Don't believe lies.... be vigilent!

As many of you know by now, I am a Board Certified Pastoral Counselor through the Board of Christian and Professional Pastoral Counselors, completing a dual Doctorate: Doctorate of Ministry and Biblical Counseling. My purpose in writing this Blog is to sound the alarm helping you to become aware of the devils wiles.

The devil seeks who he can steal from, kill or destroy.  He does not come in to your life so that you will recognize him easily but often comes as a subtle thought planted to lead you astray.  The enemy deceives people so that they actually believe the lies he plants... thinking they have truths when in reality they are believing thoughts that are sent to misguide them and hurt others in life. The Bible says that the serpent/devil is more subtle than all the other creatures in the garden.  God's Word also says we are to be as wise as serpents but gentle as doves, not pushovers by the enemy but aware of his deceptions.

The following story sadly is true, with names being withheld and some facts changed, to protect the identity of the parties. Recently, I had the opportunity to come to know a young woman with two children, who felt she was being abused by her husband. After a few years of marriage to him, she left him stating domestic violence/abuse. As a Pastoral Counselor versed in Domestic Violence issues, verbal abuse etc I listened to her story intently. I realized after talking with the husband and other close family members and friends who knew each person well, that she was deceived. In fact, she had committed adultery time after time using her perceived issues within herself to justify her violation of her marital commitment and then abandonment of the family.

The facts are that she had experienced some abusive violence in her home as a child.  She then transferred these feelings of abuse to her husband, believing that he was abusive like her family member had been when he was not, but quite the opposite. He graciously forgave her marital infidelities and her abandonment of himself and his children. He admitted that he was angry and hurt over her infidelities but chose to stay in the marriage praying for God to do a work in his wife's heart and soul.   

The devil chooses those he can manipulate to destroy others. He will use

misguided people with wounds to do his work.  How do we not only defend ourselves against such attacks but be on the offensive for those who are unaware of the devil's schemes?

The Bible says that we are to put on the whole Armor of God, to submit ourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee.  God has also given us all authority over all the power of the enemy. But what does that mean?  The Armor of God is Jesus Christ, His atonement that bought us victory.  Submitting ourselves to God means to surrender who we are, lining up our lives with His Word, His promises... in other words, loving Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

When Jesus left, He did not leave us as orphans but sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in to all truth.  As we yield ourselves to God's Word, keeping Him as our priority He says that He will direct our paths.  He will never leave nor forsake us, nor will He leave us alone to fight the enemy by ourselves, but has made us more than conquerors.

The next time you hear "gossip" or negativity about someone, be sure to see the truth through God's Word, not passing on the information but praying for the parties involved. As for yourself, stay close to Jesus, seek him with your whole heart, trust Him, stay in fellowship with a body of believers who are centered in God's Word, stay in His Word for Him to reveal truths to any wounds you may have and learn to recognize the enemies lies as he tries to plant them in you.

As for the woman with the issues, she is still living in deception, refusing to hear truths, seeks out only those who will agree with her about the lies she believes, has hardened her heart, continues to spread lies about her former husband and is a self proclaimed domestic violence spokesperson.  This is so sad, as she will lead many others astray through her deception, while she will not experience Christ's healing for herself.  As for the husband, he is living a productive life centered in Christ and has received healing through godly counseling.

What you do with this story is up to you... but the truth is that you must guard your heart and your mind.  Choose who and what you listen to.  Accept the devils evil thoughts or choose Christ's abundant life.  In all things pray, give grace and yes, love.

In Christ,

Pastor Sandy

Come on Christian's, Let's Love Each Other

Today was a day when you realize why the enemy makes headway sometimes with the lost. Our example as Christians may be the only Christ the non-believer ever sees or hears.  Don't you wish Christians would quit squabbling over scripture, and love one another even though many of us may be of different denominations, different doctrinal stances!  Seems to me that the greatest gift is love... you know "for God so loved", God is love, the love of Christ drove Him to the cross, etc. I think we should major in the majors and in all things, speak love to one another. I am not saying we should not know that which we believe nor that we are to be easily persuaded away from doctrinal truths.

