Devot. The Battlefield of the Mind, Part 2

HI Folks,

I hope you are having a good week! 

 I'm going to continue a bit on the topic, The Battlefield of Our Minds.

(Part 1 is here: https://thejourneyheavenward.blogspot.com/2019/09/devot-battle-of-mind.html)

 

Our minds are bombarded with so many thoughts in one day!  Thoughts that bring joy,hope distress, anxiety, worry, fear, anger, impure thoughts that lead to sin.   Our minds are a battlefield that can be for the Lord or for the Evil One.

Romans 6:12-13 says, "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.   And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God."

2 COrintians 10:3-6 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,  (means merely human) but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled."

The fight against our human side is not just human,it is very much spiritual in nature.   Whether it is fighting against anxiety so it does not overtake our minds or fighting against an impure thought, it is a spiritual battle. 

One of the devots. from last week encouraged thinking on Scripture that is relevant to your thoughts (pick a Scripture that fits your struggle), repeat it yourself or pray it back to God in time of need (I do this frequently). This is one way to fight our thoughts, no matter the nature of it. 

I have included 2 devots. below and you can take your pick on which one fits where you at right now.

The first one you can watch the video in increments if you have time through your week, like during lunch or on your way home from work, or read the sermon notes on the right hand side of the screen as or devot.   The second link is a 'read only' devot. but both share how 

this battle for our thought life is a spiritual one and how we wag war against our minds in a way that we can win the war through the Lord. No matter what you are facing this week, I pray it encourages you!  Lord bless you and yours this week!

Devotionals Used by permission.   Taken from https://www.intouch.org/read/)

 

Devot. https://www.intouch.org/watch/facing-a-satanic-attack

 

Devot. https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/overcoming-the-flesh

Devot. The Battlefield of the Mind, Part 1

HI Folks,

I hope you have had a great start to your week!

I was thinking this weekend of our minds, how they can be a battlefield for the Lord or for Satan.

Philippians 4:8 states, "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate (think, dwell) on these things."

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (means merely human), but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"

We see two trains of thought here:  Filling out minds with things that are good, wholesome, godly, pure, just (which is the opposite of what you see on news networks, your newsfeed, or gossip columns online).    

We also see the acknowledgment from Scripture that we walk in a world that is filled with things that "war against our flesh"- tug on our hearts, minds, tantalize our eyes, trouble our spirits.

But based on this Scripture, we do not have to fight what we are exposed to on our own.  

We are encouraged to "cast down" (throw out of our minds, hearts)  and "bring into captivity" (take captive)those things that spiritually tug against  the godliness that Christ gives to us upon our salvation in Him (Romans 5:19, Philippians 3:9).  We can do this through the strength that God has promised to give to those who have trusted Him (Philippians 4:13).

I'm going to close for now, but Lord willing, we may continue on this train of thought next week and I will expound on it more.   Below are two devots. on this topic that provide practical, Scriptural ideas of how to battle the thoughts that come into our minds, whether it's ungodly thoughts or even destructive thoughts that bring anxiety or depression.  Lord bless you and yours this week!

Devots. used by permission.   Taken from https://www.intouch.org/)

Devot. https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/the-battle-of-the-mind

 

Devot. https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/the-protection-of-meditation

Devot. 5 Ways to Show You Care/ Lifting Up a Grieving Friend

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good weekend! 

 

Our topic for this week is how to help someone who is hurting, either through your actions or you words.  For someone that has, for instance, lost loved one, what can you say or do to show them that you care for them?

 

I know for myself, sometimes I am very awkward with how I express that I care.  Sometimes I feel that maybe I didn't say the right thing, I said too much or did not acknowledge their loss as adequately as I should have. At times it's difficult to know how to respond appropriately and genuinely when someone is hurting.

There is a verse  in Hebrews 4:15 that has been a comfort to me.  The contact is speaking of Jesus Himself and it says, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."  

 

The Lord Jesus Himself can understand and sympathize with those who are hurting, because He took on a body of flesh while on this earth )while still retaining 100% of His deity and never sinning once).  So He understands what pain and loss feels like.    

