#mind – Boldly For Him

April 29, 2020May 3, 2020

Soul Distancing

You can’t go anywhere these days without being reminded of the importance of, “Social Distancing”, however, there is a much more sinister attack being raged on humanity right now, one that you and I may not even be aware of. This attack is covert, aggressive, and deadly with “Eternal Consequences.” If it is allowed to go undetected and unaddressed, it could cost us our family, our friends, our calling, and most importantly our soul!

What is this attack…..and where did it come from? The attack is called, “SOUL DISTANCING.” This is where we unknowingly through fear and distractions begin to distance our MIND, WILL, and EMOTIONS from God and those that He has called us into a relationship with. We can trace this deadly spiritual virus to, “the enemy of our soul.”

On April 15th, I was going about my day thinking about the times that we are currently living in and the varied responses that I had witnessed, along with my own to this viral attack. All of a sudden I heard the still small voice of The Holy Spirit Whisper these words to my heart, “Soul Distancing.” He then quickly began to reveal to me what the enemy is trying to do on a large scale basis to the “Soul” of humanity through the current global COVID-19 pandemic.

My friend, I’m not talking about the need to, “flatten the curve” by using wisdom as we go about our day. I am talking about the lethargy of spirit, the apathy of heart, and the lust of the flesh, that the enemy is endeavoring to lull us into. This “soul stupor” is a by-product of the fear and uncertainty that we are constantly being bombarded with as we are being encouraged to “distance” and, “isolate” ourselves from those around us. The goal of this demonic attack is to weaken our spiritual immune system to the point where we can no longer breathe in the Refreshing, Healing Wind of The Holy Spirit. Therefore we suffocate through fear and infect others with fear as we unwittingly engage in the deadly practice of, “Soul Distancing” from God and others!

What are some of the symptoms and results of, “Soul Distancing”?

Psalm 143:1-4 (AMP) is a desperate cry from the heart of King David to God, a passionate prayer that reveals some of the symptoms and results of, “soul distancing;

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! In Your Faithfulness answer me, and in Your Righteousness.” “And enter not into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is [in himself] righteous or justified.” “For the enemy has pursued and persecuted MY SOUL, he has crushed my life down to the ground; he has made me dwell in dark places as those who have been long dead.” “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed and faints within me [wrapped in gloom]; my heart within my bosom grows numb.”

Spiritually speaking, a numb heart that goes undetected and unaddressed will eventually flatline through fear. For the weary child of God, this is one of the most alarming symptoms and a result of, “soul distancing.”

Like King David in his weakened state, when, “our heart within our bosom grows numb”, we can be sure that there is an “enemy, (fear) that has pursued and persecuted our soul.” The “Soul Intent” of this attack is to as the scripture states above, “crush our life down to the ground.” If we allow this spiritual condition to go undiagnosed and unaddressed, the enemy will convince us to, “dwell in dark places as those who have been long dead,” which I believe is King David’s description of deep depression. Our spirit, “wrapped in the gloom” of this deep, dark depression will then be “overwhelmed and faint within us.” Ultimately this will cause “our heart to grow numb” and flatline through fear as the lust of the flesh has now been given full reign over “our soul”, which consists of our Mind, Will and Emotions. This creates a soul distancing from God and others which is a highly dangerous and contagious state of being!

Why is this such a dangerous and contagious state to be in?

Revelation 3:15-17 (TPT) provides the answer to this question;
“I know all that you do, and I know that you are neither frozen in apathy nor fervent with passion. How I wish you were either one or the other!” “But because you are neither cold nor hot, but lukewarm, I am about to spit you from my mouth.” “For you claim, I’m rich and getting richer—I don’t need a thing.” “Yet you are clueless that you’re miserable, poor, blind, barren, and naked!”

You see my friend, this dangerous state of being is a “lukewarm” state of being, one that is dominated by ungodly desires and the lust of the flesh. In this climate of deception, we grow so indifferent and numb to the Heart of God that, “Soul Distancing” becomes a way of life for us! “Clueless” to the truth, we infect and contaminate others with “sins of the flesh.” ref. (Galatians 5:19-21), as “we claim, that we are rich and getting richer—and don’t need a thing.” This Pride of Life breeds fear and insecurity that will drive us into the arms of the enemy. The result? A soul that goes into Eternity; distanced and separated from God! This does not have to be the Epitaph of our life! We can leave a legacy of life and, “Life more Abundantly” ref. ( John 10:10b), in Jesus’ Name! In order to achieve this, we must be willing to ask ourselves the following question;

How do I avoid, “Soul Distancing” from God?

