. He wants to envelope us with His goodness and power – but sin has to be hated and killed. It’s so simple. We can’t demand His word to come true if we won’t follow it! Psalm 34 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” Why would anyone manipulate a good God who already wants to bless us? How in the world do we think we can “trick” God into blessing us? And more than anything, how dare we treat the God of all Creation as our slave? If you’ve been doing this and haven’t realized it, untangle yourself from the devil’s trap and run to Him in repentance now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>You search the Scriptures, because you think in them you have eternal life. These are they who bear witness of Me. Yet you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, but you do not receive Me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?</i> John 5:39-44, MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-85944586481669303192017-04-05T10:49:00.002+09:002017-04-05T13:06:53.915+09:00The fastest road to joy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Did you know that children don’t have to be threatened with punishment every day if they have a healthy and loving relationship with their parents? Discipline and punishment is important at appropriate times, but that alone can’t be the driving force that keeps a family together. Smart parents discover quickly that their little ones have an innate joy in pleasing Mom and Dad, which can be nurtured to the point that disciplinary measures rarely need to be harsh, if ever. By the time these kids are teens, an environment of serving their siblings and their parents can become so ingrained and pleasant, that it affects the way they treat everyone around them. Maybe you’ve never seen a family that functioned that way – believe me, it happens when God’s principles of serving one another are practiced daily, and of course it has to begin with the parents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">People balk at the thought of serving, as if it’s a form of oppression or injustice, but serving is a natural response to love. It’s probably because we’ve never seen anything outside of worldly, emotional giving. Godly service knows when to give and when not to give, what to give and what not to give. An example of emotional giving is when you feel so guilty to be driving a car while a homeless man is on crutches, that you empty your wallet every time you see him, and the next guy on the road, and the next… Giving out of guilt is not faith, and Romans 14 says that whatever is not from faith is sin. Spiritual serving listens to God, gives wisely without complaining, and trusts fully that God is pleased.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, the same people who give and give out of guilt, can also throw a fit when asked to serve their spouse or be submissive to someone in their church. Guys, if you can’t find joy in loving your wife like Christ loved the church, or ladies, if you hate the verse in Ephesians that tells you to submit to your husbands, you will never know what a real relationship with God is like. It begins with the closest people you know, and it has nothing to do with demeaning yourself or being oppressed. It’s discovering and pursuing the joy of servanthood. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I stand in the cold wintery winds, handing out flyers to passersby, many turn their face away from me and treat me like a pest. I invite people to come for prayer knowing that they look at me with suspicion – who is this American? What does he want with us? What kind of religion is he peddling? But I’m filled with joy because I’m planting seeds of faith, and God promises that I will reap what I plant. I’m even happier knowing that God is happy with me, that He knows how much I want to share Him with others, and that He is preparing the right people to come my way. And He does answer me, but the point is that I find pleasure in making Him happy, even more than just getting answers to prayer. The answers will come, but the happiness I give Him in being obedient is something only I can do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My relationship with God is built on this pleasure. And knowing that my faith makes Him happy makes me so confident that I become unshakeable. This joy also can manifest in a holy anger, a holy revolt against the devil’s attacks to block others from knowing Him. This seems crazy to the world, but I can be filled with both deep happiness and a holy rage all at the same time. It’s just a reflection of God’s character, and it should become second nature to all of us who are His. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">All this is to say: run after the joy of serving. If you give begrudgingly or to impress people, if you serve your spouse or children with hidden resentment that snaps when they don’t respond the way you hope, you’re missing the point. Serve God like a child who finds joy in pleasing his parents, and that alone. Serve with the confidence that He is pleased even if everything seems to be going against you. An innate joy that comes from serving Him was built into us from Creation – that’s what we were made for. Live in that joy and be fulfilled. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Remember the former days, after you were enlightened, in which you endured a great struggle of afflictions. In part you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and afflictions. And in part you became companions of those who were so abused. For you had compassion on me in my chains and joyfully endured the confiscation of your property, knowing that you have in heaven a better and an enduring possession for yourselves. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which will be greatly rewarded.</i> Hebrews 10:32-35, MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-30359104758805771702017-03-25T00:16:00.001+09:002017-03-25T00:16:24.475+09:00Christian snobbery and perfect credentials<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Oh, so you’re a part of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i></b> church? You know
pastor <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">so-and-so</i></b>? You attended the conference for ministry and
evangelism sponsored by <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i></b> group? You attended <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i></b>
seminary? Then you must be a real Christian.” We don’t like to admit that we
carry little mental checklists for who is “good enough” to be considered a real
Christian and who isn’t, and it’s usually based on superficial labels and not
on faith at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In countries where Christianity is well established, the
ugly side is religiosity and pride. It manifests in a desire to judge, condemn
and ostracize anyone who doesn’t appear to fit the norms of the ruling culture.
The Bible has clear requirements to discern what is true salvation, and who
belongs to the true Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and of course we need to
be wise to stand against the lies of cults. But in church social gatherings,
few Christians take the time to “test the spirits.” Instead, they’d rather use
that list of labels and “who-knows-whos.” If people don’t fit the list, they
are usually ignored, gossiped about and socially rejected within the church. Those
who do fit the checklist are proudly displayed, given positions of
responsibility and spiritual authority in churches. And some of these
well-qualified leaders with perfect credentials have also been the cause of
infighting, ugly power struggles and church divisions. The checklists are
basically meaningless. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But on the other hand, how many people did God choose to represent
Him who didn’t match the perfect checklist of their culture or religious
climate of their time? God saw the purity of their faith and the motives of
their hearts and said, “Yes, these are My children.” Moses, Joseph, Ruth,
Gideon, David, John the Baptist, the twelve disciples, even Jesus Himself were
outcasts or rejects in some form or other. They were eyed suspiciously, but God
didn’t care. In fact, it seems that God often chooses those that don’t have the
perfect resume to be used for His glory. He chooses those who are even
offensive to the religious powers-that-be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We need to be careful not to snub anyone who reaches out to
us because of a label or rumors we’ve heard. The Holy Spirit gives us
discernment as we see others with the eyes of compassion, no matter what has
been said about them. Are they from a troubled background and need help to find
God? Is their bitterness against God just a mask to hide deeper pain? Is their
zeal for a certain religion a sign that they are searching for the truth and
haven’t found it yet? Or maybe we’ve totally misinterpreted who they are
because we’ve labeled them out of our own ignorance. Maybe God wants to teach
us something through them. Neither should we feel offended if religious people
snub us. If they slandered Jesus, why should we deserve better treatment? A
natural consequence of being a true believer is to be misunderstood by false
(or weak) ones, and God expects us to deal with it in grace and forgiveness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If I am certain of my salvation, why should I be afraid to
speak to anyone else? Why would I be intimidated by an atheist, a Satanist, a
cult member or a false Christian? If I know the truth, then no one can steal it
from me, and perhaps my assurance of faith can even help someone else find
salvation. And if they dislike me or pressure me to change? No problem. It’s a
positive challenge to show the love of God to them while also speaking the
truth boldly, in the faith that the seed I plant would eventually bear fruit. And
if you think I’m being deceived by false doctrines, don’t gossip about me to
others without knowing the truth, and please don’t run – try to save me! Maybe
you’ll discover that your preconceived ideas about my faith were totally wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Beloved, do not believe
every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because
many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you know the
Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh is not from God. This is the spirit of the
antichrist, which you have heard is coming and is already in the world. You are
of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is
greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world, and therefore
they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. <sup><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></sup>We are of God, and whoever
knows God listens to us. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. This is how
we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>1 John 4:1-6, MEV</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-78351313586107897902017-03-22T17:46:00.001+09:002017-03-22T17:46:15.305+09:00Why I do what I do<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj309uNr-VGzmRxr8QIfcZ4a-6ZQWvm0VCyVhqJiK04QtBN-7hS6LpEqWyQY5mzDxeJ-5SBNUiCpjKY1lDtuxPoUmRMOELxv63Qxf2qqyI-VCRKhewNgrtD82InqHxrb_qHdFJgRO6p_24/s1600/Malawi+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj309uNr-VGzmRxr8QIfcZ4a-6ZQWvm0VCyVhqJiK04QtBN-7hS6LpEqWyQY5mzDxeJ-5SBNUiCpjKY1lDtuxPoUmRMOELxv63Qxf2qqyI-VCRKhewNgrtD82InqHxrb_qHdFJgRO6p_24/s320/Malawi+6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Their booming voices would raise the roof at the Mponela
Bible School in central Malawi. Dad was training men, young and old, to become
pastors of that tiny African nation sandwiched between Rhodesia and Mozambique
in the 1960s, and they were so full of zeal that they would sing all night
long. Dad’s missionary work kept him at the school for weeks at a time, leaving
Mom to deal with us four kids in a land where the largest city had only one
traffic light. It was tough, but we would never have traded those 12 years for
anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was an American, a foreigner, a stranger to that culture
and country – but I was completely at home. Sacrifice for the gospel was our
daily life. Though my parents felt the pain of it more than my siblings or I, it
was clear that sacrificing one’s life for God was not an option. It’s what real
Christians do. And in that limitless joy of the young Bible students and in the
village churches made of mud and straw, it was easy to see how sacrifice
brought new life. Sacrifice resulted in joy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then the tide changed and we were suddenly back in the US. The
wealthy churches in Texas that had supported Dad’s missionary work were
stranger to me than I had been to the Africans. It wasn’t just culture shock,
it was a shock to our spirit. Instead of raw faith, joy and gratitude for God’s
amazing love, it was luxury cars, expensive homes, social status, back biting
and church politics. The few Christians who were sincere were hard to
find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But Dad and Mom were determined to never let the fire of
faith die. They accepted the call to spread the gospel among immigrants in New
York City, teaching English with the Living Bible as a textbook. Dad led a
church in a rundown corner of the Bowery District in the lower eastside of
Manhattan in the 70s, holding services where drunks, beggars and conmen considered
churches as soft spots for handouts. Once, after a long day of helping other people,
Dad was given a black eye from a beggar who refused to take no for an answer. But
Mom and Dad stayed, they served, they cared for the lost, they changed lives,
and I watched and admired their every move.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I wanted to serve too, but becoming a traditional pastor,
