Life is war 'til the day we die.

I'm writing this to help me organize my thoughts. I'm not writing this to point a finger at anyone but myself. I hope that this encourages you and strengthens you in your walk with God.

In Romans 8:12-17, it talks about killing sin. It says:

"So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh--for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him."

That's a big chunk. Let it sink in for a minute. I'm doing it too.

...

Okay. Verse 12 says that we are not under obligation to the flesh. This means, according to John Piper, that I owe the flesh NOTHING. I have been freed from sin through the death of Christ on the cross, so I owe the flesh absolutely NOTHING! God is the One who freed me. I owe Him EVERYTHING.

How do I do this? I need to make war against my sin. This making war concept is what I am stuck on. The Christian life is not easy. Being a Christian means being in constant battle with sin. Because Jesus Christ died for me on the cross that means that my old nature--sin--is constantly fighting to try and get me back under his power. But my new nature--Christ--is fighting against that sin. My flesh will not quit in this life. It won't get easier, or lighten up. I must constantly be waging war against sin. Life is WAR 'til the day I die.

Am I a Christian? Am I committed to God and this war against sin? According to Romans 8:8, the flesh cannot please God; so, as long as I am giving into the desires of the flesh--sin--I cannot please God. I've got to commit and KILL my sin. It's not a game. This is serious and this is war. I have to KILL my sin if I want to please God. Why is this hard? Because sin is fighting for his reign over me! I can't be lazy, I can't be passive. I have to be ready, prepared with my sword to fight and KILL my sin.

HOW do I kill my sin?

John Piper gave three points in a sermon on killing sin, and I want to share them with you.

Point #1: Set your minds on the things of the Spirit. What are the things of the Spirit?
Point #2: The killing of the flesh is done by the Sword of the Spirit--the Word of God.

Point #3: What do I do to bring out the fighting power of the Spirit? Hear with faith.

Here's how he broke down point #3. This hearing with faith means to listen. It means I must grab hold of truths about God and believe them! I have to cling to the truth in God's Word--truth about God, promises He has made. He uses Galatians 3:5 as this reference. It says:

"So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?"

This takes us all the way back to our salvation. When I was saved I was told to confess with my mouth that Jesus was LORD and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead. (Romans 10:9) The verse right after that states that "for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness..." By simply hearing truths and believing them... THAT leads to righteousness.

He gave some examples:

- When I am afraid, I go to Isaiah 41:10: "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God." It's not simply hearing the truth, it is hearing the truth and believing it.

- When I worry, I go to John 14:1: "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me." Or I can go to Psalm 62:8: "Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us."

- When I am angry, I go to Romans 12:17: "Never pay back evil for evil to anyone." Or I go to Proverbs 15:1: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

- When I am proud, I go to Jeremiah 9:24: "But let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and rightieousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD."

- When I am impatient, I go to Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the LORD; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the LORD."

- When I am irritable I remember Psalm 145:8-9: "The LORD is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness. The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works." When I am irritable, I need to remember God's attribute of being slow to anger, and good to all. I need to cling to that truth and hold onto it with all of my might!

- Whem I am weary, I go to Psalm 63:8: "My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me." Or I go to Psalm 34:18: "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

- When I want to give up, I go to Psalm 34:19: "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all." Or I go to Psalm 37:24: "When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand."

- When I feel overwhelmed at what seems impossible, faith says in Matthew 19:26: "And looking at them Jesus said to them, 'With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." THAT is letting God fight for us. It is us letting go of our control on things and giving God the control. It is giving God the glory because now we know that we can't do it, but God can.

- When I feel alone I go to Hebrews 13:5: "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." We can be content when we feel alone because this promise says that God will never leave us or forsake us. Money and possessions will leave us, but God will be with us always.

These may be redundant Bible verses that you've heard a million times, but stop hearing and listen. Grab on and believe these truths! Kill sin with the sword of the Spirit--God's Word. I need to be proactive in memorizing God's Word. It is a lot easier to fight when you can have your weapon ready at a moment's notice. I need to memorize verses that will help me combat sin. I need to pray and constantly take every thought captive. I have to set my mind on the things of the Spirit (the things above, God's Word, Philippians 4:8).

And I will end this blog with that verse to encourage us in our battle with sin.

"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things." - Philippians 4:8

Wage war on your sin. Fight it to the end with your weapon in hand. Owe NOTHING to the flesh but owe EVERYTHING to God.

I get back up again.

The enemy likes to kick us when we're down. He pulverizes us until we are ready to quit, yet comes back with even more to fight with. He never seems to grow tired, and we are constantly battling him.

