Dear Friends,
I have finished the book Battling the Prince of Darkness, Rescuing Captives From Satan's Kingdom
It was a life changing book. I hope you get a chance to read it. I will give you the link if you wish to purchase it. http://www.evelynchristensonministries.org/bookstore.html
If you are here to read the next post, scroll down to Day 8, and then the next day read Day 9, and then the last day, Day 10.
I have given you directions after Day Ten to tell you the last book I will be reading.
Blessings to you.
Robin
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
ur Authority in Warfare Praying/Mobilize for Action
March 13, 2014
Day Ten
Chapter 12
Page 157
Jesus brought a new dimension of authority and power when He came to earth. Something changed between the Old and New Testaments. We now have Jesus’ name and His blood with which to fight spiritual battles against Satan both personally and for captives being rescued out of his evil kingdom. Jesus said to His followers; Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24)
More importantly, we not only have the privilege, but also the authority of Jesus’ name in our spiritual warfare praying and battling against Satan.
Page 159
What Authority
What kind of authority does Jesus’ name include? Colossians 2:9-10 says it well.
For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the Head over all rule and authority.
Page 173
Power and authority is ours in the battle of rescuing captives from Satan’s kingdom—in the precious, victorious name and blood of Jesus.
Chapter 13: Mobilize for Action
Matthew 24:14
And this Gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Page 175
When will this battling the Prince of Darkness come to an end? Will the whole world forever and ever lie in the power of the wicked one, Satan, as is true now? (1 John 5:19) Is there no hope of getting out of this escalating evil?
Yes, there is definitely is hope. But the final and complete end to all of Satan’s power on planet Earth cannot come until Jesus comes back to rule with righteousness.
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)
This will be amazing when Jesus returns. I wonder how it will happen and what the news will say. I have been hearing about this day all of my life. What is Jesus waiting for?
Page 176
What is Jesus Waiting For?
Those ruling with Him will include people from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation—so Jesus is waiting for them all to hear about Himself. He is waiting until they hear the good news that He delivers from the kingdom of darkness—--into His glorious.
Page 177
Don’t Blame God if Jesus Doesn’t Come
People have been blaming God and laughing at Jesus’ not coming back since the A.D. 2 Peter 3:4 tells us that in the last days mockers will come saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of Creation.”
God is obviously is waiting but for what? Peter explained in verse 9 why God is waiting to send Jesus back: “The Lord is not slow about His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, italics added).
So God wants everybody to have a chance to hear of Jesus before He comes back—and as many as possible to be rescued out of Satan’s evil kingdom. God loves them so much that He doesn’t want any of them to perish. And He knows all will perish who don’t believe on Jesus. (See Revelation 20:15).
So Whose Responsibility Is It?
If it’s not Jesus’ or God’s, whose responsibility is it? Ours!
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19 and “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15, Italics added).
EACH ONE REACH ONE
A simple solution to the evil exploding in our faces here at home is “Each One Reach One.” If each one of us would promise God to reach at least one lost person this year—and kept that promise—our homes, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and nation soon would be swarming with new creations in Jesus—redeemed by His blood, members of His body, with the authority of Jesus’ name, and His blood over the evil around them.
And every people group in the uttermost parts of the earth can be reached if we, with our nostrils flared in victory, would invade Satan’s territory all around the world. We could pray, send, and go with the planer-changing power of Jesus.
This book has been so thought provoking for me. I have so much to think about. I will be spending a few days away and I am sure my thoughts will go towards all that I have read in this book.
I am sorry that I copied so much from the book, but it was all I could do. I wanted you to understand word of word what was being said.
This truly has been an incredible book for my incredibly journey. I honestly want to re-read this book. I think I went through it so quickly. That being said, I think I will change my plans for my last book to read.
I WILL BEGIN POSTING THE LAST BOOK OF EVELYN’S BEGINNING April 8th and continue each Tuesday until I finish this book. The book is called,
Praying God’s Way Proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Answer to Every Human Need. I do not want to rush, I want to enjoy every word.
Blessings to you!
Robin
Day Nine: Expect Sifting
March 12, 2014
Day Nine
Chapter 11: Expect Sifting
Luke 22:31-32
“Simon, Simon, Satan has
asked to sift you as wheat. But I have
prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen
your brothers.”
Page 145
Jesus knows
Satan will do everything in his power to keep Christians from working with Him
to rescue people out of Satan’s evil kingdom.
He wills us any diabolical tactic necessary to sift us in order to
render us ineffective in our battle for souls.
Jesus, the very Son of God, also is
praying up in heaven while we fight our battle with Satan down here on earth.
Jesus is
praying because He knows we are just as vulnerable to Satan’s attacks as His
disciple Peter was. He knows Satan is
sifting His followers today—just as much as Peter.
What is
“sifting”? It is those difficulties
caused by Satan to rob Christians of their power and effectiveness in their
work for Jesus. Those problems Satan brings that make us useless in our
battling him for souls for Jesus.
There are many
different ways that Satan sifts Christians today. Some methods are drastic, some are seemingly
mild.
Page 148
How does “sifting
like wheat” feel to us today? Like the
little grain in Jesus day, we are violently tossed until it is impossible to
keep our feet on the ground, flung mercilessly at the will of Satan.
Page 149
Page 149
We must realize
that the more earnest and the more effective we become in helping lost people
get transferred out of Satan’s diabolical kingdom, the more nervous Satan will
become. And the more nervous, the more
he will concentrate his activities on sifting us. And the more he sifts us, the harder it
becomes to keep effective in our winning souls out of his kingdom of darkness
into Jesus’ kingdom.
