The greater the battle, the greater the glory
I had been doing so well on cleaning out my body and eating the way I felt I was led by the Lord till my birthday. I figured that since it was my birthday, I was going to have a free day with no guilt or shame and I would enjoy my day and the food I was given. Well that compromise let the door open to the devil again. I got really sick the next day and ever since I have felt like my body is mad at me by the way it is acting and by the way I physically and emotionally feel. I think all my hard work I did the last couple of weeks went down the drain by the way I have been eating the last 6 days.
For the last couple of months I have been so excited about Spirit West Coast, which is the largest and only multiple-day Christian music festival in the Southwest United States. I have a strong passion for Christian music and I felt like it would be a good place for me to connect with other Christian believers. My church was needing volunteers to be on the ministry team to help with the evening alter calls. Even though that position scared me and I've never done anything like that before, I felt like if it is God's will for me to do, then he would give me the power to make an impact on someone's life.
I has very happy that I was taking the bold step out of my comfort zone to do something for someone else. I attended the alter call training about a week and a half ago and I knew that if I was going to have any power in this, then I was going to have to start fasting and start praying some serious prayers specifically for Spirit West Coast.
Since I know that I have been compromising lately and I have not been obeying what God has told me to do, I have let myself come under some major shame and condemnation and it has separated me from the Lord and I have lost a lot of my power. Sin causes man to be separated from God and I couldn't connect with Jesus, it was hard for me to pray, I lost my motivation and energy to study the word and I feel like I'm lost in the fire.
First of all, the devil is a liar and because I'm a Christian, I should not feel condemned. At the moment of your Christian conversion, God declared you virtuous. As a person, God sees you as perfect. The bible says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1)."Because of what Christ did for us; God decided to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault - we who stand before him covered with his love" (Ephesians 1:4 TLB). Therefore a Christian should never experience self-condemnation.
Although, since I was compromising and sinning and I was full of shame and guilt, I was disconnected from my Holy Father and that's the worst feeling to have. Last night and this morning, I was dreading going to Spirit West Coast. For so long I has pumped about the festival and now I don't even want to go. I forced myself into going but the whole day was spiritual warfare. After I finally dragged myself out of bed and got around, I didn't get to the festival till about 2 or so. But when I finally got there, I was already ready to leave. The whole day I was in a cranky mood and food was constantly on my mind. I couldn't even enjoy the day or the music and entertainment because I couldn't focus on anything else other than what my flesh was screaming out that it wanted, which was restricted (for me) food. And of course, I once again gave into my fleshly desires and sinned several times and it totally runt my day. I was physically and emotionally drained. Plus, the whole day I was being selfish and fighting with myself about volunteering in the evening. I didn't have the passion for it anymore and I'm wasn't prepared but I was going to force myself to stay anyway. Then I felt like God was telling me that he doesn't want my works with no love or passion behind it because it it doesn't bring Him any glory. So I decided to leave but I fear the consequences that I will receive from this one. I made a commitment to do something and I didn't do it.
There was times today where I had to be strong from crying because I felt so broken. Being in the situation I'm in and being around all these people at the festival, I felt so alone. Although, being by myself gave me some time to seriously think about the position I'm in and what I need to do to get my life back together. God will restore me and make me new but I need to die to myself and totally surrender my life to him so I can live. I hate the way I feel right now and I hate being so disconnected from God. When am I totally going to wake up and quit trying to live me life the way I want to? I know that God knows what is best for me but I am having so much trouble giving it all to him. There a piece of my life, the piece of what I choose to eat, that I haven't been able to give up yet. And that piece is the most important piece because it is the battle that I have to go through that will qualify me for God's purpose for my life. God will give me the strength & power to do it. Jesus said, "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26)
Even though I am feeling distressed by the number of spiritual battles and temptations I'm facing, I should be glad because the devil sees me as a threat. If we are truly following the Lord as we ought to, then we are a threat to the kingdom of Satan, and we will face opposition. Satan's goal is to keep believers from moving forward spiritually, and hence, the spiritual battle begins (Ephesians 6:12). He knows that he cannot overpower God. Therefore, he must draw believers out by their own free will. Throughout Scripture, we see that one of the most effective strategies he utilizes is compromise. It's time for me to repent and make a clean break. And in the future, I don't need to make any more deals with the devil. The compromised life is a danger way to live.