At the end of Karate Kid III, Daniel Larusso is fighting at the All-Valley Tournament against Mike Barnes of the Cobra Kai dojo. Mike is strong. He fights with power and force. He fights hard, and shows no mercy--the motto of the Cobra Kai dojo. While fighting in the final fight of the tournament, Mike attacks Daniel. He pounds Daniel with punch after punch, kick after kick. He uses both legal and illegal moves in the rule book of the Tournament. Daniel falls, but every time he gets back up. The match ends on a tie--0 to 0--and Daniel stays down. The sudden death round is next, like over time in a basketball game. Mr. Miyagi, Daniel's trainer, runs over and gets down on the floor next to him. He tells Daniel he must get up, and Daniel screams "I'm afraid! It's over! I want to go home!" Mr. Miyagi tells Daniel, "It is okay to lose to opponent, not okay to lose to fear!" And Daniel continues to scream that he is afraid. Mr. Miyagi silences him by telling him that his best karate is still inside. Mr. Miyagi gets up and walks back to his place in the audience. Daniel continues to lay on the ground. Mike, Daniel's opponent, gets down on the ground next to Daniel and taunts him. "You're nothing! You're worthless! Your teacher is worthless! Your karate isn't worth anything! You're nothing! He's nothing! Your karate's nothing!" Slowly, Daniel gets up and returns to his line. He turns to bow to his instructor, and then inhales deeply. When the call is made to fight, he starts doing a Kata exercise. The use of Kata in this fight is unusual, and Mike hesitates for a moment. He doesn't know what to do. Daniel calmly continues to do Kata. Mike's trainers are screaming from the sidelines for him to throw a punch and get a point, but Mike still hesitates. Daniel pulls back into a fighting position, and Mike does too. Mike lunges and Daniel grabs his arm, flipping him on his back. With a punch to the rib cage, Daniel wins a point and the match!

This reminded me of our walk with Christ. So many times we are discouraged. We battle constant negative thoughts that taunt us, "You're ugly. You're worthless. You'll never amount to anything. You should just give up while you're ahead. You can't do this. You're a failure." We reach our lowest point and can't see how we'll go on. The story usually ends there in tragedy. But there is hope! Christ comes to us and reminds us that we aren't finished! We have more left. We tell Him that we're afraid, and that we want to quit and return to our safe place, but he encourages us. He tells us that we may be knocked down, but He is there and He is our strength! We may not be able to keep fighting on our own, but we can keep fighting with Christ by our side.

Psalm 40:1-2; 12; 17

"I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm."

"For evils beyond number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to see; they are more numerous than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me."

"Since I am afflicted and needy, let the LORD be mindful of me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God."

If you want a more inspiring visual, here is the video clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTIu_aWSf6M (there is a little bit of language at the part where Mike is down on the floor taunting Daniel).

Saying no to syncretism.

I learned about syncretism in my Old Testament survey class. It's the combination or fusion of different forms of beliefs and/or practices. In 2 Kings 17:33 (yes... I finally made it here!) it says: "They feared the LORD and served their own gods according to the custom of the nations from among whom they had been carried away into exile." And in verse 41: "So while these nations feared the LORD, they also served their idols, their children likewise and their grandchildren, as their fathers did, so they do to this day." When I was reading this, I realized that I'm just like the people of Israel. They were trying to fit God into the holes that their other gods didn't fill. They were serving God... but they were also serving themselves, and in the end they always wound up rejecting God. "To this day they do according to the earlier customs: they do not fear the LORD, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances or the law. or the commandments which the LORD commanded the sons of Jacob, whom He named Israel" (vs. 34). We can't just fit God in... we have to give Him a place in our lives. That's something I'm starting to realize more and more as I read through the Old Testament, and study at school. School, work, and friends may keep me busy, but God has got to come first. I can't just find a spot for Him at the end... because at the end there won't be any room. I have to give God a spot first and then fit the rest in. I can't serve two masters. "No one can serve two masters; for either he wil hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth" (Matthew 6:24).

I want to choose to say NO to syncretism. I don't give God enough alone time. I figure "I can text in between reading verses", or "this music is worship music after all... it won't distract me that much!" I think that God deserves at least 5 minutes without a cell phone buzz interrupting my time with Him - God deserves SO much more than that. He sent His Son to die on a cross for me... even though He knew that I would put other things before Him, even though I know that He is the most important thing in my life.

Christmas is getting closer and this is the perfect time to remember this. Christmas is the time we celebrate the gift of God to us - His Son. I want God to hold a special place in my heart and in my life. I want Him to be first. Say no to syncretism and put God first.