The answer is, “a matter of the heart” my friend, and we find that answer in;

1st John 2:15-17 (TPT); “Don’t set the affections of your heart on this world or in loving the things of the world. The love of The Father and the love of the world are incompatible.” “For all that the world can offer us—the gratification of our flesh, the allurement of the things of the world, and the obsession with status and importance—none of these things come from The Father but the world.” “This world and its desires are in the process of passing away, but those who love to do the Will of God live forever.”

First and foremost the affections of our heart must continually remain “set on God and the things above.” Ref. (Col. 3:1). This is the only way that we can actively nurture and protect our intimacy with God, as we refuse to sell our soul to the world and give into, “the gratification of our flesh, the allurement of the things of the world, and the obsession with status and importance.”

You see my friend, “Holiness of Heart is Giving God Through His Son Jesus Christ First Place in Our Heart.” The personal decision to, “Be holy because I am holy.” Ref. (1st Peter 1:16) is what gives us as individual Believers within, The Body of Christ the confidence to be counted amongst, “those who love to do the Will of God….and live forever!”

How do I do, “The Will of God” with this current global crisis going on?

Mighty Warrior Friend, God gives us Clear Instruction, Encouragement and Great Hopeful Expectation that we can follow, implement and receive in 1st Peter 5:6-11 (TPT);

“If you bow low in God’s Awesome Presence, He will eventually exalt you as you leave the timing in His Hands.” “Pour out all your worries and stress upon Him and leave them there, for He always tenderly cares for you.” “Be well balanced and always alert, because your enemy, the devil, roams around incessantly, like a roaring lion for its prey to devour.” “Take a decisive stand against him and resist his every attack with strong, vigorous faith. For you know that your believing brothers and sisters around the world are experiencing the same kinds of troubles you endure.” “And then, after your brief suffering, the God of all Loving Grace, Who has called you to share in His Eternal Glory in Christ, will Personally and Powerfully Restore You and make You Stronger than Ever. Yes, He will set you Firmly In Place and Build You Up.” “And He Has All The Power Needed to Do This—Forever! Amen.”

Thank You, Jesus! We never have to be distant from you! We can….“Be Strong and Live Free….Boldly For Him!”

Picture By: Pat Whelen

August 7, 2019

Where is the Love?

His t-shirt read, “Love is for Losers.” In the few short seconds that it took for me to open the car door and get in, he walked by a cigarette in hand wearing body piercings that demanded attention. As I drove away I started praying for this young man, wondering what events shaped his life to the point of disfiguring his body? You see, long before the message was written on his t-shirt, it was written on his heart. It was obvious to see that this young man had been deeply wounded by, “looking for love in all the wrong places.”

“Looking for Love in all the wrong places” is not just a lyric line from a popular song written by Johnny Lee; it is also a “poison arrow” of destruction shot by a deadly Cupid. My friend the enemy of our soul is constantly looking for ways to lead you and me into places of self-deception and self-destruction as we go, “Looking for Love in all the wrong places!”

Just ask Samson, Judges 16:4-7 (AMP) gives us insight into this tragic one-sided love story;

“After this, he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah.” “And the lords of the Philistines came to her and said to her, “Entice” him and see in what his great strength lies and by what means we may “Overpower” him that we may “Bind” him to “Subdue” him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” “And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray you, wherein your great strength lies, and with what you might be bound to subdue you.”

The four-prong strategy that the enemy used to take Samson out and ultimately destroy him is revealed within the above scriptures, they were to, “Entice, Overpower, Bind, and Subdue” him. God wants us, my friend, to not only become aware of this strategy, But He also wants us to be on guard against the enemy using these same “poison arrows” of destruction against us! To accurately recognize and identify the enemy’s tactics, I have written out for our knowledge the definition for each of these poison arrows of destruction.