majoring in Bible and Psychology to be ordained in a church as dry and
unspiritual as the American churches I’d known, was something I just couldn’t
bear. I dropped out of a Christian college in Texas to seek another path. Where
were the Christians with the same quality of faith that I saw in Mom and Dad? Why
did no one value the joy that comes from sacrifice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The answer came years later in such an upside-down manner,
that only God could have orchestrated it. With my newly earned degree of Doctor
of Chiropractic, all set to open my practice in New Jersey, I was called to
give it up and go into the ministry. I did. I left it all to serve in a church
that was completely unknown in the United States, but had impacted the lives of
hundreds of thousands in Brazil and South America. I learned Portuguese, I
submitted to the church leadership of a totally different culture. I learned
spiritual warfare, to confront witchcraft, to heal the sick, to cast out
demons, to preach a radical faith, and to fight against the forces of hell to
save souls. I witnessed the healing of my wife’s blindness, the raising of my infant
son from the dead, and the transformation of thousands of lives that no one
could deny were from God. Not only had I found sincere Christians, I had found
the First Century church active and alive, and the God of the Bible revealing
Himself in my everyday life the more I surrendered to Him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This has been my life since 1987, in both North and South
America, in Africa, Europe and Asia, planting churches, preaching, teaching,
counseling, healing and learning more each day about the joy that comes from
sacrifice. Funny thing is that it was Dad and Mom who led the way for me as
they gave up 30 years of ministry in their old denomination to serve in this
new church. Again, they were my examples as they left behind the comfort of
their home and family to go back to Africa decades later. Mom was buried on the
mission field in Bloemfontein, South Africa in 1995, and today, well into his
80s, Dad reaches out to prisoners and ex-cons in his home state – giving demons
black eyes instead. I have seen firsthand that yes, sacrificing for the gospel
is what Christians do, and from it springs miracles, healing, deliverance,
salvation and pure joy. There’s no other option.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For whoever would
save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find
it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Matthew 16:25</i> </span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-71804673596847445892017-02-19T09:28:00.000+09:002017-02-19T09:28:02.105+09:00All the Information You Need<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypofuMsRjjcJSpN_GHj5p5zvTLhpb-TKMNoclpt_KGKCXgMvtyzW9AW-KsfPY0q56fPlzEkqZYLOr0m92qVFT_CZuSC0yXW0TLpXbZpIyqcvX6UNw_BM7F-HRHqCyY9h7dMZVV2qhdYM/s1600/child_learn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiypofuMsRjjcJSpN_GHj5p5zvTLhpb-TKMNoclpt_KGKCXgMvtyzW9AW-KsfPY0q56fPlzEkqZYLOr0m92qVFT_CZuSC0yXW0TLpXbZpIyqcvX6UNw_BM7F-HRHqCyY9h7dMZVV2qhdYM/s320/child_learn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As we’ve been preparing for our move to Korea, we’ve been praying for open minds to absorb all we can. I’ve always been amazed at how children are able to pick up new languages so easily, while adults struggle and strain to say just a few phrases. As Jesus says, the Kingdom of Heaven is given to those who are like little children with open minds and open hearts, humble and eager to learn what they’re taught. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I recently watched a lecture on learning new languages, and a line that the speaker said really stood out: Be tolerant of ambiguity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">He was referring to language learners who are picky about every detail of why a word is used, how exactly the grammar works and why there’s no perfect translation for that word. Those people learn the slowest, and often just give up in frustration, believing that either they aren’t smart enough, or the language is too tough. But the flexible ones who don’t demand explanations for everything, who just keep listening, learning, observing, imitating and believing that sooner or later they’ll get it – they’re the ones who learn on a deeper, more instinctive level. They’re not afraid to feel a bit lost and confused because they are certain that eventually it will all make sense. They’re the ones who don’t mind fumbling and bumbling along and sounding funny, because they know it’s all part of the process, and they even laugh at themselves as well, which actually helps them learn from their mistakes. Do you see the spiritual corollary here?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jesus’ only words to Jairus were, “don’t be afraid, just believe,” when the devastating news of his little daughter’s death came to him. “Leave your father’s household and go to a country that I will show you,” God simply told Abram out of the blue. “Why are you crying out to me, Moses? Stretch out your hand over the water,” God said as Moses and several million Hebrews were trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army. If God had been speaking to closed-minded men, they would have been full of questions, exasperating questions. “What? How can you say that? Don’t you see what’s going on? Listen God, I need some explanations here...” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But whoever has a living and active faith focuses on what they do know, and don’t waste time on what they don’t know. If God calls you to sacrifice a job, a friend, a hobby, a habit, a fear – He will provide all you need to make it happen, and then reward you beyond your dreams. Exactly how, when, and where He’ll provide is not always our business to know. Sometimes we only find out these details right before they happen or even as they’re happening! If that means we have to bumble along, laugh at ourselves, wait and do our best with the little that we know, then that’s what He expects of us , and that’s what pleases Him. Remember, great trials of faith don’t always come in heroic life-or-death moments. They often come in those awkward ambiguous phases. But like children, that’s when we learn the most. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Maybe you’ve known for a while that God has been calling you to do something, change something, sacrifice something, reach out to someone, or just simply act in faith. Maybe you’ve been resisting because you want all the details charted out for you in advance. So focus on what you do know – He wants you to do it. You also know that His eyes range back and forth throughout the world to strengthen those who are fully devoted to Him. You can’t use the excuse that it’s too hard, because He’s promised to come to your aid. That’s all the information you need. Those truths outweigh all the uncertainties. So, go ahead, act on it. Tolerate the ambiguities, and watch how much easier blessings come your way as you do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes, who is risen, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.</i> Romans 8:31-34 MEV</span></blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-23089868021597518732017-02-07T09:15:00.001+09:002017-02-07T09:18:15.329+09:00How to Look Directly into the Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">CS Lewis wrote an essay I like called, “Meditations in a Toolshed.” Here’s a quote:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was the most striking thing in the place. Everything else was almost pitch-black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam. Instead I saw, framed in the irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree outside and beyond that, 90 odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Knowing God is like standing in that beam of light, totally immersed in the life-giving energy of the sun, where everything is made clear and bright. But many people aren’t inside that light, but only observe it from a distance. For them, God appears as a narrow shaft of dusty light while everything else remains dark and gloomy. It’s the perfect description of many Christians. Maybe at one point they stood in God’s light out of a simple need for Him – a humility to surrender, a sacrifice of their desires, a trust. And what they found was His amazing life-giving power. But now, they’ve stepped aside. God doesn’t force His light on anyone – we’re perfectly free to step back into the gloom if we choose. It’s less effort and requires little trust, but then we become disconnected from that life-source. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So what do you have to do to stay in that light? Some time ago a man shared with me his struggle with shame and anger at the injustice of being falsely accused by coworkers. He had proof to argue his case, but he would hurt others in the process. He was trying to do the right thing by simply enduring the frustration, but a nagging feeling told him that God didn’t even care. At that moment, he was looking at the beam of light from the outside and feeling very dark inside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So I challenged him to go against his natural inclination. To embrace the situation he was in, not to resist it. “Be logical. Fact 1: God is just, isn’t He? So choose to be totally at peace that He is fighting to defend you and stop thinking like a victim. Fact 2: Give, and it will be given unto you, right? So give your best on your job, give kindness even to those who’ve mistreated you, give shamelessly, freely and with determination, because that will break the power of the devil on your job. Don’t worry about how people will react – just give, and give with a smile!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He was crazy enough to actually do it! The first day was hard, but it got easier as the days went by. He was battling against his flesh, but also destroying the spirits of lies and greed in his workplace. The more he disciplined his emotions to behave in kindness and goodness in the face of injustice, the brighter God’s light shone on him. His was both in God’s light, and shining God’s light. As the sun can give and give and never run out, that’s how he chose to live each day. Before he knew it, evil couldn’t torment him anymore. The situation was still the same, but he was happy, energetic and full of peace. He could focus and work better than anyone in his office. A few weeks later, the entire case against him unraveled and he was trusted with a better position that he hadn’t even asked for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our bodies, souls and spirits were made to look directly into God’s light, just like Adam and Eve. We become unhealthy when we aren’t looking straight into His presence, where the entire world around us is bright and glorious, and beauty and power is evident in every situation. Even unpleasant times become supernaturally illuminated. Even moments of dullness, shame, weariness, anger, grief, pain, loss, frustration and all other negative experiences can have that same light blast it all away. Choose to fearlessly live out God’s character this week, to be bathed in His light, to see everything clearly, and become completely untouchable to the devil. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give favor and glory, for no good thing will He withhold from the one who walks uprightly. O Lord of Hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You.</i> Psalm 84:11-12, MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-12575108822092271102017-01-30T06:01:00.001+09:002017-01-30T06:01:35.855+09:00Disciples who disappoint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When you’re concerned about a person’s soul and want to see them free and full of the presence of God, your mind’s eye frequently creates a picture of this. You’re able to identify what they’re doing wrong, remember your own experiences and are convinced that you can help them avoid the pitfalls that you had to struggle through. If they’d only listen, they’ll be just fine. But as much as we may try to micromanage someone else’s journey of faith, the fact is, it’s God who saves, and it is they who have to choose the right path. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When Paul was in prison and close to the end of his life, he remembered a few of his disciples that had abandoned and even betrayed him. Though the power of the Holy Spirit was at work in Paul, and there was plenty of miraculous evidence of God’s presence guiding him, he was unable to keep these men on the path to salvation. He had to accept the fact that they had made their choice to serve the world, and he had to keep on going. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But there was one young man who Paul did ask for in that passage of 2 Timothy, John Mark (or just Mark). John Mark’s story begins in the book of Acts when Paul reacts in anger because young Mark had given up and gone home on their first missionary journey. Later, when Mark decided he wanted to join Paul and Barnabas again, Paul had some sharp words for him and refused. Paul felt that he was a failed disciple, but God had other plans. Even though angry words caused Barnabas, Paul’s faithful friend during terrible persecution, to side with Mark and split off from Paul, Mark was not a lost cause. Over the years, Mark matured and turned into one of the founders of the early church. This is the same Mark who wrote our second Gospel in the New Testament. And at the end of his life, Paul writes to Timothy asking, “Get Mark, and bring him with you, for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We never know the future of the people we’re reaching out to. There are too many unknown factors. Will they persevere? Will they listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit? Will they allow God to work freely in them? And yet, none of that is our responsibility. We can only help to lead them to God to the best of our ability, and then trust that whoever responds to His call will be kept on the right path. Paul may have thought that Mark was a lost cause, but he wasn’t. Paul may have thought that other companions, who eventually turned against the gospel, would stick by him for life – but he was wrong. (At least as far as we know, maybe they repented in the end too!