Hence, also, He
(Jesus) is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since
He always lives to make intercession for them.
(Hebrews 7:25)
Page 150
Page 150
Jesus, the One
who can –and will—keep our faith from failing when Satan sifts us!
Wow, this is truly opening
my eyes. I can now see that Satan has
been out to destroy me. Who knows maybe
even with the events in my son’s life that has taken the wind out of my sails? If I continue in the direction that I am
Satan, could win. I have started a
ministry, been writing Bible Journeys with God, I have my second book about
ready to be published. Wow, I have never
really thought about Satan out there trying to destroy me. I just thought of everything that has been
going on, as life.
I cannot let him win. I have told my partners in the work that I
have been doing that I will not move forward until we have a prayer team in
place. Actually, many years ago this was
Evelyn’s advice to me. “You need to get
a prayer team in place.” I have tried
several times, but it just has not happened.
So this is going to be my daily prayer.
Dear God,
If you want me to continue
speaking, writing and sharing Jesus with others, please raise up a prayer
team. If that does not happen, I will
put everything on the back burner until that door opens. I do not have the strength to fight the
battles alone. It is in your hands God.Page 154
And Astoundingly, God turns
all our hard things, including Satan’s siftings, into our good because we love
Him and are called according to His purpose.
(See Romans 8:28) Although Satan
intends them for harm and destruction, God uses them to firm up our faith,
teach us lessons, help others, make us
more Christlike and equip us for future battles with Satan.
Day Eight: How to Pray for Each Other
March 12, 2014
Day Eight
Chapter 10: How To Pray For Each Other
Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Page 131
How do we do spiritual warfare praying for each other? Once we have found the appropriate Scripture is it enough just to quote it in a monotone to Satan? Oh no! Not only is what we pray important, but how we pray it makes a difference. The Bible gives us many instructions as to how to pray for “the saints”—those who are at war with Satan because they already have been transferred out of his evil kingdom. Not only does Ephesians 6:18 tell us to pray, it also gives us explicit guidelines of how Christians should pray for one another in the spiritual battle with Satan.
“Prayer”
First we must recognize that this verse is discussing actual praying. What is prayer? It is not just studying prayer or talking about prayer; it is praying.
Prayer is our means of involving the omnipotent God of the universe in our personal spiritual battle with ‘Satan. Prayerlessness actually is arrogantly saying that we do not need God. Even the disciples watching Jesus’ deep prayer life, asked Him to teach them to pray.
Prayer is the power for the spiritual battle with Satan.
“Petition” is specifically asking God to grant our requests for specific needs. Petitions are extremely important in spiritual warfare praying.
Page 141
Pray with all perseverance
This is an important lesson in learning how we should pray for one another in our spiritual warfare from Ephesians 6:18. This is faithfulness and stick-to-it-iveness” in prayer.
Jesus taught perseverance in prayer by telling His followers a parable about the persistent widow, “to show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart.” Luke 18:1
Page 144
Our battle with Satan also is supernatural. Our lukewarm, halfhearted prayers don’t do much to loosen Satan’s hold. But “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16, KJV italics added.
Many things that Evelyn shares, I have not experienced before. I started this book thinking I could quickly go through this one, but I have to honestly say that I am going to read the book again. It seems like I have gone through it so fast. Please pray that God will teach us and open our eyes to see what he wants us to see.
I have a prayer request for you.
Please pray for my son. The past five years have been so hard for him. He wants to do what God wants, but it does not seem like things are working the way he wants. I am concerned for him. Please pray for my son that God will allow him to go in and get a health evaluation. Then pray that one day God will bless him for his faithfulness. Thank you for praying.
I realize that I said this book would be done by now, but I just could not go any faster. There should be two more days after today.
Day Eight
Chapter 10: How To Pray For Each Other
Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Page 131
How do we do spiritual warfare praying for each other? Once we have found the appropriate Scripture is it enough just to quote it in a monotone to Satan? Oh no! Not only is what we pray important, but how we pray it makes a difference. The Bible gives us many instructions as to how to pray for “the saints”—those who are at war with Satan because they already have been transferred out of his evil kingdom. Not only does Ephesians 6:18 tell us to pray, it also gives us explicit guidelines of how Christians should pray for one another in the spiritual battle with Satan.
“Prayer”
First we must recognize that this verse is discussing actual praying. What is prayer? It is not just studying prayer or talking about prayer; it is praying.
Prayer is our means of involving the omnipotent God of the universe in our personal spiritual battle with ‘Satan. Prayerlessness actually is arrogantly saying that we do not need God. Even the disciples watching Jesus’ deep prayer life, asked Him to teach them to pray.
Prayer is the power for the spiritual battle with Satan.
“Petition” is specifically asking God to grant our requests for specific needs. Petitions are extremely important in spiritual warfare praying.
Page 141
Pray with all perseverance
This is an important lesson in learning how we should pray for one another in our spiritual warfare from Ephesians 6:18. This is faithfulness and stick-to-it-iveness” in prayer.
Jesus taught perseverance in prayer by telling His followers a parable about the persistent widow, “to show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart.” Luke 18:1
Page 144
Our battle with Satan also is supernatural. Our lukewarm, halfhearted prayers don’t do much to loosen Satan’s hold. But “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16, KJV italics added.
Many things that Evelyn shares, I have not experienced before. I started this book thinking I could quickly go through this one, but I have to honestly say that I am going to read the book again. It seems like I have gone through it so fast. Please pray that God will teach us and open our eyes to see what he wants us to see.
I have a prayer request for you.
