Do you ever suffer with being wishy-washy, inconsistent in accomplishing goals, or procrastinate like Scarlett O'Hara?
I often struggle with these ailments and frustration follows
because of uncompleted tasks.
When I prayed about my dilemma, I heard the Holy Spirit say,
"Consistency is the key."
Consistency is the key. What does that mean, Lord?
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| 4 Scriptures to overcome thoughts of condemnation and guilt |
by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
Does your mind play games with your conscience over past sins? Do you suffer with guilt even though you know you are forgiven?
Sometimes the words of others can ignite those thoughts and
bring the hammer down on any positive progression we have made in our souls.
I have heard these words from people before. "(Name of
person) told me I have cancer because there must be sin in my life."
Or thoughts and accusations come after a disaster or tragedy
such as, "This happened because of what I did." (Meaning they think
they are being punished because of a past sin, not a consequence of a bad
decisions such as having a wreck because of speeding.)
This way of thinking stems from traditions, someone's
opinion (that may even be hundreds of years old), or Old Testament stories.
We look to the Old Testament accounts where God punished Israel
for their sins and we bring these forward to today. The Lord had to give a
penalty to them to keep the decay of transgressions from multiplying to the
point of no return. Animal sacrifices offered a temporary reprieve but could
not cleanse a person.
The Old Testament is given to us for a reason, but we
need to keep reading and discover that Jesus set up a new covenant for
believers. He is the One who paid for all sin for all time (Hebrews 10:12-14),
and it is a done deal.
But this is not the way He wants us as His body on the earth
to function.
Because Jesus forgave us, He doesn't want us acting
like defeated members of His Church who have no power to overcome. We are more
than conquerors (Romans 8:37)
God hasn't changed. Sin does still need to be dealt
with, but Jesus is the One who dealt with it for us. The Father inflicted the
punishment for all sin upon His precious Son so that we wouldn't be punished
for it.
Our part is to accept Christ's payment for us. If you
are still bound by guilt over past sins, let go of the condemnation. Don't hold
on to baggage that weighs so heavy on you that you can't move forward in your
spiritual life.
Our enemy, the devil, can't take away our salvation. But he
wants to paralyze us by keeping us focused on our wrongdoing. He uses these
reminders to put condemnation in our minds. But we are told to focus on
Christ's victory rather than the wrong we have done.
There is no iniquity more powerful than the blood of
Jesus. Nothing is so bad that hasn't already been forgiven.
When your thoughts, or even other people, remind you of what
may have transpired in your life, throw those words at the cross. The pure
blood of Jesus has made your clean.
Talk to yourself with 4 simple confessions based on these
Scriptures when you feel the downward spiral of judgment swirl around your
soul.
I am loved. But God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)
I am accepted. To
the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the
Beloved. (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV))
I am forgiven. If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9
NKJV)
I am free. Stand fast
therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be
entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians
5:1 NKJV)
Win the war in your mind by saying no to guilt and shame. We
have the yes of victory in Christ.
Join the conversation and share your thoughts.
Image by Mariya
Muschard from Pixabay
4 poppies
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In ancient Rome, the army of Caesar was an institution to be feared. Everywhere they marched, these soldiers conquered. To resist them meant certain death.
They were heavily armed, trained, and disciplined. They had at their disposal an arsenal of weapons. Among these were various types of swords.
A heavy double-edged sword, too large and heavy to use in battle, was a training tool. This strengthened the soldier’s muscles so that when they wielded their fighting swords in battle they did not grow fatigued and weak.
The spatha was a long sword used in the Roman cavalry and gladiator games. A soldier could swing this instrument of death with a long reach while still on horseback.
But the gladius was the weapon of the foot soldiers. With a double edge and triangular tip, its reputation was the sword that conquered the world. Just the sight of this sword and the decimation left behind would strike fear in the hearts of an enemy. It was used in close contact because it could penetrate the body between chinks in armor, remove limbs, and slice throats.
Gladius is the Latin term for this type of sword which in Greek is machaira. And this Greek word is the term Paul used in Ephesians 6:17 when he refers to the sword of the Spirit. The deadly sword Paul tells us to use against our enemy. The machaira of the Spirit.
The devil cannot stand against the Word of God. This weapon strikes fear in this fallen angel because he knows he has no power against those razor-sharp edges. The sword that conquered the spirit world is the sword of redemption.
Our use of machaira against the enemy of mankind reminds the devil of this. That’s why he fights so hard against our knowledge of the Word of God. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).