I recently heard a song that says "They will know us by our love".  There are people (non-believers) out there who are watching us, some seeking truth, others seeking any reason to not know Christ.  What kind of witness is it when we bitterly argue with one another, speak evil of one another, tear each other apart.   Let's guard our speech and make it all acceptable before God, let's speak evil of no one, let's love one another even to the point that our love for one another causes the lost non-believer to desire this kind of love too.

Join me in making this a heart felt prayer... that Christ would help us love as He loved.. in thought, word and in deed. 

In Jesus Name, Pastor Sandy

Christ's Consecration

Consecration: literally means "setting apart".  What strikes me with such force when I think of Christ's sacrifice... is the setting apart of Himself to the task He had ahead of Him.  He exhibited singleness of focus... total consecration to the purpose He was born for...... to die.

He separated Himself from the Father, from all that heaven offered Him, from the love, from holiness, from all that is good.... to endure, to submit, to take on, to give up, to set apart Himself for us. 

Consecration.  He consecrated Himself to the purpose of His life.... for you, for me, in obedience to our Father. He endured the cross, despising the shame but for the joy set before Him .. he gladly submitted.

We are His joy.  We are His, bought with the price He paid.  As Resurrection Sunday approaches, let's consecrate ourselves as Jesus did. Consecration, a setting apart of our lives, and all that we are to Him... allowing Him to be who He is in us, bringing the joy and abundant life that Easter means! 

Pastor Sandy

God's Answer to Discouragement....

The Answer to Discouragement: So often we hear people say that they are tired, discouraged, overwhelmed by life. God provided all things for abundant life in Christ, but we do need to do our part. He tells us in Mark 16:20 that He goes working with us... even Apostle Peter when in jail had to strap on his sandles to get up and follow the angel out to freedom. So too, we need to do our part by... faith. Faith without works (acting on our faith-action) is dead.

So when you are tired, discouraged, overwhelmed what do you do... what is your part to do? First, turn to Jesus, let Him know of your issues/circumstances in prayer. Take authority over the circumstance/issue (enemy) through the use of His might Name by proclaiming and believing His Word. For He tells us He has given us all authority over all power of the enemy... that means sickness, disease, confusion, terror, fear, etc. (Luke 10:19)

Invite God into your circumstance/issue through praise. The Bible says the Joy of the Lord is our strength, but how do we get joy? The Bible says in the presence of the Lord there is fullness of joy. But how do we get into His presence to have His joy so we may have His strength? Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His presence with praise! The answer is WORSHIP...PRAISE!!

Psalms tells us that when we worship Him we are inviting Him to literally come and sit down among us... when He is with us all evil has to flee! As we submit ourselves to God, the enemy flees. It is a promise. The spirit of heaviness will leave and in comes the floodgates of heaven's joy which becomes our strength!!

So folks let worship Him, for not what we can get from Him but because He truly is WORTHY TO BE PRAISED!! HE is abundant life and being with Him brings victory into our circumstance/life!!! Blessings to you all, Pastor Sandy of http://www.raphactr.org/

Faith or Hope?

Faith is now, right now. It is an inward knowing that what God said He would do, He will do. It is not a struggle to obtain, it is not a wish or a dream. Faith goes past all that to it already is.

Faith is now, or you could look at it as it is actually in the past. It is done. Past tense. When "God said" which is found at least 10 times in Genesis Chapter 1, it was.  God didn't think it might be, but knew as He spoke... it was.

What we as Christians do, is to hope.  Hope kills faith and is the opposite of it. Hope is future tense. Hope believes and looks forward to something happening but doesn't have it now.  If God had hoped the earth might be formed in Genesis 1, then it never would have come into being.  A child hopes for a birthday gift, an adult hopes for a job, a sick person hopes to get well, a single man or woman hopes to find their mate all which indicates they do not have it now, but are optimistic that it will come.  Being optimistic is not bad. It certainly beats having a negative mindset, but as Christians we do not have to hope or try to keep ourselves optimistic. We have something easier and already completed for us.