I'm not going to give up Devil! The greater the battle the greater the glory!!!!
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2)
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14)
"Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God. . . ." (Jeremiah 2:19 )
"Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings" (Jeremiah 3:22)
For the last couple of months I have been so excited about Spirit West Coast, which is the largest and only multiple-day Christian music festival in the Southwest United States. I have a strong passion for Christian music and I felt like it would be a good place for me to connect with other Christian believers. My church was needing volunteers to be on the ministry team to help with the evening alter calls. Even though that position scared me and I've never done anything like that before, I felt like if it is God's will for me to do, then he would give me the power to make an impact on someone's life.
I has very happy that I was taking the bold step out of my comfort zone to do something for someone else. I attended the alter call training about a week and a half ago and I knew that if I was going to have any power in this, then I was going to have to start fasting and start praying some serious prayers specifically for Spirit West Coast.
Since I know that I have been compromising lately and I have not been obeying what God has told me to do, I have let myself come under some major shame and condemnation and it has separated me from the Lord and I have lost a lot of my power. Sin causes man to be separated from God and I couldn't connect with Jesus, it was hard for me to pray, I lost my motivation and energy to study the word and I feel like I'm lost in the fire.
First of all, the devil is a liar and because I'm a Christian, I should not feel condemned. At the moment of your Christian conversion, God declared you virtuous. As a person, God sees you as perfect. The bible says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1)."Because of what Christ did for us; God decided to make us holy in His eyes, without a single fault - we who stand before him covered with his love" (Ephesians 1:4 TLB). Therefore a Christian should never experience self-condemnation.
Although, since I was compromising and sinning and I was full of shame and guilt, I was disconnected from my Holy Father and that's the worst feeling to have. Last night and this morning, I was dreading going to Spirit West Coast. For so long I has pumped about the festival and now I don't even want to go. I forced myself into going but the whole day was spiritual warfare. After I finally dragged myself out of bed and got around, I didn't get to the festival till about 2 or so. But when I finally got there, I was already ready to leave. The whole day I was in a cranky mood and food was constantly on my mind. I couldn't even enjoy the day or the music and entertainment because I couldn't focus on anything else other than what my flesh was screaming out that it wanted, which was restricted (for me) food. And of course, I once again gave into my fleshly desires and sinned several times and it totally runt my day. I was physically and emotionally drained. Plus, the whole day I was being selfish and fighting with myself about volunteering in the evening. I didn't have the passion for it anymore and I'm wasn't prepared but I was going to force myself to stay anyway. Then I felt like God was telling me that he doesn't want my works with no love or passion behind it because it it doesn't bring Him any glory. So I decided to leave but I fear the consequences that I will receive from this one. I made a commitment to do something and I didn't do it.
There was times today where I had to be strong from crying because I felt so broken. Being in the situation I'm in and being around all these people at the festival, I felt so alone. Although, being by myself gave me some time to seriously think about the position I'm in and what I need to do to get my life back together. God will restore me and make me new but I need to die to myself and totally surrender my life to him so I can live. I hate the way I feel right now and I hate being so disconnected from God. When am I totally going to wake up and quit trying to live me life the way I want to? I know that God knows what is best for me but I am having so much trouble giving it all to him. There a piece of my life, the piece of what I choose to eat, that I haven't been able to give up yet. And that piece is the most important piece because it is the battle that I have to go through that will qualify me for God's purpose for my life. God will give me the strength & power to do it. Jesus said, "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26)
Even though I am feeling distressed by the number of spiritual battles and temptations I'm facing, I should be glad because the devil sees me as a threat. If we are truly following the Lord as we ought to, then we are a threat to the kingdom of Satan, and we will face opposition. Satan's goal is to keep believers from moving forward spiritually, and hence, the spiritual battle begins (Ephesians 6:12). He knows that he cannot overpower God. Therefore, he must draw believers out by their own free will. Throughout Scripture, we see that one of the most effective strategies he utilizes is compromise. It's time for me to repent and make a clean break. And in the future, I don't need to make any more deals with the devil. The compromised life is a danger way to live.
I'm not going to give up Devil! The greater the battle the greater the glory!!!!
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is his good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2)
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13-14)
"Your own wickedness will correct you, and your backslidings will rebuke you. Know therefore and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God. . . ." (Jeremiah 2:19 )
"Return, you backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings" (Jeremiah 3:22)
posted by ENS at 10:26 PM
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