Entice = To attract artfully or adroitly or by arousing hope or desire.
implies the presenting of an attraction so strong that it overcomes the restraints of
conscience or better judgment.

Overpower = To overcome by superior force. To affect with overwhelming intensity.

Bind = To make secure by tying. To confine, restrain, or restrict as if with bonds.
To constrain with legal authority.
To wrap around with something to enclose or cover.

Subdue = To conquer and bring into subjection : Vanquish.
To bring under control especially by an exertion of the will: Curb.
To bring (land) under cultivation.
To reduce the intensity or degree of Tone Down.

How long do you think it took for these “poison arrows” to pierce the sight of Samson’s eyes, both Spiritually then naturally?

Though we don’t know the exact number of days, we are given a glimpse as we read Judges 16:16 (AMP);

“And when she pressed him day after day with her words and urged him, he was vexed to death.”

In this true story of fatal lust, Delilah is a young woman who is being used by the enemy to carry out an evil plan. Like the constant drip of a leaky faucet, Delilah erodes at Samson’s resolve to guard, “The Source” of his God-given strength. This strength was the key to Samson’s identity as a Nazirite, a called Deliverer and Judge in The Kingdom of Heaven.

The seduction unfolds in Judges 16:17 (AMP);

“Then he told her all his mind and said to her, A razor has never come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my birth. If I am shaved, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man.” (ENTICED).

Who or what may be a Delilah in your life my friend? What valuable information have you been enticed to give up?

Remember my friend the ultimate goal of the enemy is to stop you and me. To blind our spiritual sight so that he can subdue our God-given calling. It is so important that you and I recognize that our God-given calling is also our spiritual Identity in The Kingdom of Heaven, and the key to our assignment here on earth. We must remember that like Samson we have been called to be “Deliverers” for The Kingdom of God. Modern-day Deliverers of Healing, Hope, Peace, Joy, Wisdom, Strength, and most importantly, Modern Day Deliverers of the Salvation Message of Jesus Christ; as we have been Saved, Delivered and Healed!

Never allow the “Enticements” of this world cause you to uncover, “The Source” of your God-given strength.

With the seduction of Samson’s life and calling now complete, we read about this deeply sad moment of Biblical History in Judges 16:19-20 (AMP);

“And she made Samson sleep upon her knees, and she called a man and caused him to shave off the seven braids of his head. Then she began to torment [Samson], and his strength went from him.” “She said, The Philistines are upon you, Samson! And he awoke out of his sleep and said, I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free. Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.” (OVERPOWERED).

Don’t fall asleep upon the knees of the enemy and don’t toy with your weakness. Notice that Samson said, “I will go out as I have time after time and shake myself free.” As the scriptures record throughout Judges chapters 14-16, Samson had repeatedly given in to his desire for ungodly women and did not deny himself. He was deceived into thinking that there were no repercussions for his insatiable and unholy appetite. Samson insisted on living a lifestyle of, “Looking for Love in all the wrong places”, and it cost him everything!

Judges 16:21 (AMP) records the painful repercussion of Samson’s sin against God;

“But the Philistines laid hold of him, bored out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with [two] bronze fetters; and he ground at the mill in prison.” (BOUND) and (SUBDUED).

Where have you been looking for love my friend? Has a “Delilah” laid hold of you, deprived you of your “Spiritual Sight” and subdued your life? Can you still “see and seize” your God-given assignment?

Samson went from a Supernaturally Promised Child, God Appointed Judge and Deliverer of Israel, to a depleted sightless prisoner. His life is an example of a powerful man of God who became reckless with his Anointing.

Judges 16:28 (AMP) reveals the state of Samson’s heart at the time of his death;

“Then Samson called to the Lord and said, O Lord God, [earnestly] remember me, I pray You, and strengthen me. I pray You, only this once, O God, and let me have one vengeance upon the Philistines for both my eyes.”

Judges 16:30 (AMP) gives us the dramatic account of Samson’s final feat of supernatural God-given strength;

“And Samson cried, Let me die with the Philistines! And he bowed himself mightily, and the house fell upon the princes and upon all the people that were in it. So the dead whom he slew at his death were more than they whom he slew in his life.”

You and I don’t have to “die with the Philistines”, (our enemies) my friend! We can choose to resist the Delilah’s that tempt us, repent for our sins and receive restoration for our losses.