Please pray for my son. The past five years have been so hard for him. He wants to do what God wants, but it does not seem like things are working the way he wants. I am concerned for him. Please pray for my son that God will allow him to go in and get a health evaluation. Then pray that one day God will bless him for his faithfulness. Thank you for praying.
I realize that I said this book would be done by now, but I just could not go any faster. There should be two more days after today.
Day Seven: Battling the Prince of Darkness, Defensive Praying Against Satan
March 11, 2014
Day Seven
Chapter 9: Defensive Praying Against Satan
Then, I will begin prayer walking for my neighbors. I will be praying for the salvation of their souls. I will try to get to know them and then watch for opportunities to share the gospel.
Thank you for opening my eyes to pray more for others who are out there in my world. Please open my eyes and help me to have the courage to be obedient.
Day Seven
Chapter 9: Defensive Praying Against Satan
Ephesians 6:18
And pray in the Spirit on
all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep
on praying for all the saints.
Page 113
It is
impossible for Christians to keep up their offensive warfare prayers for souls
without defensive prayers for each
other. While our offensive prayers are
against Satan as we strive to get captives released from his evil kingdom, defensive prayers are for the protection
of Christians from Satan’s attacks.
We need these
two kinds of prayer because Satan’s battle plan against Christians is just the
opposite of his battle plan for non-believers.
With non-Christians, Satan is on the defense, trying to keep them in his
evil kingdom where they already are. But
Satan is attacking Christians to make them ineffective in their battle to get
those lost souls out of his kingdom.
PRAYER, My
eyes have been opened to what I am doing or not doing in my life. I pray, but very often my prayers are selfish
prayers, praying for the things that I want in my life. I do not want to say praying for things that I
want is wrong, but there are life and death issues regarding others who do not
even know about a relationship with Jesus.
There is so much more that I need
to be thinking about when I pray.
What keeps me from
praying? TIME! There are just so many hours in a day. How can I fit battling Satan and his attacks
on the non-Christians as well as Christians?
I shared yesterday that I felt overwhelmed. I guess Satan can use this to keep me from
doing what I should be doing and thus allowing me to just stand still.
So, where do I begin? I need to find balance in prayer and slowly
bring praying for others who are lost,
whether is it someone I know, or just others in general, into my
prayers. Yes, I do pray for others, but
do I pray for the battle of souls that Satan is trying to win.
Where could I begin? I could begin in my own neighborhood. I moved almost two years ago. I know the neighbors close to me, but there
are so many out there. This could be a
real beginning. What if I would take a
walk everyday and pray for each house I pass.
Page 116
God never
intended Christians to stand alone in their spiritual battle. He provided other Christians to undergird us
with prayer in our battle with Satan—as he tries to make us ineffective through
temptations and harassment as we battle for souls and witness for Jesus.
Satan is NOT going to win in my life. I
do have a passion for sharing Jesus’ great love with others. It is time for me to wake up and get out
there and battle for Christians who have become luke-warm in this passion for
sharing Jesus. People like me.
I am so thankful that God
has brought this book to me. It is a
wake up call for me.
Page 127
As I wrote to
thank all the pray-ers for their much needed prayers, I told them, “All through
my Central America tour, I felt like I was
wrapped in a cocoon of prayer. I felt
insulated, surrounded, and lifted above the danger swirling around me.”
Protection of
the Angels. Another important prayer for
protection from Satan is for God to send HIS ANGELS.
For he will
give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. They will bear you up in their hands, lest
you strike your foot against a stone.
(Psalms 91:11-2)
My response to this
wonderful book will change lives. The
avenues to pray can be overwhelming, so I am going to choose to pray for people
who are around my life. My response will
be two fold:
I am a speaker and I travel
around sharing the gospel with women’s groups across the country. I have realized, just like Evelyn did, that
there is a power beyond my understanding when people are praying for me as I go
around speaking. I can feel the power.
So, I will begin praying for
Christian speakers, pastors and others that I know who are in full time
ministry. They must have the darts of
Satan constantly trying to keep them from being successful.
Then, I will begin prayer walking for my neighbors. I will be praying for the salvation of their souls. I will try to get to know them and then watch for opportunities to share the gospel.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for opening my eyes to pray more for others who are out there in my world. Please open my eyes and help me to have the courage to be obedient.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Day Six: Battling the Prince of Darkness, Evangelism Praying on the Offensive, Pre-Evangelism Praying
March 10, 2014
Day Six
Chapter 7 Evangelism Praying of the Offensive
Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Page 93
While Satan is working feverishly to take everybody to hell with him, must Christians sit helplessly by and let Satan keep all those people who were born into his kingdom? Is there nothing we can do except protect ourselves defensively from him while he tightens his grip on those already lost? Or is there an OFFENSIVE battle Christians can – and should—take up.
I wonder how many people really care about sharing the gospel with others. When you think about everything shared in this book it fills me with an urgency to get out there and share Christ’s love with family, friends and whoever God places in my life. God has provided the tools that we need to stand tall and follow him.
Page 95
Peter explained that our offensive battle for souls is in the power of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
“You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
But what are our offensive spiritual Weapons? What is the offensive spiritual power available to Christians? P-R-A-Y-E-R!
Hearing and believing the Gospel of Jesus, of course, is the only way people can get out of Satan’s captivity.
Chapter 8: Pre-Evangelism Praying
Luke 8:11-12
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”
Page 103
There is much praying we need to do before we actually try to introduce people to Jesus. Sometimes long, extended prayer is needed to prepare the heart and mind of a person captive in Satan’s kingdom. This too is offensive prayer, but it is not the same as the claiming the blood and name of Jesus as we lead someone to Jesus. This is asking God to become involved before we do. It is the praying that makes lost people receptive to the Gospel and able to accept Jesus.