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our zeal for evangelism and disciple-making should never fade, especially with disappointments or detours. Perhaps you’ve given all you had to save a soul who seemed so promising, but they gave up on God. Don’t be discouraged, because it isn’t you who saves anyone – it’s God. Just as each of us have had to go through our own struggles and bumps in the road to get to where we are now, God sees the big picture. It may take a few years of “kicking against the goads” before they start to trust in Him again, depending on their state of humility. But as long as we pray for them in faith, He’ll make sure that every pain and every dark moment will be divinely used to call them back to Him. Whether or not they respond, will be their choice. But one thing we know, the more people we reach out to, the more we’ll be able to bring into the Kingdom of God with us, so don’t give up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>At my first defense no one stood with me, but everyone forsook me. May it not be charged against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me for His heavenly kingdom, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.</i> 2 Timothy 4:16-18, MEV</span></blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-43359698388653099912017-01-23T04:49:00.000+09:002017-01-23T09:54:35.020+09:00Christians looking for loopholes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Christians who look for loopholes in the Bible to allow them to keep sinning have a reasoning that usually goes: “Romans 6 says I’m dead to sin, which means that sin doesn’t stick to me anymore. So even if I fall in the weakness of my flesh now and then, all I have to do is brush myself off and keep on going because I’ve been baptized into Jesus’ death, and clothed in His righteousness – I’m all good!” They’d never openly say that sinning is a good thing. They say that holiness, self-discipline and self-sacrifice are good, but they think they can get by without them. They’re already washed in the blood, they have “good hearts,” (as if we can judge our own hearts) and they’ve prayed the sinners’ prayer – that’s their criteria for salvation. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So we find “good Christians” with “good hearts” hanging out in bars, cheating on their spouses, letting profanities slip every now and then, unable to kick a cigarette habit, or a weed habit, or a gambling habit, a porn habit or whatever. They’re the nicest, friendliest, churchgoing people who sing worship songs with gusto, who have settled for a life on par with their unbelieving neighbors with no fear that they may not even be saved at all. That’s the scary part. They rely so heavily on this safety net of God’s grace and mercy, that they stifle their consciences – the inner voice of the Holy Spirit convicting them of sin. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Demonic activity usually hovers around them. Marriages are full of strife and some collapse completely. Their teenagers have contempt for their parents’ faith, some becoming rebellious and some developing serious emotional problems. These Christians get mired in gossip and grudges, even within their own churches, and can’t see their own fault in all the drama. They see the mess of their lives, shrug their shoulders and blame others. Since everyone’s saved and everyone’s a sinner clothed in righteousness, they figure that’s life. It’s as good as it gets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Imagine a kind shepherd, trying to guide his flock uphill to pure water, when his lazy sheep ignore his voice and prefer to drink from an open sewer. That’s a picture of Christians who settle for mediocre. James says that the Holy Spirit “yearns jealously” for us. He grieves over sheep who disregard Him and think they know better. God calls out to us every day through His word, through nature, through our circumstances, proclaiming that there is so much more for us! So much joy, abundance and peace. But the path to find it looks dull and painful. “Pick up your cross daily and follow me,” and “work out your salvation with fear and trembling,” are the words of our Good Shepherd calling us uphill to where the pure water is. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Tolerating sin has terrible consequences, but the root of it all is a refusal to have a real relationship with God. It’s treating faith as a formula, a scheme to get what we want for the least amount of effort. That’s no relationship – that’s a business deal. God yearns for children, a relationship, a family, and dying to sin is what allows us to join His family. When we love our spouse or children, we naturally seek out ways to strengthen our bonds, to express our love and appreciation. Putting effort into a loving relationship is work, but it’s also great fun with great rewards and worth every bit of effort. Every happily married couple knows that. Why don’t Christians find joy in the effort to build bonds of love with God? Why do they prefer looking for loopholes for sin, to get salvation at a bargain? They want to live in a way that hurts Him, and say that they love Him in the same breath.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stop and think about the motives for your prayers, why you think God should let you into heaven, and why sin is still so easily entangling you. Maybe it’s because you’ve never sought a true relationship with Him. You may not even see God as a real person, but as a mystical being who thinks your “good heart” is just fine. Sorry to say, you don’t yet have salvation because Jesus is not yet your Lord. Make sure to change that today.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. </i>(1 John 3:8-10 NLT)</span></blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-66936976438338618572017-01-16T07:27:00.001+09:002017-01-16T07:27:07.740+09:00God and the devil… 2 equal but opposite forces?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One big mistake Christians can make, is to imagine God and the devil in a struggle for power, two equal and opposite forces battling with all their might against each other. There is nothing further from the truth! The devil is a mere pest compared to the power of our God, who the Bible says is, “far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion.” Yes, there is a spiritual battle that is going on, but it’s not an equal battle at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So why does it feel like evil is growing in the world? Why does it seem that there are so many more cases of murders, rapes, kidnappings, and horrific child abuse in the news? Not only that, global tensions and threats of international war are growing as well. But as shocking as headlines may be, the scariest thing on earth is the absence of godly men and women who are teaching the truth about salvation, hell, the power of God, of living in victory, and the reality of our authority over demonic forces that are all around us today. All of these issues are linked together, because they all encompass what Jesus has taught us to practice until the day He returns. Without warriors who pray, warriors who teach and warriors who disciple with a burning hatred against evil and a burning love for God, Satan will always be able to push forward. God has handed His Church the authority to tear down strongholds, but wimpy Christians have done practically nothing with those weapons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We have to live in constant awareness that what happens in the spiritual realm is reality, affecting everything in our physical world. But if Christians treat prayer as a tiresome religious formality, they aimlessly wander in a haze of passive faith. And who do you think has created this very comfortable haze? Demonic principalities who are wise enough not to confront us head-on with accusations that God doesn’t exist, but who subtly lure us into a state of complacency to patiently wait for things just to “work out on their own” – to feel uncomfortable with aggressive faith, with fighting prayers, with sacrificial living. The more the Church sleeps in this haze, the easier it is for Satan to do his work unhindered. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We have been given both the authority and the command to pull down strongholds and principalities, and when Christians en masse take that command seriously, the world around us can radically change. We could impact how many murders and rapes and cases of abuse happen. We could stem the tide of wars and violence. But if Christians can’t even tie up the simple stuff of sin and doubt and selfishness in their personal lives, how can they impact a hurting world? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If we could just see how powerful our prayers were, we’d be calling out to God constantly, as well as tirelessly rebuking demonic forces. It wouldn’t be a burden, a ritual or an act of superstition, because we’d know that we are impacting the world for God’s Kingdom. Our personal lives would change. We’d know that God’s Spirit was gladly working in tandem with our faith – not because we are anyone special, but because God has ordained it this way. He asks us to act in faith in our small human way, so that He can do the rest in “the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” My prayer is that this practice becomes more deeply rooted in me, and becomes a way of life among all of you. If prayer and spiritual warfare has become tiresome for you, stop everything and start fighting against that demonic haze that wants to keep you passive and ineffective. The weapons are at your disposal – pick them up and use them! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>…and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He performed in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and made Him the head over all things for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all things in all ways.</i> Ephesians 1:19-23. MEV</span></blockquote>
<br />David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-39064041377539981732017-01-06T02:30:00.001+09:002017-01-06T02:33:35.448+09:00A good dose of healthy, biblical grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How can you be generous when you can’t even make ends meet? It’s a lot easier to give when you have a rich supply of whatever it is you’re going to give – money, time, love, knowledge, understanding, forgiveness, grace… When your account is full, you have little to worry about when you need to share with others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It makes sense with money, but how about the giving of your soul and spirit? If a couple marries with emotional deficits – chaos on her side of the family, neglect on his – they join two unhealthy souls with unrealistic expectations for each spouse to fill the other’s gaping void. It’s a recipe for disaster. They can love each other immensely, but become cruelly defensive because of unresolved pasts. On the other hand, when each has an emotional bank account rich with goodwill, trust and a stable sense of self-worth, their marriage can weather any storm and grow even stronger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">How can someone who has been emotionally bankrupt by a horrible past alter their damaged self-worth? Does he have to find someone to love and nurture him enough to compensate for years of rejection? How long would that take? The poor giver would have to keep giving and receive nothing back, and in the end become a victim of neglect as well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But many Christians with painful pasts feel that they have no choice but to be negative and mistreat the people who love them, because of their emotional deficits. They expect their family to fill the void, to ignore their outbursts, to love them unconditionally, and to endure whatever tantrums they throw because they just can’t stop themselves. But they are looking to the wrong place for a solution. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The disciples were afraid of being left by Jesus, but He wasn’t going to leave them in a vacuum. In fact, it was going to be even better that He leave, because the Father would send the Spirit to live inside of them and fill the void. The Spirit would teach them everything they needed, but even more than that, God would make His home inside of them. Jesus’ peace would be their gift, and the only requirement for all of this was obedience (John 14:7).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This is what true grace is. Worthless sinners being filled to overflowing with the God of the Universe, bringing all His love, joy, peace, power, goodness and healing to live and work inside of us, just because we’ve repented and live in obedience. God provides that rich bank account of stability and goodwill that can overflow to others, because we’re connected to the source. So, if we have this wealth of joy offered to us by our loving God, why are we still trying to live out our Christian lives by the force of our own strength? Why are we dry, unhappy and frustrated that we never seem to be “good enough”?