James 4:7-8 (TPT) provides the “Way of Escape” for us;

“So then, surrender to God. Stand up to the devil and resist him and he will turn and run away from you.” “Move your heart closer and closer to God, and he will come even closer to you.” “But make sure you cleanse your life, you sinners, and keep your heart pure and stop doubting.” “Feel the pain of your sin, be sorrowful and weep”! “Let your joking around be turned into mourning and your joy into deep humiliation.” “Be willing to be made low before the Lord and He will exalt you!”

You can escape Mighty Deliverer friend! Seize your Strength in God, as you choose to, Be Strong and Live Free……Boldly For Him!

Photo by Aziz Acharki

March 7, 2019March 18, 2019

Pillars of Salt

One last look that’s all she wanted, after all, she had some fond memories of this place. Secretly deep down inside she really didn’t believe that this city or any of the other cities in the region deserved to be destroyed. “After all didn’t her husband Lot choose to settle their family in the city of Sodom because of all the vast resources before them? Yes, there were some bad things that happened here, but didn’t bad things happen everywhere?” With these thoughts racing through her mind, her steps slowed down to a resistant pace. “Lot was Abraham’s nephew, surely God would take all of this into consideration and change His Mind…Wouldn’t He?” Now weighed down with these heavy thoughts, …..she glanced up squinting, barely able to see Lot and her daughters, they were so far ahead of her.

The Angel had strictly warned them all not to stop or look back, however, the reasoning that started in her mind had now become an act of the heart. With one assumptive act of fatal rebellion, Lot’s wife turned, looked back and became a “Pillar of Salt!” A standing memorial of unbelief, rebellion, and death to this day. One that our Lord Jesus Christ asked us to remember with these direct words in Luke 17:32 (TPT);

“Don’t forget the example of Lot’s wife and what happened to her when she turned back.”

Genesis 19:26 (AMP) records this sad lesson for us,

“But [Lot’s] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.”

Why did Jesus ask us to “remember what happened to Lot’s wife?”….because “She died in the day of her deliverance!” You see my friend the enemy will try to get you and me to turn back to the things that God is trying to deliver us from, so that we like Lot’s wife, “Die in the day of our deliverance, and become like a “Pillar of Salt.”

Now is a good time to take a few moments of reflection and ask ourselves these questions:

1. What is God trying to deliver me from?
2. Is there something tempting me to turn back to my past?

The truth is, God never intended for anyone to become a “Pillar of Salt.” You and I have been created to be “Free Flowing Agents of The Holy Spirit.” Agents of Freedom and Deliverance for others, as we ourselves walk in freedom and deliverance.

Matthew 5:13-16 (AMP) gives us some encouraging insight from the Heart of God regarding this truth;

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, it’s quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.” “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” “Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.” “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your moral excellence and your praiseworthy, noble, and good deeds and recognize and honor and praise and glorify your Father Who is in Heaven.”

There is an interesting footnote in the Passion Translation regarding this scripture, it states that,

“Rabbinical literature equates salt with wisdom. After speaking of salt, Jesus speaks of lighting a lamp. It was a common practice in the time of Jesus to put salt on the wick of a lamp to increase its brightness. The “salt” of wisdom will make our lights shine even brighter.”

The Passion Translation pg. 17 footnotes for Matthew 5:13 a.

So how do we not lose our “saltiness”? That’s a great question! Here’s a couple of steps that will help us,

1. We do exactly what The Lord Jesus asked us to do in Luke 17:32 (AMP) we,
“Remember Lot’s wife!”
2. We do exactly the opposite of what Lot’s wife did when it came time for her to participate with her deliverance. We obey without delay!

In essence, because Lot’s wife had a heart fixed on the darkness that was behind her, she could not recognize the “wisdom” or see the “light’ of deliverance that was before her. My friends, we have the mandate to be the “salt and light” of this world, “A city set on a hill that cannot be hidden.”

No matter how tight or dark our situation may seem right now my friend, we must resist the temptation to turn back and become galvanized like, “Pillars of Salt.” We must remember that our obedience to God’s Wisdom for our deliverance, illuminates the path of deliverance for someone else as well. This is how our, “Moral excellence and our praiseworthy, noble and good deeds are recognized while, “ALL of the Honor, Praise and Glory are given to our Father God Who is in Heaven!”