Page 105
How can we get God to open the hearts of those we are trying to win to Jesus? By praying. Though God is sovereign and moves as He pleases, prayer definitely activates God’s working in unbelievers.
God has called me to be an author/speaker. I travel around sharing my life testimony called, Who’s Knocking At My Door. Of course, I do pray for the people where I go, but do I pray enough? I have noticed that the more people I have praying, the power of God is released in exciting ways.
Evelyn was a very wise woman. When God began using her to travel the country she knew that prayer was the most important thing she could do. United Prayer Ministry was started. Many women would pray for Evelyn wherever she would go. Their prayers would unleash God’s power in amazing ways. I am so thankful when I think about the faithfulness of the pray-ers who stood together with Evelyn.
Page 107
What Can I do?
Are you asking, “This seems so complicated? What can I do?” The answer is that you don’t have to be a full-time expert in spiritual warfare to get involved in offensive praying for souls. The prayer of ordinary Christians can be, and usually is, the power behind people being led to Christ. Every time you pray for those still in Satan’s kingdom to come to Jesus, you are entering into spiritual warfare with God against Satan.
I am overwhelmed. This is the only way I can describe how I feel right at this moment. This book has so……much in it that I want to share with you, but I cannot write the whole book out. You must buy this book and read it if you care at all about people you know that do not have a relationship with Jesus.
I find myself moved to tears thinking about how much I would have loved following Evelyn Christenson around as she traveled. Not that I wanted to do anything, I would have loved to watch her and learn from her. She was an amazing woman. All the people that prayed for her (I was one.) were her lifeline. The United Prayer Ministry women dedicated their lives to being Evelyn’s Prayer Power Team. All I can say is, lives were changed by the ministry of Evelyn Christenson. The prayers of many were answered.
This past year has truly been an incredible Journey with Evelyn. I have learned so much and this is why I feel overwhelmed. What can I do with all that I have learned? I honestly need to spend a day in prayer.
NOTE: I have been reading this book thru this week. In some ways I am sorry I did it this way because this book has been incredible. I am sorry that I have not been able to share with you all that I have learned because there is so much. I honestly do not know what I am really feeling, but God is trying to speak to me in some way. Please pray for me.
Day Six
Chapter 7 Evangelism Praying of the Offensive
Ephesians 6:19-20
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Page 93
While Satan is working feverishly to take everybody to hell with him, must Christians sit helplessly by and let Satan keep all those people who were born into his kingdom? Is there nothing we can do except protect ourselves defensively from him while he tightens his grip on those already lost? Or is there an OFFENSIVE battle Christians can – and should—take up.
I wonder how many people really care about sharing the gospel with others. When you think about everything shared in this book it fills me with an urgency to get out there and share Christ’s love with family, friends and whoever God places in my life. God has provided the tools that we need to stand tall and follow him.
Page 95
Peter explained that our offensive battle for souls is in the power of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.
“You were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
But what are our offensive spiritual Weapons? What is the offensive spiritual power available to Christians? P-R-A-Y-E-R!
Hearing and believing the Gospel of Jesus, of course, is the only way people can get out of Satan’s captivity.
Chapter 8: Pre-Evangelism Praying
Luke 8:11-12
“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”
Page 103
There is much praying we need to do before we actually try to introduce people to Jesus. Sometimes long, extended prayer is needed to prepare the heart and mind of a person captive in Satan’s kingdom. This too is offensive prayer, but it is not the same as the claiming the blood and name of Jesus as we lead someone to Jesus. This is asking God to become involved before we do. It is the praying that makes lost people receptive to the Gospel and able to accept Jesus.
Page 105
How can we get God to open the hearts of those we are trying to win to Jesus? By praying. Though God is sovereign and moves as He pleases, prayer definitely activates God’s working in unbelievers.
God has called me to be an author/speaker. I travel around sharing my life testimony called, Who’s Knocking At My Door. Of course, I do pray for the people where I go, but do I pray enough? I have noticed that the more people I have praying, the power of God is released in exciting ways.
Evelyn was a very wise woman. When God began using her to travel the country she knew that prayer was the most important thing she could do. United Prayer Ministry was started. Many women would pray for Evelyn wherever she would go. Their prayers would unleash God’s power in amazing ways. I am so thankful when I think about the faithfulness of the pray-ers who stood together with Evelyn.
Page 107
What Can I do?
Are you asking, “This seems so complicated? What can I do?” The answer is that you don’t have to be a full-time expert in spiritual warfare to get involved in offensive praying for souls. The prayer of ordinary Christians can be, and usually is, the power behind people being led to Christ. Every time you pray for those still in Satan’s kingdom to come to Jesus, you are entering into spiritual warfare with God against Satan.
I am overwhelmed. This is the only way I can describe how I feel right at this moment. This book has so……much in it that I want to share with you, but I cannot write the whole book out. You must buy this book and read it if you care at all about people you know that do not have a relationship with Jesus.
I find myself moved to tears thinking about how much I would have loved following Evelyn Christenson around as she traveled. Not that I wanted to do anything, I would have loved to watch her and learn from her. She was an amazing woman. All the people that prayed for her (I was one.) were her lifeline. The United Prayer Ministry women dedicated their lives to being Evelyn’s Prayer Power Team. All I can say is, lives were changed by the ministry of Evelyn Christenson. The prayers of many were answered.
This past year has truly been an incredible Journey with Evelyn. I have learned so much and this is why I feel overwhelmed. What can I do with all that I have learned? I honestly need to spend a day in prayer.