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If you have truly repented and make an effort to live in obedience every day, then His abundant grace is available to you. The best way to experience this grace, is to start giving to others, with no fear of being left emotionally bankrupt. You have the eternal source flowing through you, so you will never run out. Instead of demanding that your family love you perfectly, be gracious and flexible with them when they fail. Instead of taking offense at every little comment, give to others because you’re already so greatly loved. Instead of living in a state of guilt, wanting to please everyone, serve others with joy, and with the discernment to serve only as He leads, not as others want or impose. Remember, He’s placed a treasure inside your “earthen vessels.” He wants you to experience the surpassing greatness of His power, and He means for you to enjoy it!</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and He raised us up and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them.</i> Ephesians 2:4-10 MEV</span></blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-16890113445557188492017-01-04T03:22:00.001+09:002017-01-04T03:22:21.135+09:00Living upside down for God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">To receive, you need to give. To be the first, you need to be last. To become the master, you need to serve. To be exalted, you need to be humbled. To be free from injustice, you need to forgive. Submit to authorities, and submit to one another, turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, love your enemies, bless those who persecute you… and the list goes on. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">People will agree it’s a list of lofty and noble attitudes, and virtually impossible to do. Maybe because they’ve known others who ended up as doormats for abusers and manipulators, so they dismiss these noble attitudes as impractical. Jesus was probably just exaggerating and being “poetic” to get a point across, they think. And of course, He wasn’t.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But attempting to live out these attitudes in our own strength, doesn’t work. Turning the other cheek out of weakness or fear, just creates pain and humiliation. Showing compassion to aggressors without the faith to bind up their demons of violence, is just emotionalism and an invitation to get hurt. When fleshly spirituality goes wrong, as it always does, the devil laughs at our defeat to make his point that obeying God is for fools – and too many weak Christians believe him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But God’s upside down ways are not weakness. They are acts of confidence – a defiance of the devil. They are actions of courage and warfare that work. Every one of them releases supernatural power when done in true faith, which is why they’re so important to live by, and why they are mocked by the world. The world doesn’t mind when we’re just “good people,” but it hates us when we tear down demonic strongholds by living out His principles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Why do we always have to live so contrary to the world? Simply because the world has become so contrary to God. News headlines argue that God’s opinions are somehow “evil,” and pastors of leading denominations preach we shouldn’t take His word so seriously. It’s nothing new – even Jesus was called the prince of demons by the religious leaders of His time. That’s just one more upside down way we need to embrace: to see ourselves as “aliens in a foreign land,” and to be completely content with it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But once living upside down becomes our way of life, it all makes complete sense. We participate in His power. We begin to reverse the work of the devil, just as Jesus did. He touched lepers, and instead of contagious diseases spreading from them to Him, the life of the Creator flowed from Him into them. As violent persecution bore down on the disciples, the fire of the Holy Spirit just exploded through them with miracles and transformed lives. As hatred tried to stamp out the Early Church, a pure love for their enemies allowed Christians to spread the gospel, even to the soldiers who imprisoned them, and their radical, upside down faith continues to impact us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But many Christians refuse to live upside down for God. They don’t want to surrender control or feel vulnerable. They don’t want to give first, serve first, love their enemies or forgive. They hate the word submission, and will even argue loudly against it as if God was unfair. And by refusing God’s principles, they are refusing God. It’s nonsense to call Jesus Lord, if you won’t obey Him. Don’t you want to see His power flowing through you, undoing evil? Don’t you want the life of the Creator removing death and destruction? Don’t you want to see the Holy Spirit explode through you to transform lives, beginning with you? Living upside down is the only way that makes sense. Maybe you’ve never learned how to live out these principles the right way – maybe today’s the day to make that change.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is made desolate. And a house divided against itself falls. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons through Beelzebub. Now if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, no doubt the kingdom of God has come upon you. “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are peacefully kept. But when a stronger man than he attacks and overpowers him, he seizes all the armor in which the man trusted and divides his spoils. “He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.</i> Luke 11:17-23, MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-21605400178337491122016-12-19T09:56:00.001+09:002016-12-19T09:56:52.903+09:00Does Hanukkah have anything to do with us?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There was a period of time between the events of the Old and New Testaments, that a successor of Alexander the Great decided it was time to annihilate the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Interesting how century after century, bloodthirsty despots have been filled with the same hatred for God’s people – from the Amalekite terrorist attack on Moses as he led the Hebrews to the Promised Land, to the Philistines led by Goliath, to the Midianites that Gideon’s 300 fought, to the Babylonian invasion, the Roman persecution, the Catholic Inquisition, the Nazi Holocaust, and even today, the many enemies of Israel who openly declare their desire to kill all Jews. This is a visible image of the devil’s hatred for any who are chosen by God. But, back to the story…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">History tells us this Greek emperor was Antiochus Epiphanes, who believed himself to be a god incarnate. Not any god, but Zeus himself, or Jupiter according to the Romans, or Mithris according to the Persians, Osiris by the Egyptians, and various other names depending on the culture – different names, same demon. He was the sun god who was said to have been born of a virgin on the 25th of December. In his hatred for the Jews and the God of Israel, Antiochus Epiphanes invaded Jerusalem and took possession of the Temple, where he killed the High Priest, erected a temple to Zeus on the Temple grounds, and sacrificed the blood of pigs on the altar of God to defile God’s House. This was a horrific event. The Jews who had not fought in any wars since the Babylonian exile, gathered their inexperienced men in a revolt against the Greek (Selucid) army, what historians call the Maccabean Revolt. Though the Bible doesn’t explain this event, it is foretold in the book of Daniel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But God, as always, is faithful to His promises. The men of Israel, led by Judas Maccabes, a son of the High Priest, fought a three-year battle to take back their land and their Temple. God miraculously gave them victory as they smashed the altar of Zeus, purified the altar of God, and relit the menorah with holy oil to symbolize that God’s presence was still with them, and rededicated the Temple. Ironically, that victory happened on December 25th, the supposed birthday of that false god. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“But that’s just a Jewish holiday, it has nothing to do with us,” say some Christians. “It’s a commercialized celebration just like Christmas.” Whenever God gives victory to His people, it has everything to do with us. But more than that, ask yourself: why did Jesus celebrate Hanukkah? Bible translators refer to Jesus coming to the Temple for the Feast of Dedication in the winter. But the word “dedication” in Hebrew, is “hanukkah.” That was the day Jesus proclaimed that the Father was in Him, and He was in the Father. He clearly announced that He was God, standing in His own Temple, but the Pharisees were enraged and wanted to stone Him to death for blasphemy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This snippet of history that few Christians even know about, explains a few points of why our church doesn’t put much stock in honoring December 25th as the birthday of Jesus (the Bible seems to indicate that Jesus was born during lambing season which is in the spring). And these points are why I plan to celebrate Hanukkah this year with my family: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The daily mindset of a Christian has to be one of revolt, keeping our “holy of holies” pure and renewed. Ruthlessness against the devil is non-negotiable.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our daily desire is to keep the light of God shining inside of us, the Holy Spirit who protects and guides us.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our awareness that an “abomination of desolation” is coming soon, according to Jesus’ warnings – a demonic image will be erected on the Temple Mount when Jesus’ return is imminent. This is the time for radical faith.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As the spirit of the antichrist is so clearly on the rise today, why celebrate the birthdate of his representative who defiled God’s Temple? Why celebrate a pagan holiday that was later “Christianized?”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If Jesus celebrated the rededication of God’s Temple, why not celebrate a rededication of our temples to Him as well?</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Jewish calendar marks the week of Hanukkah for 2016, as beginning on December 24th, and ending New Years Day. My family and I plan to be extra thankful to God, make special prayers of revolt against anything the devil is trying to defile in the lives of those we minister to, and trust that His light is shining bright in us day and night. No better follow-up to the Israel Challenge than that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>The Feast of the Dedication was at Jerusalem, and it was winter. Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s Porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him, saying, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you did not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name bear witness of Me. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life. They shall never perish, nor shall anyone snatch them from My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them from My Father’s hand. My Father and I are one.”</i> (John 10:22-30 MEV)</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-68496180518223220172016-12-15T13:08:00.001+09:002016-12-15T13:08:20.213+09:00Are you a Blabbermouth or a Listener?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you ever noticed that some people can’t wait for you to finish a sentence before they barge in to add their own comments? They’re sure that they already know what you want to say, and have no patience to hear the rest since what they have to add is so much more interesting! There have been so many times when the person who interrupted me totally misunderstood my train of thought – sometimes even assuming that I was saying the opposite of what I really meant. They’re frustrating, and require a lot of patience to keep trying until they finally hear me out. Usually their restless minds change the subject, and my idea gets completely lost. I make a mental note to not get involved in conversation with them again if at all possible. <br />
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But then there are others who really care about what you have to say, and follow you as you explain your thoughts. They ask questions based on what you said, and you can tell that they’re reasoning through your words. Even if what you say sounds unconventional or even crazy, they’ll try to understand where you’re coming from, instead of dismissing you outright. They’re willing to consider that they may be learning something valuable and new, and that kind of consideration is the greatest form of respect. Conversations like these are a pleasure, and cause you to walk away feeling encouraged to treat others with that same level of respect. Rational, careful listening is always present in any healthy relationship of any sort.<br />
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Generally speaking, however, 21st century Christians are bad at listening to God. So many pray repetitive prayers, shout, cry and raise their hands as they feel obliged to do, and walk away from their time with God just as empty and uncertain as when they began. Of course, it would be easier if we could see God in front of us and hear His audible voice, but that’s not possible right now. We have to believe, listen to and trust in a God that’s invisible. But our restless selves get distracted, frustrated and bored when we don’t hear His immediate responses. When we treat God this way we become that same irritating blabbermouth who doesn’t know how to listen. And what’s worse, we can easily assume He’s saying the opposite of what He really means!<br />