God gave us His Word, the living Word, in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus Christ's blood sacrifice that hope is vanished but a knowing came into being.  His promises found in His Word, the Holy Bible are the only way, the truth and give us life. We can count on His promises to be fulfilled, to not ever fail, to not change.  God backs up His Word with Himself which is eternal, all powerful and is now.  He is the "I AM".

When we know that which we hope for is done and was done on the Cross of Calvary, we have a confidence that causes us to be over comers. Our faith is not based upon a frivolous thought or action but based upon a living reality, Jesus Christ and what He bought for us.  God's Word has provided us with abundant life if we will but grab hold of the promises, believe them, and act on what we know to be true.  Jesus gave us everything we will ever need to live life here as Victors, Conquerors, Ambassadors, Kings and Priests unto Him. His atonement broke off every chain the enemy of your soul sought to hold you with.  In believing God's promises then acting upon them ... you enter into the "now" aspect of God. You have that which you ask for, you have that which you know His Word says you have and you believe by faith that it is yours NOW.

No, this isn't mental gymnastics or simply positive thinking but is truth.  When a person is centered in Christ, God's Word says that Christ abides in us, the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, leads us into the path which we are to take and has given us health through His blood sacrifice.  Abundant life is ours right now. We do not have to hope for it, we have it.

So, grab hold of Christ's hand, believe, receive and act on that which you to know to be truth from God's Word and you will have it.  Mark 11:22-24

Let Christ's Healing Flow...

Isaiah 53:4-5

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Lesser- ...But only our diseases did he bear himself, and our pains he carried... through his bruises was healing granted to us

Basic English- ...But it was our pain he took, and our diseases were put on him: while to us he seemed as one diseased, on whom God's punishment had come

Rotherham- ...by his stripes there is healing for us

Let your confession be:

Jesus has borne my sicknesses and diseases and carried my pains.   He took them upon Himself so that I do not have to be sick, have diseases, or have pain.  I will not bear what He paid a price for me to have... freedom from disease, pains, and sins... freedom! I refuse to let one drop of His blood sacrifice go to waste by not receiving what He did for me, nor by carrying the sickness myself.  Satan is a liar and can not deceive me into thinking that I have to bear what Jesus bore for me.  By Jesus' stripes I am totally healed and made whole. .. In Jesus Name. Thank you Lord Jesus!

Let Christ’s healing flow over you as you listen to Rev. Don Clark’s song “Let Your Healing Flow”  Click below:

http://www.gapministriesintl.org/Healing-Scriptures.html

Health and Wholeness is ours through Jesus Christ!

Pastor Sandy

Choose who you will believe... you are who He says you are!!

Received a message about a girl who is anorexic based upon being called fat and ugly when she was a child.  People can be ugly and hateful to others... whether it is calling someone fat, ugly, stupid, not good enough, etc. Satan will use anything he can think of to steal, kill and destroy God's people. People act and speak out of the nature they have.  Those who don't have their minds renewed by the Word of God and the blood of the Lamb will act out of the nature they have... satan is their master. 

Being born again transforms us from being under the sway of the evil one, to being new creatures in Christ Jesus.  Sad for this girl, but her hope is in Christ revealing to her the lies she believes "she is ugly, fat etc" and letting her know who she really is... a precious child of the living King who loves her enough to have died and rose again for her! 

Self esteem comes from knowing who we are in Christ and letting Him bring healing to the wounds  (fiery darts-lies) of the enemy satan.  For in Christ Jesus we are more than conquerors, we are who He says we are.. Kings and priests unto God, His friend, His sons and daughters who He loves so very much! Let us focus on Christ Jesus who loves us and came to give us abundant life, not death and destruction! We are who He says we are.  (John 3:16, John 10:10, Rev. 1:5-6, Hebrews 12:2)     Blessings to you, as you discover in Christ who you really are...      In Christ, Pastor Sandy