NOTE: I have been reading this book thru this week. In some ways I am sorry I did it this way because this book has been incredible. I am sorry that I have not been able to share with you all that I have learned because there is so much. I honestly do not know what I am really feeling, but God is trying to speak to me in some way. Please pray for me.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Day Five: Battling the Prince of Darkness, Armor Off For The Battle
March 9, 2014
Day Five
Chapter 6 Armor Off For the Battle
Colossians 3:5-9
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry? Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Page 77
There is something much more dangerous about not being clothed with God’s armor than just being vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. It is possible for Christians actually to clothe themselves in the garb of Satan. Since there are only two spiritual kingdoms, we deliberately must choose which clothing we will put on and which we will take off—God’s or Satan’s?
It is possible to put on two sets of clothing or armor at the same time.
I wondered, Or are there things God expects us to “put off” in order to “put on” His armor?
Yes, there are. The Bible is just as clear about the pieces of spiritual armor we must “put off” as those we should “put on.” They are the practices from Satan which God calls sin. And they must be removed before we can put on God’s holy armor.
Entering spiritual warfare for the souls of those still in Satan’s kingdom while clothed with Satan’s instead of God’s armor is foolish indeed, for it deprives us of the protection to stand and withstand Satan. So, it is imperative that we “put off the sins with which we have clothed ourselves so that we can “put on” God’s armor. Only then will we Christians be protected from Satan for the spiritual battle.
God’s holy lifestyle, people will not be able to tell whose side we are on. If our lifestyle is much the same as theirs—defeated, powerless, and evil—we won’t have much of a chance to convince them they should change spiritual kingdoms.
Day Five
Chapter 6 Armor Off For the Battle
Colossians 3:5-9
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry? Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.
Page 77
There is something much more dangerous about not being clothed with God’s armor than just being vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. It is possible for Christians actually to clothe themselves in the garb of Satan. Since there are only two spiritual kingdoms, we deliberately must choose which clothing we will put on and which we will take off—God’s or Satan’s?
It is possible to put on two sets of clothing or armor at the same time.
I wondered, Or are there things God expects us to “put off” in order to “put on” His armor?
Yes, there are. The Bible is just as clear about the pieces of spiritual armor we must “put off” as those we should “put on.” They are the practices from Satan which God calls sin. And they must be removed before we can put on God’s holy armor.
Entering spiritual warfare for the souls of those still in Satan’s kingdom while clothed with Satan’s instead of God’s armor is foolish indeed, for it deprives us of the protection to stand and withstand Satan. So, it is imperative that we “put off the sins with which we have clothed ourselves so that we can “put on” God’s armor. Only then will we Christians be protected from Satan for the spiritual battle.
Here is a list of things
that people might need to take off: Bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander,
malice, filthiness, wickedness, guile, hypocrisy, envy, slander, and the list
is endless.
Page 79
The Old Self
What should we
strip off? The old self with its evil
practices. The Bible is very explicit
about what sins of the former life a Christian should take off.
And in them you
also once walked, when you were living in them.
But now put them all aside:
anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from our mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid
aside the old self with its evil practices (Colossians 3:7-9)
Page 80
God’s holy lifestyle, people will not be able to tell whose side we are on. If our lifestyle is much the same as theirs—defeated, powerless, and evil—we won’t have much of a chance to convince them they should change spiritual kingdoms.
Counterparts of “Armor On”
Satan has his
opposites for the pieces of God’s armor for us to put on. They are the same as the lifestyle of those
still in Satan’s kingdom of darkness.
These opposites were the way Christians lived before they accepted
Jesus—not after.
Page 90
Last, the
crucial step in getting rid of Satan’s garb is doing something about that
sin. But what should we do?
How, the
unconditional rule for getting rid of that sin is the Christian confessing it
to God.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and righteous to forgive us our sins,
and cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
READY FOR
COMBAT
And when God
forgives, the guilt of that sin is removed, and Satan’s armor is removed from
the Christian so that God’s can be put on.
Without the protection of God’s armor it is sheer folly to enter into
evangelism’s battle for souls. And it
also is foolish to think we can wear the two sets of armor at the same
time—God’s and Satan’s.
It is only when
we Christians have taken off all Satan’s inhibiting sins with which we have
clothed ourselves, that we can put on God’s armor. And only then are we protected and equipped
to go forth into the spiritual battle of rescuing captives from Satan’s evil
kingdom.
Am I ready for combat or am
I content just living my life and not even caring that people are lost in their
sins and will spend eternity in hell? I have
always had the desire to share the love of Jesus with others, but I have not
thought about the urgency of sharing the gospel with family, friends and
anyone.
Hell is a real place that
sounds terrible. Am I content with just
living my life not even caring that people I know and love are headed to
hell? No, now is the time. I need to put on the armor of God and get out
there in the battle field and love my world to Jesus.
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for your great
love. Please help me to put on my armor
daily and get out there and tell people about your great love for them. Restore the passion I once had to do
this. Please help me to take the "nothing
things" out of my life and get out there in the battlefield. Thank you for what you are going to do.
Friday, March 7, 2014
Day Four: Battling the Prince of Darkness, God's Armor On For Victory
March 8, 2014
Day Four
Chapter 5 God's Armor on For Victory
Ephesians 6:10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feel fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, for which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Page 61
The Prince of Darkness fights a fierce, unethical, and diabolical battle for souls. Being the father of lies, Satan’s tactics are underhanded and deceitful.
So God doesn’t expect Christians to try to rescue souls out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness without supernatural help. God knows exactly what kind of protection, wisdom, and power we will need in this exasperating and fiendish battle.