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God speaks through His word, and through our meditation of His word. He speaks when we know what He would do if He were in our place. He speaks when the Holy Spirit inside of us confirms that those tough words, or those scary challenges, or those mundane and unglamorous promptings are really Him telling us to go, do and be what He says. Even nature speaks about Him, His character, His Spirit. He’s trying to communicate with us all the time, but so few have developed the discipline to listen more, and interrupt less.<br />
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Of course we need to open our mouths and speak to God, to pour out our hearts and souls to Him, to ask and keep asking, knock and keep knocking. But when we don’t take the time to quiet our spirits and just listen, we can turn into noisemakers. The greatest thing God desires is a real and personal relationship with each of us. He wants us to know Him as a friend, a Father, our Lord and God. When we show Him the respect of a true friend who listens, considers, and treats all that He says with care and interest, we build a relationship with Him with deep roots that lasts forever. One thing we can count on, is that He will challenge us with ideas that seem crazy, that feel uncomfortable, and that our flesh just won’t want to do. But when we’re quick to listen, we recognize that He’s teaching us something new and of great value. We can be a pleasure for God to communicate with. Our ears can be trained to listen and hear all He has to say. Remember how Adam and Eve walked and spoke freely with God in the Garden? Remember how Moses spoke with God face-to-face as a friend? God hasn’t changed. Let’s start listening to Him today. <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.</i> James 1:19-21 NLT</blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-84418729160899845472016-12-09T04:02:00.001+09:002016-12-09T04:02:51.840+09:00Are you seeing post-traumatic growth?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“Mad Dog” James Mattis is his name, a retired four-star general who fought in three wars (Iraq, Afghanistan and Iraq a second time), a former Commander of the US Central Command, and newly nominated to become the Secretary of Defense in the new US administration. He is loved and admired because of his honesty, integrity, intelligence and courage under fire, and his devotion to the soldiers he serves with. In a recent interview, General Mattis spoke about the serious problem of soldiers returning from combat who struggle with the horrific effects of war and death (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). I was inspired by what he said:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">“I would just say there is one misperception of our veterans, and that is they are somehow damaged goods. I don’t buy it. There is also something called post-traumatic growth. Going to war always causes stress. It’s inevitable, but it doesn’t have to cause damage, a disorder or syndrome. You don’t have to come out of it from a position of illness, you can come out of it from a position of wellness, of growth as a human being. I’ve seen people come out of this better – better husbands, fathers, kinder, more compassionate.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">That’s exactly what we see in our spiritual battle. When we fight God’s way, we always come through it better and stronger. In fact, spiritual warfare can only go two ways. Either you fight confidently with intelligence and faith, taking the hits to your weak areas by re-strategizing and fighting smarter, or you fight haphazardly with discouragement and disappointment at unanswered prayers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">People can endure years of haphazard fighting against the devil, but when they don’t learn to fight with intelligence, discouragement will lower their defenses and weaken their attacks. It leads to battle wounds and shellshock, and could potentially lead to totally give up on faith. Just like the general says, going to war always causes stress. It’s inevitable. Living for God is not easy, but how we choose to react makes all the difference. Instead of being wounded, we are purified and refined by God in the process. How? By determining these four non-negotiable points, and holding on to them until the end:</span><br />
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">God is our champion. We are guaranteed to win if we fight with Him at our side, even if it takes time and the end result seems so far away. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">God is rooting for us. His love and mercy is so amazing that even when we make a mistake, He doesn’t slap us down or humiliate us, He picks us up the very moment we repent, and He’s eager to put us right back on track. He wants us to win more that we do!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What may feel like annoying, useless battles could actually be important and strategic. God sees the bigger picture and knows where we need to be strengthened, so don’t resist His guidance. If He allows you to go through an unpleasant battle (are there ever pleasant battles?), fighting means discovering what He wants you to do, think and be. The sooner you overcome, the sooner you can move on to better things.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Our final goal: ultimate annihilation of the enemy. Even when the devil keeps coming back at you with new attacks, even when you feel like you deserve a break, even when emotions try to cloud your judgment. This has to be our default setting if we want to obey Jesus’ command to persevere until the end. </span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">If you’re going through post-traumatic stress because of the many defeats in your spiritual battle, it’s time to re-strategize, to look deeper and discover how you can fight smarter. All the apostles ended their lives fighting the good fight, stronger, more joyful, and more certain that every battle was worth it. And look at how much they continue to impact the world 2000 years later. That’s the power we all need to be fighting in! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, pleasing to all, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might according to His glorious power, enduring everything with perseverance and patience joyfully, giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled us to be partakers in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. </i> Colossians 1:9-13 MEV</span></blockquote>
<br />David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-13913389157027986962016-11-30T09:25:00.001+09:002016-11-30T09:26:32.896+09:00Responding to the critics of sacrifice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">One of the biggest criticisms of our church is its teaching about sacrifice – particularly at the time of the Israel Challenge which occurs twice a year. These are the most common phrases I hear:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Giving offerings or tithes is fine, but teaching that God expects us to sacrifice our possessions today is abusing church members and using the Bible for financial gain.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It’s irresponsible to pressure Christians into giving large amounts of money, especially those who can barely pay their own bills.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The constant teaching of sacrifice during the weeks before the Israel Challenge is nothing more than brainwashing.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If a church is so desperate for money, it should fundraise for whatever project it needs to pay for, and not exploit the Bible to make people feel guilty if they don’t give.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Churches should be known for giving to the poor, not taking from them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Teaching about financial sacrifices in exchange for answered prayer is teaching greed, and treats God like an ATM.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Let’s talk about each one:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Teaching that God expects us to sacrifice our possessions today is abusing church members and using the Bible for financial gain.</b> – In Acts 4 the early church members sold what they had – land, possessions – and laid it at the apostles feet for the sake of spreading the Gospel. No one lacked anything because as they gave, God provided for them all. It sounds radical, but there is nothing unbiblical about sacrificial giving. It’s everywhere from the widow of Zarephath in the Old Testament to the widow with the two copper coins in the New Testament, to Jesus’ command for the rich young ruler to sell all he had to follow Him, to Jesus’ own sacrifice on the cross that had been foreshadowed by Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac thousands of years earlier. Sacrifice permeates the Bible.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>It’s irresponsible to pressure Christians into giving large amounts of money.</b> – Challenging people to live by faith is the core of the Gospel. If someone gives out of their flesh, out of guilt, just for show or obligation, then faith isn’t operating and they have basically thrown away their opportunity to be blessed. But we have documentation of tens of thousands who once were poor, sick and hopeless, and can now testify to God’s power to lift them out of poverty, sickness and hopelessness to a life of abundance and stability because they had the courage to sacrifice not just money, but their lives in dedication to Him. These people didn’t lose a thing, they gained exponentially!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>The teaching of sacrifice during the weeks before the Israel Challenge is brainwashing.</b> – Sacrifice is simple to understand, but difficult for hearers to accept. There’s a demonic resistance that no one escapes, no matter how spiritual they are. As many times as God has challenged me to sacrifice something I highly valued, the devil was always there, doing his best to attack me emotionally and give me excuses not to go through with it. The reason is that sacrifice, when done in faith, is a form of intense spiritual warfare. Repetitive teaching can be boring, I’ll admit, if a pastor is not well trained or is not allowing the Spirit to speak through him. But the concept of sacrifice is so powerful that it needs to be developed and explained so that the hearers can make a rational and informed choice on their own.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>If a church is desperate for money, it should fundraise for whatever project it needs to pay for. </b>– The Israel Challenge is not the church’s desperate grasp for money. It’s a time when deep spiritual truths are set forth with the full knowledge that they could easily be misunderstood, and the church could be accused of all these statements above. Just like Peter said before the High Court of Israel, “We must obey God rather than man.”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Churches should be known for giving to the poor, not taking from them.</b> – You’ve heard the old saying, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Teaching people to trust in God through sacrifice, is basically thrusting them into a mode of faith that only the persecuted church of the past understood. People discover that they don’t need charity or other people’s help to overcome their problems, they can experience the supernatural power of God themselves through sacrifice. Our church has many social outreach programs that help the homeless, prisoners, the abused and illiterate – but nothing turns around lives like the power of sacrifice.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>Teaching about financial sacrifices in exchange for answered prayer is teaching greed, and treats God like an ATM.</b> – Jesus taught, “Give and it shall be given unto you,” and “as you give, you shall receive.” Sacrifices and offerings brought into the old Temple were meant to be done with specific reasons behind them, and at times God asked for specific sacrifices before He granted specific victories. Yes, we should give just for the joy of giving, and anything that is not given freely in love is not a true sacrifice. Yet God treats us as children who need incentives to do what is right, much like we teach our own children good lessons through rewards. Jesus even promises rewards in heaven according to how we’ve lived on earth. Sacrificing and making requests for our lives to be transformed is a perfectly Biblical concept and teaches us to humbly look to God as our Father. </span></li>