 

The one verse we find in Scripture that shows Jesus crying is in John 11.   Jesus had just received word that His very dear friend, Lazarus, had just died.  And even though Jesus knew He would raise Him from the dead. in a short space of time (Jn. 11:4), He still wept over this loss because He had loved His friend so much (11:35).   

So the Lord understands human loss and grief.

Psalm 56:8, speaking again of the Lord says, "You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?"   God numbers and keeps track of each tear we cry, they do not go unnoticed.  

 

The same God who does this said in Matthew 10:29-31, "Are not two sparrows sold for a [i]copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."

 

If you are hurting today, or hurting for someone you know, your pain and their pain does not go unnoticed by God.  He sees it all, understands and knows who you feel because He has felt pain and loss as well. 

Please remember our 9/11 Families this week in your prayers.   I think I remember saying last year that these previous families may not have had a chance to grieve and bring closure to their loss because it is bring to their memory and national attention each year. Yes, we should remember these brave souls and all who were involved in and affected by 9/11, but it does't give those who have lost closure to their loss.  Their loss is an open wound that is never fully allowed to heal because the wound is opened each year. 

Please pray for God's peace and comfort for these dear folks this week.  

 

Lord bless you and your this week.

(Read and Share Devots. taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)

5 Ways to Show You Care: https://www.dayspring.com/articles/5-ways-to-show-you-care?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN20190904WaystoShowYouCareDuringDifficultTimesArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Lifting Up a Grieving Friend:  https://www.dayspring.com/articles/lifting-up-a-grieving-friend?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN20190904WaystoShowYouCareDuringDifficultTimesArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Devot. Disappointment and Gratitude

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a great weekend!  

I have two devots. for you today, and from two different standpoints:

How to handle disappoints when they come, and expressing a spirit of gratitude when things are going right.

I have been looking inside of myself and I realized that when it seems like the waves of life are crashing over me, or I feel like I am falling into a spiritual mud hole, I cry out to God for help and am so grateful when He sends His peace, presence and help.  But when the crises is over with it's like, "Ok, thanks God, back to normal!"  and I don't always think back to what He brought me through with as much gratitude as I had previously.

I verse I have frequently given you in the past is Psalm 107:8 states, "Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!" This cry for praise to be directed Upward is mentioned several times this passage.  

1 Thessalonians 5:18 states,  "in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  One of the key areas of God's will for each of our lives is giving thanks to Him-in the disappointing times, tough times, good times. 

This week, I would wish for each of us to ask ourselves, "With what type of attitude do to I make it through the times that are tough"?, in light of the first Devot. and "Do I express enough thanks to the Lord, in the midst of troubles and even long after the fact?, in light of the second devot.

Lord bless you and yours this week!

(Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)

Disappointment: https://www.dayspring.com/articles/the-remedy-for-disappointment

Gratitude: https://www.dayspring.com/articles/changing-our-posture-by-practicing-gratitude

Devot. The Presence of the Lord

HI Folks,

I hope you had a great weekend!  

The last few weeks I have been thinking of a specific word over the weekend 

and then finding a devotional topic to match.   The word I thought of this week was a phrase, "The Presence of the Lord."

I'm sure we all have days where we wish we could feel God standing right beside us. Based on God's Word, He is always with us (Hebrews 18:20), but I know for myself, there are times when I need to feel Him beside me in a "can reach out and touch" sort of way. 

During times such as this, I always tell the Lord, "I know You are with me because Your Word promises that You will "never leave me, nor forsake me" (Heb. 13:5), but I could really use Your presence right now in a way that can be tangibly felt.    

There have been many times in my life when this prayer has been answered that way. God has sent me His strong, comforting presence when I needed it to comfort, encourage and strengthen me.  I can think of a specific time, after the death of a loved one, when in the days following this person's Homegoing to Heaven, I could feel God's peace and presence in our home in a way that permeated every room in a comforting, yet strong way, that I could also feel in my heart.  God was with us!!

Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name,(context is pryaing "In Jesus' Name") I am there in the midst of them.”   This comes for each person who has trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and who prays in His name. 