Consequently, God provided supernatural strength, armor, and weapons for His soldiers. (Read the first paragraph of Ephesians 6:10-11 above.)
Honestly, I have not really thought about sharing the gospel could be a battle, but have I really sat down and looked at the challenges I face as part of my battle? Not really! I just think of it as life, but the reality could be attacks by evil one.
It is time to pray that God will open my eyes to the battles that I face.
Dear God,
Please open my eyes to the battles that I face. Give me the courage to learn more about all of this. Teach me your truths. I give my battles to you. Bind Satan in my life.
Page 63
When we Christians enter the battle to rescue souls, we automatically escalate Satan’s attacks on us.
Page 65-71
FULL ARMOR
Put on the full armor of God…Therefore; take up the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:11,13
Defensive Armor
1. Truth: The first piece of our armor we are to take up and put on is truth. Putting on truth means living truth every moment of every day.
2. Breastplate of righteousness: Having put on the breastplate of righteousness is obeying the sum total of God’s requirements. Righteousness is the believer’s personal lifestyle.
3. Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace: It is the peace the soldier has with God through justification at salvation, (Romans 5:1) and the peace of God which guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
4. The shield of faith: So our shield of faith is designed by God to intercept and extinguish the fiery darts of Satan. His fiery darts are those temptations designed to cause us to sin, thus making us ineffective or completely useless in our spiritual battle against him. But our faith is the shield standing between us and him that will extinguish them all.
5. Helmet of Salvation: This helmet of salvation gives us Jesus living in us. It is taking for oneself all that Christ in His saving work offers. Jesus in His death on the cross made available salvation to all, but we must reach out and take it personally to ourselves.
So there we have it—all the defensive armor that we will ever need to protect us from the schemes of the devil, and the offensive sword and prayer to counterattack him directly.
It is easy to go through life not even thinking about sharing Christ with others, forgetting to put on the Armor of God and really thinking about the fact that Satan is out to destroy me. I can experience all kinds of troubles in my life and not even realize that it could be Satan out to destroy me.
When I put on the Armor of God daily, use the Sword of the Spirit, the Bible, every day I can gain the strength that I need to combat the work of Satan’s lies in my life.
What an incredible chapter. There is so much treasure here I could never possibly share it all. I would encourage you to read the book.
http://www.evelynchristensonministries.org/bookstore.html
Day Four
Chapter 5 God's Armor on For Victory
Ephesians 6:10-20
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feel fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, for which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Page 61
The Prince of Darkness fights a fierce, unethical, and diabolical battle for souls. Being the father of lies, Satan’s tactics are underhanded and deceitful.
So God doesn’t expect Christians to try to rescue souls out of Satan’s kingdom of darkness without supernatural help. God knows exactly what kind of protection, wisdom, and power we will need in this exasperating and fiendish battle.
Consequently, God provided supernatural strength, armor, and weapons for His soldiers. (Read the first paragraph of Ephesians 6:10-11 above.)
Honestly, I have not really thought about sharing the gospel could be a battle, but have I really sat down and looked at the challenges I face as part of my battle? Not really! I just think of it as life, but the reality could be attacks by evil one.
It is time to pray that God will open my eyes to the battles that I face.
Dear God,
Please open my eyes to the battles that I face. Give me the courage to learn more about all of this. Teach me your truths. I give my battles to you. Bind Satan in my life.
Page 63
When we Christians enter the battle to rescue souls, we automatically escalate Satan’s attacks on us.
Page 65-71
FULL ARMOR
Put on the full armor of God…Therefore; take up the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:11,13
Defensive Armor
1. Truth: The first piece of our armor we are to take up and put on is truth. Putting on truth means living truth every moment of every day.
2. Breastplate of righteousness: Having put on the breastplate of righteousness is obeying the sum total of God’s requirements. Righteousness is the believer’s personal lifestyle.
3. Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace: It is the peace the soldier has with God through justification at salvation, (Romans 5:1) and the peace of God which guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
4. The shield of faith: So our shield of faith is designed by God to intercept and extinguish the fiery darts of Satan. His fiery darts are those temptations designed to cause us to sin, thus making us ineffective or completely useless in our spiritual battle against him. But our faith is the shield standing between us and him that will extinguish them all.
5. Helmet of Salvation: This helmet of salvation gives us Jesus living in us. It is taking for oneself all that Christ in His saving work offers. Jesus in His death on the cross made available salvation to all, but we must reach out and take it personally to ourselves.
Page 72-75
Offensive Weapons
1. Sword of the Spirit: And the sword with which we counter –attack
Satan’s temptations is the Word of God.
2. Prayer:
Two kinds of prayer in the Armor of God.
The first prayer is prayer for each other personally. The other is prayer in proclaiming the Gospel
to the lost still in Satan’s kingdom.
So there we have it—all the defensive armor that we will ever need to protect us from the schemes of the devil, and the offensive sword and prayer to counterattack him directly.
It is easy to go through life not even thinking about sharing Christ with others, forgetting to put on the Armor of God and really thinking about the fact that Satan is out to destroy me. I can experience all kinds of troubles in my life and not even realize that it could be Satan out to destroy me.
When I put on the Armor of God daily, use the Sword of the Spirit, the Bible, every day I can gain the strength that I need to combat the work of Satan’s lies in my life.
What an incredible chapter. There is so much treasure here I could never possibly share it all. I would encourage you to read the book.
http://www.evelynchristensonministries.org/bookstore.html
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Day Three: Battling the Prince of Darkness: The Ruler of the Kingdom of Light/ Why Bother to Fight
March 7, 2014
Day Three: The Ruler of the Kingdom of Light/ Why Bother to Fight
Chapter 3-4:
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Page 35
In soul-winning, we need to understand not only the ruler from whose kingdom people are being rescued at salvation but, more importantly, the Ruler into whose kingdom they are being transferred—Jesus.