</ol>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Moreover, brothers, we want you to experience the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia, how in a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty overflowed toward the riches of their generous giving. For I bear record that according to their means, and beyond their means, they freely gave, begging us with much urgency that we would receive the gift and the fellowship of ministering to the saints. </i>2 Corinthians 8:1-4 MEV</span></blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-29861276948715056492016-11-22T04:37:00.001+09:002016-11-22T04:37:58.999+09:00Beautiful Holy Dread – part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In the last post I talked about the demonic, oppressive dread that makes us a slave to our feelings. But I also mentioned that another kind of dread exists — a good dread, a holy dread. That might sound “dreadful” to you, but bear with me. It’s something amazing and healthy for our daily relationship with Him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Job said, “…let not the dread of You make me afraid.” There was something distinctly good about this dread that Job was talking about that makes it different from fear. What is this good dread? It starts with understanding the immensity of who God is, and the power He holds in His hands. The universe can’t contain Him, because He made it and He’s beyond its scope. Time doesn’t limit Him because a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. He always was, is, and will be for eternity and can even heal wounds of the past and alter the course of our future with ease. The kingdom of darkness wages war against God’s Kingdom, but even hell itself has to bow before Him. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This idea of teaching about a holy dread is not popular in most churches. We’d rather talk about God’s love, comfort, care, meekness and humility, about His generosity and forgiveness. Christians like to paint mental pictures of Him as a gentle passive being. Just look at the hundreds of lovely quotes about God on Facebook with soft wistful images of flowers or children running through fields. All of those aspects of God are true, but without balancing them with His dreadful and terrible power, we weaken the greatness of His goodness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You may have seen pictures of soldiers in wartime armed with the deadliest weapons, caring for children and aiding vulnerable people. Those are powerful images of a more beautiful and intense generosity. When someone appears strong or invincible but chooses to show kindness just because he wants to, it takes on a deeper meaning. It moves us to gratitude, to appreciate the undeserved grace of those actions. That’s why we need to have this holy fear, this holy dread — to see how intense and deep His love is for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">God doesn’t need to forgive us, but He does. He doesn’t need to show kindness, generosity, understanding, patience, mercy… He needs absolutely nothing from us because He is all, and everything exists because of Him. But He chooses to anyway, and if we had even a tiny grasp of how truly awesome that is, we would be on our faces in gratitude for our salvation every day. He has every right to cast us into hell, but He chose to make a way for us through the unfair death of His own Son. The God of the Universe took our place! Holy dread needs to fill our minds and hearts because what He has done is unthinkable. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So, the next time you want to complain about life and reduce God to the level of a weak friend who has disappointed you because He didn’t give you what you wanted the way you wanted it when you wanted it — remember who you’re speaking to. Dwell on His immensity, His dreadful and beautiful power. The greater you exalt Him in your mind and heart, the more you will feel His great love and kindness.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the hills also moved; they reeled because His anger burned. Smoke went up out of His nostrils, and fire from His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it. He bent the heavens and came down, and darkness was under His feet. He rode on a cherub, and flew; He flew swiftly on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion was surrounding Him, dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness before Him His thick clouds passed by, hailstones and coals of fire. The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave His voice, hailstones and coals of fire. He sent out His arrows and scattered them, and He shot out lightning and distressed them. Then the channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were discovered at Your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils. </i> Psalm 18:7-15 MEV </span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-52058099168743126192016-11-18T07:36:00.000+09:002016-11-18T08:59:02.157+09:00The powerful emotion of dread Pt. 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Dread pops up in the simplest of things. A young man has a project due at work. He knows he can do a good job, but dreads dealing with his boorish overseeing manager. He sets to work haunted by the notion of being laughed at behind his back. He doubts himself and is angry at the unfairness of it all. He pushes himself to just get it done, but the fear of failure and ridicule dull his mind so that he can’t even think. He decides to boost his spirits with a drink or two, some entertainment, time out with friends, or anything to calm his nerves to tackle the project. But days pass and he can barely look at his to-do list, feeling more convinced he’s a loser. He mentally cuts himself down as an irresponsible, lazy idiot who’s lost his chance for a promotion if he’s lucky to even keep the job. The day of his presentation is approaching but instead of pushing through to get it done, he’s paralyzed by dread. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Doubt, worry, fear: three emotional states that the Bible constantly commands us not to feel, all condense into the intolerable emotion of dread. Dread of an uncertain future, dread of fulfilling a difficult task, dread of pain, unhappiness, alienation, failure, conflict, ridicule, rejection, loss, death. Jesus says that, “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy…” (John 10:10) so it follows that the feeling of dread is a conviction that the devil’s plans will come true. Dread is a form of negative faith that drives us further from God and closer to Satan. We may think we’re just reacting logically to an unpleasant situation, but we’re actually entering into a demonic spiritual state. Surrendering to dread is surrendering to the devil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">After 40 years of wandering in the desert because they rebelled against God and hadn’t entered the Promised Land as God had commanded them, Moses reminded the Israelites of the day they’d stood on the border of their land — still inhabited by strong cities and giant men — and of the words that God had spoken. Different Bible versions use “be terrified” or “fear,” but the King James Version hits the nail on the head saying, “Then I said unto you, dread not, neither be afraid of them.” (Deuteronomy 1:29) Dread not, even though they’re huge, even though their cities are fortified and you’re just a bunch of wandering, homeless ex-slaves. Dread not because I, the Lord, will fight for you. Case closed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If we’re commanded not to dread, it’s because we can choose to reject it. But a feeling so domineering as dread has to be replaced by a conviction even more domineering. Dread has to be argued down by raw faith. God challenged His people to determine that none of the imposing fortresses or warriors of the Promised Land would be vanquished by their own strength. God would do it. It was His job. They only had to be determined, and obey. They couldn’t just ignore fear, doubt or worry, they had to throw it down and stomp on it. Dread is a demonic spirit of intimidation and the only way to destroy it is to do exactly what it doesn’t want you to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">And then there’s the curious description that God has for Himself throughout the Old Testament. Malachi 4:5 (KJV) says, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.” God calls Himself dreadful, says that we should dread Him, that the heathen dread Him, that our enemies will dread us. When it comes to God, dread is a positive spiritual force. The intense dread of the devil’s threats has to be transformed into an intense fear and awe for God. And godly dread is nothing like demonic dread. It doesn’t create weakness or defeat, but joy, love, strength, and an invincible holy bond between us and our Creator. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Giving into the dread of the devil’s threats is bowing in submission to him. But holy dread as a response to God’s promises is a form of worship and surrender to His power. So how do we develop this holy dread for God? Check back tomorrow for the second half of this topic. </span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>You should not say, “It is a conspiracy,” concerning all that this people calls a conspiracy, neither fear their threats nor be afraid of them. Sanctify the Lord of Hosts Himself, and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread. </i> Isaiah 8:12-13, MEV</span></blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-32301055122611622302016-11-13T06:19:00.001+09:002016-11-13T06:19:43.072+09:00How to completely confuse the devil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I was asked this week about tips on how to remind yourself to tie up demonic forces every day. I answered that it has to become an integral part of our lives, even mixed into our worship, our devotions, the asking of requests, our thanksgiving—everything. If confronting the devil is seen as a to-do item on a prayer list, it’ll only happen during specified times in church services, or only when extremely stressful situations remind us of the need. If that’s the case, there’s not much of a difference between our faith and Christians who don’t even believe in spiritual warfare, and the fruit of our lives will be the same. I know a lot of our own church members who live in this mediocre state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I often see people in the process of deliverance getting tangled up in old religious ideas. They have a false impression of what freedom in Christ is supposed to be like. They yearn for an emotional high, a sense of elation, and imagine that they’ll always be smiling and quoting the Bible and praying in tongues, and that miracles will instantly appear at their fingertips—kind of like a magical Disney character. This false expectation is so common, I have no doubt that it’s demonic—a hyped up illusion that eventually crashes into to disappointment and anger when it doesn’t come true. They completely forget that daily warfare is not an option, but a lifestyle. It’s just one more reason we keep hammering home the message of thinking faith, and not emotionalism.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When real spiritual warfare is going on, the authority of Jesus’ name is being used, and the power of God’s Spirit goes out to fight and destroy demonic forces according to our faith. This has nothing to do with us “manipulating” God or forcing Him to do what we want. It has everything to do with us obeying His commands. His weapons are meant for us to use according to His will, and He promises to accomplish His will through us as partners—weak, unworthy partners, but still partners. If we don’t use His weapons, we’re opting not to obey, as simple as that. But when we do use them, not only do miracles happen, but we grow closer and closer to God. As we fight darkness, His light floods into us. It’s a powerful way of honoring God while knowing that not one miracle that happens is from ourselves, but all are from Him. And in the middle of the battle is when we really get to know Him, we see a glimpse of His face, hear His voice, feel His arms around us and know without a doubt that we are victorious, safe and protected. It’s not an emotional high, it’s a deeper spiritual wisdom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">New Christians who are learning how to fight for their freedom can either grab this concept and go all the way, or they can take a longer, more painful, confusing route. Fighting halfway is miserable and exhausting. Seeking deliverance as an addition to emotional religious habits doesn’t work. Hoping that your pastor will do all the fighting for you so you can go on with your slightly more cleaned up life, won’t bring complete freedom, and it doesn’t do you any good to complain to God that the process is too hard. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“But when I rebuke the devil, he hits me back even harder! I’m tired of trying and getting attacked over and over!” One truth is important to understand. When you are fully devoted to God, not just in words or emotional wishes, but when the daily choices of what you do, think, and determine show that you are fully devoted to Him, you are hidden in Christ. Satan cannot find you. He can’t drag you down and accuse you anymore. You completely confuse him, and his tactics have no more power. He can be so convinced that he is about to win a huge victory, and at the last minute be left stunned at his defeat. He won’t be able to figure you out because you will be living in such an intense light of God, that he is blinded, and you are hidden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This week I have seen Satan stunned and defeated and reeling in confusion. It brings me joy, but also a greater fear of how powerful and good our God is. We can’t afford to allow a single day to pass without engaging in God’s war. Don’t do it half-heartedly. Die to everything that is in the way of your total surrender to God, engage in this battle now and let His power hide you in His light.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>If you then were raised with Christ, desire those things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth. For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life shall appear, then you also shall appear with Him in glory.</i> Colossians 3:1-4 MEV </span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-66095360285549523292016-11-08T12:17:00.000+09:002016-11-08T21:56:02.200+09:00Infatuated with yes-men?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“I don’t believe in dividers – I support uniters!” Sounds like a noble sentiment, but what does that even mean? Basically, “I only like people who tell me that I’m just fine!” 2 Timothy 4 teaches about that mentality, how the time will come when “people will not endure sound doctrine, but they will gather to themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, having itching ears, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn to myths.