I pray that the two devots. below are an encouraging reminder to your week that you are not alone, God is with us.

Lord bless you and yours!

Devot. The Lord's Presence: https://www.icr.org/article/20770  (Used by permission.  Taken from https://www.icr.org)

Devot. Shadowed and Sheltered: https://www.dayspring.com/articles/shadowed-and-sheltered   (Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles)

Devot. For the Troubled Heart

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a peaceful weekend.   The word that came to my mind this weekend that we could look at together is "Discouragement" or "Despair."  

I know that we all have days where it looks like life is overwhelming, it's more than we can take to make it though one more day and its obligations.   So what do we do?  Who to we go to for help?

First of all we don't lose our moorings-We work to stay close to Jesus everyday, we continue to lift up our requests and heart cries to the Lord in prayer throughout the day.   We also try to find physical rest through our week so that we can recharge our emotional and physical batteries.  

Below are 3 devots. that look into these areas closer.  You can look into whichever one fits where you are right now.  I hope they will give you hope and encouragement in these areas and will give you a boost this week if you are feeling down or discouraged.

I also included a song link, the message which comes from Scripture, which has encouraged my heart to listen to:)

Lord bless you and yours this week!

For the Troubled Heart:  (This one mentions Christmas,but the heart of the Devot. is a good one!

https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/the-pulpit/for-the-troubled-heart.  

(Used by permission. Taken from https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/the-pulpit)

4 Scriptures to Help With Big Life Changes 

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/4-scriptures-to-help-with-big-life-changes?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TEBNANN20180812SundayDevo4ScripturesforBigLifeChanges&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter

(Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)

How to Intentionally Plan for Rest: 

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/how-to-intentionally-plan-for-rest

(Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)

Song:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eko8JfebE68

Devot. Living Without Fear, Seeing God's Miracles

Hi Folks,

I hope you have had a peaceful weekend.

I have 2 devots. for you today and both of them are topics that I have had on my mind.  You can pick whichever one fits where you are this week. 

Devot. #1: Living with an Unshakable Hope 

I was thinking on the word "Fear" in light of our recent news and how this word can be applied to our lives in a few ways. 

Fear can keep us from living life as God intended us to live, not living to please ourselves, or living in habitual sin of course, but Scripture says that Jesus came that we might have life and life more abundantly (John 10:10-12).   

God wishes us to live life to the fullest, letting Him use us for His glory; making an eternal difference in our world; pointing others to Him by our life, actions and words; using the talents He has given us to be a blessing to others and glory Him. 

Fear can keep us from all that.   It can keep us from telling others about Him, handing someone a Gospel tract that would share how they go to Heaven from the Bible.  It can keep us from using our talents, like painting, gardening, singing to bless others.

Fear can also keep us from living-period.  I was telling my mom over the weekend that it doesn't seem safe to go anywhere.  Fear could keep us from going about daily life, wishing to hole up in our homes where it seems safer.

One of my favorite quotes is from a christian film entitled, "Last Flight Out" filmed in 2004.   One of the missionaries in the film frequently quoted, "There is no better place to be than in the center of God's will, unless it is in His presence."

Hebrews 9:27 says that "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"  

2 Corinthians 5:8 says, "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."    

Psalm 91:11-12 states, "For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall [a]bear you up, Lest you [b]dash your foot against a stone."  

All these verses together sum up three points:   

~God has a date on His calendar when each of us will end our time here on earth.   

~For those who have trusted Jesus as their person Savior and only way to get to Heaven, to be absent on this earth means to be present with Him in Heaven.  

~In the meantime, folks who have trusted Jesus have been given angels to watch over them in all they do.   

How can we fear when we know this?   We won't go Home to be with Him until it's our time, and in the meantime, we must live for Him.  

I pray the first devot. below will encourage your heart at this time in light of recent news.   The 2nd devot. is on all the miracles that happen around us, all the things that God does, but do we notice?  You may not think that the 2 devots. tie in to each other, but I think if you read them, you will see that they do:). Lord bless and keep you and yours this week!