Who is Jesus, the ruler of the kingdom of light?
Page 36
Victory on the Cross
Here is what really happened when Jesus died on that cross—and the effects it had on those needing to be transferred from Satan’s kingdom into Jesus’ kingdom.
Jesus paid the price for all sin Satan brought to earth—once for all on the cross. Those who accept Jesus have all the state of sin into which they were born erased from them by the blood of Jesus.
Why Bother to Fight
And this is not just a nice fire at which to warm our toes on a cold night. No. It is a place of torment. Jesus concluded Matthew 13:49-50 with the awesome description of what they will be doing—not winking with provocative lips and leering sensuous grins, but “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Day Three: The Ruler of the Kingdom of Light/ Why Bother to Fight
This book is filled with truths that need to be told and I could not say it any better than our dear sweet Evelyn. I will be sharing many of her quotes. This is a must read book.
http://evelynchristensonministries.org/bookstore.html
http://evelynchristensonministries.org/bookstore.html
Chapter 3-4:
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Page 35
In soul-winning, we need to understand not only the ruler from whose kingdom people are being rescued at salvation but, more importantly, the Ruler into whose kingdom they are being transferred—Jesus.
Who is Jesus, the ruler of the kingdom of light?
Page 36
Victory on the Cross
Here is what really happened when Jesus died on that cross—and the effects it had on those needing to be transferred from Satan’s kingdom into Jesus’ kingdom.
Jesus paid the price for all sin Satan brought to earth—once for all on the cross. Those who accept Jesus have all the state of sin into which they were born erased from them by the blood of Jesus.
Revelation 1:5
Jesus Christ…who…released;
us from our sins by His blood.
What an amazing love Jesus
has for me. He went through so much so
that I could have a relationship with him.
I wonder how he feels when I don’t even have a few minutes to build our
relationship. I wonder how he feels when
I read the words of the Bible, but never take them to heart. I wonder how he feels when I do not love
others……and on and on.
HE STILL LOVES ME! THIS IS AMAZING LOVE.
Page 49
Those we win to
Jesus will meet Him, not as their judge—but as their King of Kings and Lord of
Lords!
Two opposite rulers—but
certainly not equal rulers! In the spiritual
battle of the universe Satan always has been the loser, and Jesus always has
been the winner.
And those we
win to Jesus are not only rescued from the doomed kingdom of the Prince of
Darkness—but are citizens of the kingdom
of Jesus
Why Bother to Fight
Why bother to
spend time and effort getting people transferred from one spiritual kingdom to
another? Because the consequences are so
terrifying. Everyone who isn’t rescued
from Satan’s kingdom (into which they were born) will spend eternity, not with
Jesus in heaven, but with Satan in hell.
Page 52
What’s So Bad
About Hell?
This is a
question you might be asking. Some people
actually believe hell is just an extension of the fast lane lifestyle here on
earth with…
Oh, No. According to Jesus hell is a place of fire. Unquenchable, eternal fire. He
repeatedly referred to hell as fire. In
Matthew 13:49-50 Jesus warned:
So it will be
at the end of the age; the angels shall come forth and take out the wicked from
among the righteous and will cast them into the furnace of fire.
And this is not just a nice fire at which to warm our toes on a cold night. No. It is a place of torment. Jesus concluded Matthew 13:49-50 with the awesome description of what they will be doing—not winking with provocative lips and leering sensuous grins, but “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Hell also is a
place of punishment. It is not intended
by God as a deterrent or a place of reformation, but a place of punishment.
Hell is
banishment. It is being banished from
all good influence of God and the society of righteous people.
And those will
pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and
from the glory of His power. (2
Thessalonians 1:9)
Page 60
Why
bother? Because it makes a
difference. A life and death difference!
The most
powerful tool Satan has in the battle for souls is getting Christians not to
bother. It’s all he needs to win—by default.
So Why bother? Because it makes a difference. A life and death difference!
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Day Two: Battling the Prince of Darkness: The Prince of the Kingdom of Darkness
March 6, 2014
Satan is alive and active in our world today. He does not want us to have a relationship with God. He longs to destroy us. He wants us to turn our back on God.
Page 27
Greater is He (Jesus) who is in you than he (Satan) who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
This reminds me of a song I used to sing that goes something like this. "What a Mighty God we serve. Oh, yes, what a mighty God we serve" Yes, indeed, we serve a mighty God. No matter what happens in our world, God still loves us and God is still in control.
Day Two
Chapter 2: The Prince of the Kingdom of Darkness
Ephesians
611-12
Put on the full
armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and
blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of
this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly
realms.
Page 24
TODAY IN AMERICA
Most Christians
don’t have trouble believing the Bible’s coverage of Satan and his demons “way
back then in the Bible times.” And it has
been easy through the years for Christians to accept that Satan is active in
“heathen counties.” They readily gasp at
missionaries’ slides of witchcraft and Satanic rituals in a “foreign land.”
Up until now
most Americans have never seen Satan in his raw form. Missionaries are more sensitive to Satan
because they have fought him so long.
But suddenly Satan has come out of the closet in America
However, Satan
worship and demonic activity in the United States
When I first started reading this book, I must admit that I almost wanted to close it because I did not want to be reminded about Satan and what he is doing in the lives of people all over the world. Rather than educating myself on what Satan was doing, I was ok with just putting my head in the sand. I just did not want to think about this.