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Everybody loves an uplifting quote on Facebook or a positive slogan. Here’s a popular one: “The best things come to those who don’t give up.” Logically that would mean an unemployed couch potato should never give up waiting around until a job dropped into his lap, and an abused wife should never leave her cheating husband no matter what. The encouragement of “don’t give up,” only applies if you’re doing the right things. If you’re not, your misery will become a bottomless pit. But who wants to be told they’re not doing the right thing? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Micaiah was a prophet in Israel under King Ahab. Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah came to visit, and the two kings discussed how they ought to join forces to fight Syria. Jehoshaphat suggested that they ask God what they should do, so Ahab called up his 400 yes-men to prophesy. And as yes-men do, they all predicted victory and success, which King Jehoshaphat could tell was a pack of lies. Jehoshaphat asked if Ahab had any real prophets of God. Ahab’s response said it all: “There is still one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we can inquire of the Lord. But I hate him because he never prophesies good for me, but always evil.” (1 Kings 22)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Micaiah knew he was expected to regurgitate the happy slogans of the other prophets, but when he finally spoke for God, it was ugly and scary – but it was the truth. Sin and disobedience was rife in Israel and evil King Ahab would die if he went to war. Ahab refused to listen, and God’s word came true, just as Micaiah had said. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The fallacy of today, is that we only want to hear about love and peace, about harmony and unity, about tolerance and acceptance, about sharing and embracing. Just meaningless sound bites. The world around us is infatuated with the “yes-men” of our days who spout off noble words, while anyone who speaks harsh truths is labeled as hateful, and divisive. A day is coming when a pastor who preaches that not all will be saved, that hell is a reality, that demons manifest and possess lives, that the only way to heaven is through salvation in Jesus – will be condemned as divisive and evil. The world is heading in the direction when it will be a crime to speak God’s truths, and that day is coming sooner than we think. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Don’t be discouraged when you speak up for God and His truth and find that you offend or infuriate people. A real servant of God doesn’t go out of his way to offend, but neither does he shy away from the truth, which offends those who are determined to serve the gods of this world. Happy slogans are worthless without the brutal reality of the spiritual battle we are in. Jesus is the Prince of Peace, yet He bought our peace through the shedding of His blood. We have the promise of eternal life, but it comes at the price of the death to our flesh and daily picking up our cross to follow Him. If you find yourself hated because you are the only one in your group of friends that holds onto God’s truth, consider yourself blessed. Truth may be painful, but it leads to life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.</i> 2 Timothy 3:12-14 MEV</span></blockquote>
David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-50298187213346119422016-11-06T08:24:00.001+09:002016-11-06T09:13:27.471+09:00The Keeping of Oaths<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In this climate of corruption and lies in politics, business and finance, we’ve become calloused to promises of leaders in our world. They’ve become meaningless as grand speeches unravel with scandalous revelations in the news. There has been such a glut of scandals lately that it’s almost impossible to absorb and process it all—our default setting has now become, “So what next, they’re all a bunch of liars!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When Joshua and the armies of God were fighting to take possession of the Promised Land, God gave him specific instructions (Exodus 23) not to make any treaty with the people who were living in that land. The entire land was meant for them, and they were to be strong and courageous in His might, to take it for themselves. But after they had overcome much of the territory of the Promised Land, the Gibeonites were afraid of Israel, and decided to be crafty. They dressed up as poor travellers from a distant country, came to Joshua, and lied about who they were. They showed them their dried out bread and worn out clothes, and convinced Joshua to make a covenant with them, and that they would serve Israel forever. The Bible says that Joshua and his leaders forgot to consult the Lord, and so they were deceived into making a covenant against God’s wishes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In a situation like that, many of us would imagine that a covenant made on false pretenses wouldn’t hold. The deal would be off. But even when Joshua and his mighty men realized they’d been fooled, the vow had to stand. The Israelite soldiers were furious and wanted to kill them, but a vow was a vow. Their promise before God was not a thing to be toyed with or scrapped. So the Gibeonites gratefully became their manual laborers instead of having to fight against God’s people, and that arrangement was honored for generations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Fast-forward to around 400 years later when God tells King David that Israel has been suffering a three-year famine because bloodthirsty King Saul had killed the Gibeonites before he died. The ancient vow had been broken, giving the devil permission to ravage all of Israel with drought and death. The strange response to this problem was for David to ask the remaining Gibeonites what they wanted done to make the problem right again. They asked for the lives of seven of Saul’s sons, and David agreed. Two of Saul’s sons from a concubine, plus five sons from his former wife Michal (who had mocked David when he had worshipped God) were handed over to the Gibeonites, who hung them all. Saul’s concubine mourned and repented for the sins of Saul and his sons in breaking that vow, and God poured down rain to end the famine. In other words, the evil of that broken vow was alive in the hearts and minds of those sons, and had to be cast out. Ending their lives, ended the curse on Israel. That was how seriously God treated vows, and how seriously we must treat them today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">“So you’re saying that if I break a promise, God’s going to strike me and my children down with death?” I’m saying that what we solemnly declare in faith, before God, has spiritual implications that run far deeper than we realize. Breaking vows gives the devil permission to attack us, even those we might have made hastily or with the wrong motives. Yes, God has made allowances for divorce in the Bible, but it’s a serious and painful process, even when done under God’s covering. But so many other vows are treated casually in this day and age that open doors for demonic attack, and people are oblivious to the cause of their problems and unanswered prayers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Ask yourself to see if you have vowed to be a faithful parent, but have failed your children out of selfishness and pride, if you’ve vowed to be faithful in your finances towards God, but have chosen to give only when it’s convenient, if you’ve vowed to abstain from gossip or self-promotion or ungodly behavior, but indulge in it now and then, or if you’ve vowed to obey God no matter what, when or where, but have chosen the comfortable route instead. God doesn’t send lightning bolts to strike us in judgment, but He does permit Satan to sift us when we reject His protection. Nations suffer these consequences, as well as individuals. We can only do so much to hold our leaders accountable these days, but we can make sure we honor our own vows beginning now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it because He has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill what you have vowed. Better it is that you do not make a vow than you make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was an error. Why should God be angry with your words and destroy the work of your hands? For when there is an abundance of dreams and futilities, then words increase too. Therefore it is God you should fear.</i> Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-92202155631775152732016-10-31T12:07:00.001+09:002016-10-31T12:07:32.616+09:00Prayer with nuclear capabilities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">When you’ve learned all your life that the most spiritual form of prayer is the “If it be Thy will” type, the idea of being bold feels disrespectful. That’s the mindset I grew up with, and it’s the mindset of a large portion of the Christian world. Meanwhile, there’s another large portion of Christians who are naming and claiming blessings, proclaiming prophecies, getting emotionally fired up, but at the same time are being careless about submitting to God’s principles of holiness. One of the hardest things to teach is bold prayer, especially to those who are already saved. And as much as I preach it and try to live it out daily, the devil never stops trying to pull me off balance. Emotional discipline combined with spiritual audacity, are explosive ingredients for a faith with nuclear capabilities. But who really understands this balance? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It’s been hidden in the Bible for 2000 years, probably because Bible scholars have imagined that the literal translation was too extreme. The Lord’s Prayer—the model prayer that Jesus taught His disciples—was originally written in Greek, in the imperative form, which means it was written as commands. In other words, it sounded nothing like the mumbled religious ritual most of us are familiar with. It was a shocking prayer that called God Father, and treated Him as if He wanted a personal relationship with them. On top of that, they were to speak like ordinary children unashamedly asking, even demanding, that their dad provide what they needed. (Give me my daily bread!) It was not the typical prayer of a holy man, and probably was one more reason the Pharisees were enraged by Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then right after teaching His model prayer, Jesus told them a story about a pesky neighbor who kept banging on his friend’s door in the middle of the night (Luke 11). The friend was woken up and irritated, but eventually handed over what he wanted. Jesus shocked them again by saying that this is exactly how we’re supposed to interact with God. Most Bible translations say, “I say to you, though he will not rise and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as much as he needs.” I’m not a professional Greek scholar, but I discovered that the original word used for persistence, is actually the word for shamelessness. Audacity! So because of his shamelessness, he got what he wanted, and we’re supposed to be shameless with God too! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jesus was teaching at a time when all religious leaders were obsessed with acting superior, and humiliating those under them. Ordinary men who had a personal relationship with God and spoke to Him with shameless persistence undermined everything they stood for. It’s no surprise that audacious faith still offends religious people today. It’s so important to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and His teaching, and to resist the religious pressure to conform to manmade standards. When our relationship with God is real, personal, obedient, persistent and shamelessly bold, God is pleased. Prayer is meant to be answered. We are meant to love, know and obey Him, and we are supposed to insist, demand and insist again that He fulfill His promises until we see them! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’ve been preaching this concept of faith for years, but I’m still working on developing this explosive spiritual balance. It’s a process that should never stop for any Christian. I’ve challenged myself to pray even more shamelessly than before in these last few weeks, and God’s already moved some stubborn mountains. If this is Jesus’ most basic teaching on prayer, anything less is unbelief and doubt. When we think our prayer life is just fine the way it is, we disrespect Him, and waste time holding back our answers to prayers. God will gladly answer, but building a Father and child relationship with us is His primary concern. What better way to be His child than to become shamelessly persistent?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>For the sake of Zion I will not keep silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not rest until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a lamp that burns… I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day nor night. You who remind the Lord, do not keep silent; give Him no rest until He establishes and makes Jerusalem a glory in the earth.</i> Isaiah 62:1, 6-7 MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-40456904785817972392016-10-28T00:28:00.001+09:002016-10-28T00:28:11.302+09:00Rational faith and seeing through illusions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Here is the final set of email exchanges with Claudia Fernandes from Rio, as she sought counseling for a lifetime of rejection and humiliation. I’m happy to include her final response, which I just received this past week. To read from the beginning, click <a href="http://365passages.blogspot.com.br/2016/10/rational-faith-and-claudia.html">here</a> for the first post, and <a href="http://365passages.blogspot.com.br/2016/10/my-advice-to-claudia.html">here</a> for the second to better understand what Claudia was going through and how far she has come.