Dear Friends, this is our day to “Be Strong and Live Free”……..Boldly For Him!

February 1, 2019March 18, 2019

Inner-Action

Recently I was driving in my car when I heard The Voice of The Holy Spirit say to my heart, “I want to talk to you about prosperity.” I said, “Okay Lord please speak to me, I want to hear what you have to say. He then started sharing with me some things about “The Soul” of prosperity. That prosperity is definitely much deeper than “financial gain” or “material possessions”. As He started to share these truths with me, the scripture 3rd John 2 (TPT) came to my thoughts:

“Beloved friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and that you continually enjoy good health, just as your Soul Is Prospering.”

The last part of that scripture really jumped out at me and I knew that The Lord was un-locking some deep truths for me to grasp, study and share!

Several nights later I had a dream where I was having a conversation with a young girl when she replied, “For me it’s all about the inner-action”. Upon waking up I had an, “Aha Moment” where I knew by The Holy Spirit that I needed to prepare to share This Word. He then gave me the definition of the word “Inner-Action”.

Inner-Action = The relationship between the mind, the will and the emotions and how they are displayed in an individual’s life through their interaction with God and others.

The soul is the seat and activity center for our, “Inner-Action”. This is where the relationship between our mind, our will and emotions is played out on a daily basis. In other words we will continually display what our soul relays to our heart, the activity center for our mind, will and emotions. God knowing the importance of this inner- relationship, has been talking to mankind about it for a long time. Let’s read in Proverbs 4:23 (TPT) what He has to say to us about this subject;

“So above all guard the affections of your heart,” “for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life.”

The most common Hebrew word for heart is used in this scripture it is the word, “levav” “It includes our thoughts, our will, our discernment and our affections.” (TPT) Notes, pg. 960 (TPT).

Housed within Proverbs 4:23 (TPT) is the revelation of the, “Heart and Soul” connection. The Inner-Action of our mind, our will and our emotions and how “they affect all that we are.” Recognizing and understanding this vital truth is paramount, “to the welfare of our innermost being.” You see my friend, WE MUST LEARN to harness our mind, our will and our emotions to The Leadership of The Holy Spirit by, “guarding the affections of our heart”. Then and only then can we Safely and Effectively represent The Kingdom of Heaven to this lost and dying world. A world that is hurting so badly and in need of the Pure Healing Love of The Gospel of Jesus Christ poured into them, by Pure Vessels of The Most High God.

The word Harness is defined in Macmillan’s Dictionary this way,

Harness = “To get control of something in order to use it for a particular purpose.”

This brings us to a very important question, “How do we harness our mind, our will and our emotions, (our soul) to The Leadership of The Holy Spirit so that we can fulfill our God given purpose? The insight that we need in order to answer this question is found in
2nd Corinthians 10: 3-5 (TPT);

“For although we live in the natural realm, we don’t wage a military campaign employing human weapons, using manipulation to achieve our aims.” “Instead, our spiritual weapons are energized with Divine Power to effectively dismantle the defenses behind which people hide.” “We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to The Anointed One.”

The Power of these scriptures when read, apprehended, studied and applied will enable us to overthrow and destroy those, demonic strongholds or as the Aramaic also translates, “rebellious castles”; centers of opposition to the light of The Gospel, “the defenses behind which people hide.” Ref. (TPT) Notes, pg. 502 (TPT).

The Atomic Bomb that obliterates these demonic strongholds, “rebellious castles,” hiding places of the enemy in our lives if we allow him, is clearly revealed to us in
Hebrews 4: 12-13 (AMP);

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.” “And not a creature exists that is concealed from His Sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the Eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”

When we Boldly speak what God Speaks which is His Word, The Bible, we are then wielding a Mighty Two Edged Sword. This Two Edged Sword is Alive and Full of Power and gives us the assurance that when wielded with confident authority in the Finished Work of Jesus Christ, we can uproot and demolish every “rebellious castle”, potential hiding place of the enemy in our lives.

This overcoming “Inner-Action” my friend is “The Soul” of true prosperity, which gives us the Grace To Be Strong and Live Free…..Boldly For Him!