When we receive the revelation of what Christ did for us, we hold the power against our spiritual enemy. It is God’s power in our hands, His sword, and we can eliminate any threat because this weapon strikes behind the devil’s armor—his lies.
Here are 3 ways to win spiritual battles with the Sword of the Spirit:
1. Strengthen our soul by training (constant immersion in the Word). Then we can stand against our enemy without fatigue or weakness. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7).
2. Stand in our rightful place of redemption. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Three times in Ephesians 6:10-18, we are told to stand or withstand. The devil is under our feet. We are not under his.
3. Stay in a sound mind and do not let fear rule. We have been given the spirit of power. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
Roman soldiers won battles because they were heavily armed, trained, and disciplined. When we arm ourselves with the Sword of God, train ourselves in His Word, and discipline our souls to only listen to the truth, we are a force that strikes fear in the spiritual wickedness in high places.
We are victorious because our Leader has already won the war for redemption. Our fighting takes place in the battlefield of the mind. Truth conquers lies and the Sword of the Spirit cuts away the false images the defeated enemy shows us.
If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31b-32).
The truth makes us free.
What are other ways you can think of that help us win spiritual battles with the Sword of the Spirit? Share your thoughts.
by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
Love is the foundation upon which all biblical doctrines
rest. It is the cement that holds all other revelations together. How can we
trust our heavenly Father to save us,
provide for us, or heal us if we question the depth of His affection?
We may not feel His heart at times, but that doesn’t change
the truth. We should believe He is passionate toward us because He said so.
We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19 NKJV).
We can’t love God first because there isn’t anything in us to love Him with
until we receive for ourselves the life He extends to us.
Herein is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10). We
don’t deserve His mercy, but He gives it to us because of His grace.
God's love gives us more than we can ever count, but here are 3 benefits we can live out daily.
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| Remedies for emotions that cause thoughts of insignificance |
by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
Have you ever felt insignificant? Hidden from God? That your
life doesn't really matter?
The Bible provides examples of women who felt less than
worthy. They didn’t feel as if their existence contributed to anything or
anyone. Lives full of pain, despair, brokenness, and condemnation were all they
knew.
Since the Bible does tell us about these women, we know
their story is important. Their lives had a special meaning we can all learn
from.
These biblical women are examples of how God overcame their difficulties and redeemed their souls. He will do the same for us with these remedies for emotions that can create thoughts of insignificance.
by Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
Have you ever
thought about what you think about? We may not realize it but our thinking does
control our lives.
New Year's
resolutions usually involve changing some type of behavior. Rather than a
resolution, why not a renewal? Why not start the new year with new thinking?
A renewal of
our minds can bring about changed behavior.
Where do thoughts come from?
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| What does God so loved mean to you |
By Barbara Latta @barbaralatta
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son,
that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16 NKJV).
Those of us who
have grown up in church have heard John 3:16 quoted over and over. We learned
that verse as a child and could spit it out at the drop of a hat. It is printed on cards, cups, plaques, and banners.
But over familiarity can cause words to lose their
meaning.
Do we really know what Jesus was saying when he told this truth to Nicodemus? What does God so loved mean to you? How does John 3:16 change your life?
God so loved….
This is love
not that we loved God but that he loved us and gave his Son (1 John 4:10).
We can’t love
God apart from Him loving us first because there is no love in us without Him.
The world…
God’s gift is
available to all who will receive it. …Not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b).
Unfortunately, not everyone will receive eternal life, but it’s not because God
didn’t give it.
That He gave….
He gave His Son
from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). He knew His creation would
sin and He made a way to redeem the lost. God loved His created ones made in
His image so much he was willing to give Himself to pay for the wrong that we
do.
He gave by
putting His Word into the form of flesh. The word became
flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14)
God was walking
and talking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden until they sinned. They
threw away their intimacy with their Creator.
God was walking
and talking with mankind in the form of Jesus, but most did not recognize him. They
threw away the God that was before them.
He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him (John 1:11).
Love came down
from heaven, but He didn’t have to.
But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant
and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He
humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of
the cross (Philippians 2:7-8).
This gift from
the Father was presented to the fallen earth wrapped in swaddling clothes. In
insignificance and with no earthly fanfare, He was born in the normal human
way. He became one of us, so He could identify with our hurts, fears and
temptations (Hebrews 2:18).
Jesus came to
earth through a bloody human birth and left the earth through a bloody human
sacrifice.
What does “God so loved the world”
really mean? It means love came down…so we could be lifted up (Psalm 145:14).
Christmas brings us the cross.
Merry Christmas
and may God bless us every one!
What Does God So Loved Mean to You (click to share on X)