(Devot. taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles)

Devot. Living with an Unshakable Hope:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/category/encouragement/living-with-an-unshakable-hope

Devot. Miracles All Around: https://www.dayspring.com/daily-devotion/date/2018-05-30?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DaySpring%20Daily%20Devotion%202018-05-30&utm_term=DaySpring%20Daily%20Devotion

Devot. 6 Ways to Find God's Peace in a Difficult Situation

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a restful weekend!

I have two devots. for you this week and I picked them out specifically for those of you that I know are having a rough time living life right now.  I felt that the Lord help me to find them and I think they will be timely for this week.

The first one focuses on a hymn that is my family's favorite and has a great deal of significance and sentimentality  to us when we suffered the Homegoing to Heaven of someone very dear to us.   The story behind the hymn, which is shared in this Devot. 

was what we needed to know that God can bring beauty out of ashes.  (I have also included a link to the hymn mentioned in this devot.).

The second devot. is a reminder that God can and WILL bring something good out of the trials you are experiencing.   

My mom's "Life Verse", the Scripture she lives by and clings to is Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

God promises in this verse that ALL THINGS WILL WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD for those that love God.

I pray that the Lord will use these devots. (and the 2 song links, the 2nd one is taken from Scripture) in the lives of you who are struggling right now, or would be an encouraging reminder to store away in your heart for those of you whose lives are peaceful and calm right now, but may need this encouragement from God's Word later on.     

Lord bless you and yours this week!

(Devots.  Taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles)

6 Ways to Find God's Peace in a Difficult Situation:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/ways-to-find-gods-peace-in-a-difficult-situation?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN2019-03-246WaystoFindGod%27sPeaceInADifficultSituationArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Hymn:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nJ6wQpLmuo

God WILL Use This: 

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/god-will-use-this?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NEBNANN2019-03-246WaystoFindGod%27sPeaceInADifficultSituationArticles&utm_term=DaySpring%20Newsletter%20%2B%20Daily%20Devotion%20List

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eko8JfebE68

Devot. How Can We Declutter Our Lives to Find Joy/Secret of Joy

Hi Folks,

I hope you had a good start to your week!  I had seen a devotional title on a website, it intrigued me and I spun off from there.  It wasn't necessarily the easiest topic to pick.  How can we find joy in decluttering our lives from anything that is sucking joy out of us?
Do we even realize that our joy is diminished because of "stuff" in our lives? 

I can think of many things that "decluttering" could imply-getting rid of a toxic relationship; releasing the plans you have made for your life and letting God write your story; releasing  of a situation in your life that you are struggling to control and yet know that you are truly not the One in control anyway;  moving from a treasured house filled with memories in place of a smaller one that you can afford; even getting ride of clutter in your home in place of a clean, neat space.

Depending on the season of your life or the circumstances you may find yourself in,"decluttering" isn't always easy, I know. But yet I can also say that letting go of something that I know God is telling me to "hand over to Him" is the most freeing thing you can ever do.  It's acknowledging to God, "I can't do this on my own, I know that you want me to give this to You.  I know that I'm holding on way to tight to this, its painful to let it go and yet, I feel so weighted down by it.  I desperately need Your help to do this!"

Needing to let go of clutter, spiritual or otherwise in our lives, can also rob us of the joy that Jesus wishes to give those who have trusted in Him.   

Philippines 3:13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:  (means 'understand or perceive') but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,    I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."   

God calls us to move beyond where we are, leave the clutter of our lives (spiritual and physical) and live in light of eternity, press towards the goal of reaching Heaven because we have trusted Jesus.     And with this comes joy in Jesus! (John 15:11)

I hope the devotional. below is a blessing.   I have also included a link for some encouraging Scripture verses if you are going through a tough time right now and need some. Words from Scripture to boost your heart.    Lord bless you and yours this week!

Is Joy an Option: 
https://www.intouch.org/read/blog/is-joy-an-option. (Used by permission.  Taken from https://www.intouch.org/read/blog)

(Devots. taken from https://www.dayspring.com/articles/)

Devot. The Secret of Joy

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/the-secret-of-joy

Verses to Encourage:

https://www.dayspring.com/articles/encouraging-bible-verses-to-strengthen-your-faith