You don't define me.

I've heard it said that girls need to stop finding their worth in guys. I, on my ever humble soapbox, thought "I'll NEVER be that kind of girl." Well, here I am realizing that I do it ALL the time. It's why when there's a thunderstorm that no amount of comfort from my girl friends will do it - one word from a guy will. When I'm lonely, no matter how many girl friends that are in my room, the only thing that will make it better is hanging out with or talking to a guy. I'm sick and tired of it. Yes... guys are awesome. Why else would I always want to hang out with them? But guys CAN'T be the ones who define me anymore. Preventing this will require some tough steps from me... I have to remember this every time I get that feeling of loneliness or fear. God is the only One who can take away those feelings, fill the void, and make me whole. Even if I get married, something might happen to the man I marry. I have to be whole without him, otherwise without him I'll be nothing. That's not the kind of relationship God has in mind for me. God wants me to love him FIRST, and then He'll bless me with a special man to spend the rest of my life on earth with.

In Isaiah 62:4 it says: It will no longer be said to you, "Forsaken," Nor to your land will it any longer be said, "Desolate"; But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married"; For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married." God had delivered the people of Zion from their sinful, wicked place in life. He rescued them and desired to change them! God no longer saw them as broken, alone, or without hope, but He saw them in His light. He saw them as beautiful creatures that He created! He wanted to change their name to Hephzibah (My delight is in her) because He loved them.

God feels the same way about me! He didn't create me to be fulfilled by a man. He created me to help a man with the thing God had chosen for him to do.

I no longer want my name to be Forsaken and Desolate, but Hephzibah because God delights in me. He defines me.

Mirror I am seeing a new reflection

I'm looking into the eyes

of He who made me

And to Him I have beauty beyond compare

I know He defines me.
Who are you to tell me that I'm

less than what I should be?

Who are you?
I don't need to listen to the

list of things I should do. I won't try.
No, I won't try.

Barlow Girl ~ Mirror

Don't wait for life to be just right...

I've been listening to a radio drama called Down Gilead Lane. In the season 12, the last season, they cover some deep issues: falling in love, relationship with family and God, sharing the gospel with others, and making the most of every moment.

How often do we worry about things like money, government, and family? When we let our minds get caught up in the stress of life, we forget to have fun and enjoy the time God has put us in right now. We can't get so distracted that we forget to appreciate the people that God has placed in our lives. We need to take the time to appreciate them, spend time with them, and show them that they care. We don't know how long we have on this earth and making the most of the time that God has given us is the most important thing we can do. We need to live without fear, being unashamed of the gospel. I struggle with this all the time! It is so hard to step outside the box and tell someone about Jesus. I don't even know how to start... but God put us on this earth to glorify Him. People can't come to Him unless they hear about Him first, and how will they hear if no one tells them? (that's in the Bible ;) )

That's my goal for my life. I love God and want to serve Him with my life. I'm going to try to not get caught up in the stresses of life and to just enjoy the life that God has given me, serving Him with my life.

Find joy.

"Abraham breathed his last and died in a ripe old age, an old man and satisfied with life; and he was gathered to his people." - Genesis 25:8

For those of you who have been reading through the Bible with me, you probably came across this verse. God had been putting this though on my heart all day: find joy. I was reading a book earlier in the day by Karen Kingsbury. In it a father was giving advice to a kid who lived with him and his family for a while. He said that life isn't a dress rehearsal, and that you need to find joy in the short time that you have. Joy comes from a relationship with Jesus first. Joy also comes from your family. It's more important who you marry than what you do for a living. Joy comes from having as little debt as possible. Live within your means. A joyful life is one where you love your line of work. I think that God used these things as gentle reminders not to take life too seriously. I tend to worry and stress about so many things, that I wind up not enjoying life. We need to be careful not to take things too seriously. Relax. Love God. Have fun. Love God and do what you want. Because if you love God, you will be doing what He wants you to anyway. :)

Have you lost your taste for God?

I heard a snippet of a sermon by Pastor Shawn McBride and he asked a very interesting question: "Have you lost your taste for God?" He said that so often we feed off so many other things (Facebook, our iPods, Xbox, magazines, movies, etc...) that we lose our taste for God. His sermon encouraged me to start feeding off the Word every day. For me to have any relationship with God I've got to put some time in it - that's what I've been learning. Is anyone up for starting in Genesis with me and going through it all? Not necessarily at any specific pace, but whatever you feel you need to read that day. Let me know if you wanna do it with me! :)