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>12 February 2015 07:06<<</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hi Claudia,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The first paragraph of your email reveals an attitude that I want to help you destroy. What is real? Is what we see and feel real? We can’t see God, but He is close to us and is more real than anything we see. We can’t yet see the fulfillment of God’s promises, but they are more real than any of our problems or traumas. The chair you’re sitting in could appear more real than God because you can physically touch it, but it’s not. He is more real. The spiritual world is much more real and rewarding than the physical world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">What I want you to understand is that your thoughts become reality. Faith is deciding that the word of God will become reality, regardless of how you feel or what you see. We’re not lying to ourselves when we do this. We’re not deceiving ourselves. We’re simply deciding that the promises of God will become the new reality of our lives.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The devil is like a Hollywood producer. He creates a scene around us to convince us that our lives are going to be a certain way. Like a Hollywood scene, it isn’t real, but is seems real. We need to open the door for God’s reality to become our reality, and the only way to do this is to believe in His promises with every cell of our brain.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There is much more I could say about this. It’s a big subject. Next time I’ll tell you more…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Is what I’m saying clear?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I corrected your positive phrases (below). I want you to start to repeat these phrases to yourself EVERY day. It may seem silly, but it isn’t. When a child begins to speak for the first time, he only makes noises. He doesn’t know what he’s saying. But with time he develops the ability to speak the language fluently. These phrases may appear silly in the beginning, but they are the truth, and the more you say them and believe in them, the more they will become your new reality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Remember, being a tither means putting God in first place. This means giving God the first ten percent of your income, but it also means having faith and rebuking doubts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">THE OPPOSITES</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. I can do anything. Things will be easier than I think they will be, but on the other hand I’m not afraid of difficult things because the victory is mine!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. People like me. I am not alone. God is creating family and friends for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. Even when I don’t see anything, God is at work. He is transforming both me and my situation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. I don’t only give my tithe, I put God first in everything! Prosperity, which is my revenge on the devil, is on the way!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. God believes in me even when nobody else does. My faith is opening doors for me that were never open before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We’ll talk again soon…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>20 October 2016 16:17<<</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Good afternoon Bishop,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I write this to glorify God for your life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">After I learned how negative my mind was, and how this blocked me from receiving the promises of God by faith, my life finally changed. Bishop, it has surpassed all expectations. Today I’m the owner of a house that I bought a little while ago, and have another house that’s in construction in a private housing development. I’m taking possession of all I have a right to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As soon as I received my college degree I was promoted to manager, and now I am a full analyst in the company. I received 2 promotions in less than a year and my salary practically doubled. My self-confidence has grown, I’m exercising, competing in charity runs where I’ve won medals, and have joined a gym. But… the best of all is that I found peace, security, strength and the faith I never had. After all these blessings I’m convinced that this is only the beginning. Thank you so, so much Bishop. God used you to save my life. In fact, today I can say that I have a life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>21 October 2016 12:28<<</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Amen. Thanks for letting me know. I can see that the Holy Spirit has transformed your life. That’s so great!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Keep going in the same faith, and help other people with the things you’ve learned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I remember your story. Praise God that you started to see results, and that you overcame the negative thoughts of the devil.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">God bless you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>21 October 2016 12:45<<</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">So true bishop. I had followed Jesus for so long, but my negative mind could not believe the truth of His word. Because of all the destruction I had seen in life, deep down I thought that I had been born to suffer. I couldn’t see any way out, to the point that I just wanted to die. After our conversations I began to reason, to look for answers, and tried to better understand the difference between what is real and what my mind understood as real. And because those who seek, find… BOOM! I was delivered from my totally distorted mind. Today I love life. I look at the world around me and am thankful for every beautiful day, thankful for my life. Today I’m thankful for everything, every single moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Clearly, every once in a while bad thoughts still appear, but now I have the strength, authority and confidence to rebuke them immediately. Never more have I felt broken, sad and unhappy. There’s so much happiness inside of me, I can’t contain it. It’s like I’m a completely different person. My feelings changed. My emotions changed. Everything changed.</span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>Be sober and watchful, because your adversary the devil walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him firmly in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory through Christ Jesus, will restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.</i> 1 Peter 5:8-11, MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1913176542413078837.post-8939124453480615792016-10-26T23:09:00.002+09:002016-10-26T23:09:13.166+09:00My advice to Claudia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>This is a continuation from a series of email exchanges with Claudia that began in February of 2015. If you haven’t read yesterday’s post, click <a href="http://365passages.blogspot.com.br/2016/10/rational-faith-and-claudia.html">here</a> to see how it began. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>10 February 2015 19:15<<</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thanks for writing to me Claudia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">One of your problems is that you concentrate on what you’re doing (tithing, offerings, midnight prayers, Israel Challenges) and what you got rid of (anger, grudges, impure thoughts) when you need to concentrate on trusting God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This is hard, especially when you’ve gone through what you have. But that’s not important. It has to be done. The fact that you have these bad dreams about thieves killing you, and homeless people burning you with red hot coals, shows that your mind is full of negative thoughts. Don’t be intimidated by these dreams. Laugh at them! Determine the opposite as soon as you wake up! Determine that God is much, much greater than all the evil around you. Determine that you are victorious and fight against all the negative thoughts and feelings. This is how real faith reacts… You have faith, but you need to learn how to use it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">You can do all the right things in the church, attend lots of meetings, give your tithe and forgive your enemies, but if you hold on to negative thoughts about the past in your mind, all the good you do is cancelled out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Claudia, I know you can conquer this. You are a woman of faith. You love God. But you’ve given room for negative thoughts and feelings. I know because my wife and I used to be the same way. God wants you to react. He wants you to fight against evil, and trust in His promises like you’ve never done before. He wants to transform all this evil into a great victory!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I want you to make two columns on a piece of paper. In the first column, make a list of the five most common negative phrases that go through your mind every day. In the second column write the opposite of every phrase next to it, what God would say to you. Then send me both lists and I’ll tell you what to do next…</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">There’s a lot more I could say about your email, but not now. Little by little I’ll help you to be victorious.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">God bless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">>>11 February 2015 22:00<<</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Hello Bishop,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I understand your suggestion, but I find it hard to keep affirming a reality that is not yet mine. It seems forced, false, that I’m lying to myself. I don’t know how to explain it, but everything I told you is real, it’s true, it’s what I am actually living. They are not only negative thoughts, they’re my day-to-day reality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I’m like the young man that was with Elijah in 1 Kings 18:43. God promised rain, and the young man went to look 7 times and saw nothing, and then finally saw a cloud the size of a man’s hand. Only after the man said that he saw the cloud, did Elijah send him to tell Ahab to prepare for rain. Well I’ve tried to see this cloud 70 times 7 times. For 12 years I’ve been going back and forth, waiting for the answer to promises. I’ve only wanted one sign from God, one small cloud, something that would prove that the promise would start to be fulfilled, like Elijah… Understand? I’m not sure if you understand my logic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But I’ll obey your advice. You’re a man of God, experienced in the things of God, and you know only too well what I am in need of. Below is the list of thoughts that constantly go through my head concerning my actual life:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">THE NEGATIVES</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. Nothing is easy for me. Everything is extremely complicated, difficult and slow to happen… when it does happen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. I’ve never deserved a family. I’ve always lived in the most cruel and painful loneliness. None of the few relationships I’ve had have lasted. I’ve not even given birth to any children to keep me company.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. I’ve spent years fighting and trying to remain in the presence of God, in search of a transformed life, and until now, nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. I’ve been faithful, and yet the fact that I’ve been a tither and an offering giver has never made a difference, I’ve never prospered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. All the time and in every social setting I am the least valued and the most humiliated. No one has ever believed in me. No one has ever given me any kind of a chance to show that I am capable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">THE OPPOSITES</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">1. I can do anything. Things will be easy, quick and without complication.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2. I have a family. I’m never alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3. My life has been transformed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">4. I am very prosperous.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">5. Everyone believes in my potential. I was never humiliated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>I knew what I was asking Claudia to do was a mind bender. How do you start affirming positive things when it feels like a lie? I was proud of her to at least be willing to try even though it made no sense to her. I found though, that though her negative thoughts were very aggressive, she wasn’t able to imagine how to counter them with positive thoughts that were equally aggressive. I had to help widen her vision with that which you’ll see it in the next and final post on Claudia’s transformation. Check in tomorrow for more. </i></span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><i>For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is complete.</i> 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, MEV</span></blockquote>
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David S Higginbothamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06274464717145018922noreply@blogger.com0