Then God began speaking to my heart. It is time to stop and do something. The most important something that I can do is pray, pray, pray for people all over the world who are being deceived by Satan. It is time for action.
When I first started reading this book, I must admit that I almost wanted to close it because I did not want to be reminded about Satan and what he is doing in the lives of people all over the world. Rather than educating myself on what Satan was doing, I was ok with just putting my head in the sand. I just did not want to think about this.
Then God began speaking to my heart. It is time to stop and do something. The most important something that I can do is pray, pray, pray for people all over the world who are being deceived by Satan. It is time for action.
Page 26
Same Satan for
Christians Too.
You may be
shocked as a Christian to realize this Satan who instigates these atrocities is
the same Satan who gets us to serve him — to whatever extend he can. Every time we yield to his temptation to
lust, hate, lie, or commit any other sin, it is that same Satan who encourages
and propagates it. Satan introduced and
is responsible for all sin in believers and non believers alike.
It is the same
Satan who, disguising himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), fools
us into believing that “it can't be sin if it fulfills our needs,” who fools
our children into believing the Satanic rock and roll is just “modern
music,” who deceives our teens into
believing “suicide is a good and honorable way out of problems."
Satan is alive and active in our world today. He does not want us to have a relationship with God. He longs to destroy us. He wants us to turn our back on God.
Page 27
1 Timothy 4:1
But the Spirit
explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying
attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. (Italics added).
The truth of what is happening in our world is discouraging, but the words of the Bible are
true: I was so encouraged when I read
the following verse.
Greater is He (Jesus) who is in you than he (Satan) who is in the world. 1 John 4:4
This reminds me of a song I used to sing that goes something like this. "What a Mighty God we serve. Oh, yes, what a mighty God we serve" Yes, indeed, we serve a mighty God. No matter what happens in our world, God still loves us and God is still in control.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Day One: Battling the Prince of Darkness, Rescuing Captives from Satan's Kingdom
March 5, 2014
Day One
Chapter 1: The Lost Doctrine
Colossians 1:13
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
Page 9
And we Christians have the key to the problem of original sin—which is causing all this evil on earth today. Ours should be offensive stance. We do not have to leave people trapped and doomed in Satan’s evil kingdom. We must wage an offensive war again Satan for the souls of lost people.
Then I encourage them to pray this prayer.
Day One
Chapter 1: The Lost Doctrine
Colossians 1:13
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
Page 9
A new spiritual battle is raging on planet Earth. Forces of good and evil are vying openly as never before for the minds and souls of human beings. Pastors, missionaries, and lay Christians are bombarding me these days with their stories of almost unbelievable attacks from the Prince of Darkness.
What can Christians do about today’s terrible explosion of satanic activity, Satan worship, occult practices, and the New Age Movement?
Must we helplessly watch as these emissaries of Satan’s kingdom brainwash our children through occult-orientated TV programs and comic books? Or agonize while they infiltrate our schools, television, government, and military with their anti-God philosophies, witchcraft, and even satanic worship? Must we ignore the occult themes saturating our teen’s electronic games? Must we turn a deaf ear to the hard rock music that actually explains and encourages satanic rituals, diabolical sex practices and even suicide? Must Christians only recoil in shock as Satan worshipers sacrifice human adults and breed babies to sacrifice to their god?
Must we tolerate……the list goes on and on……
Page 10
Is there no Hope for the Human Race? Oh, yes, there’s hope. Jesus was Himself the solution to the problem of original sin when He came to earth to die for all sinners.
For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Christians are people who also were born into Satan’s kingdom but were transferred out of that kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God
And we Christians have the key to the problem of original sin—which is causing all this evil on earth today. Ours should be offensive stance. We do not have to leave people trapped and doomed in Satan’s evil kingdom. We must wage an offensive war again Satan for the souls of lost people.
So evangelism is not a project, an assignment, or just a method of church growth. It is all-out war for the souls of the subjects already in the kingdom of darkness. And every week on planet Earth a million more souls are born into that kingdom of darkness.
What keeps me from being in the all-out war for the souls of sinners? A life that is too busy doing everything else. The desire to share Jesus' great love with others is buried in the everyday things of life. The passion to even care about loved ones who are lost slowly disappears with the tyranny of the urgent.
During the last few years I have definitely noticed that people seem to be busier than they have ever been in the past. There never seems to be enough hours in our days. We have more modern conveniences than years ago to make our lives easier, so why does it seem harder? What has happened?
You know, one of my deepest passions throughout my life has been my concern for those who have never believed in Jesus as their Savior. I have had a passion to ask them three questions.
During the last few years I have definitely noticed that people seem to be busier than they have ever been in the past. There never seems to be enough hours in our days. We have more modern conveniences than years ago to make our lives easier, so why does it seem harder? What has happened?
You know, one of my deepest passions throughout my life has been my concern for those who have never believed in Jesus as their Savior. I have had a passion to ask them three questions.
1. Do you believe you do things that do not please Jesus?
(We all do and those things are called sin. Romans 3:23)
2. Do you believe that Jesus will forgive you of those sins?
(All it takes is asking him to forgive them and he will. 1 John 1:8-9)
3. Do you want to begin a love relationship with Jesus?
All it takes is asking him. Then I encourage them to pray this prayer.
Dear Jesus,
I know I do things that do not please you. Forgive me. I would like to begin a relationship with you. Please come into my heart and save me from my sins.
This has been the burning passion in my life, but is that fire still burning deep inside of me? I would have to be honest and say, “Not like it used to be.” My life has become so busy, that my passion has been buried by the pressures of living.
So what can I do about this? It is time to ask God’s forgiveness and ask him to fill me with a passion for sharing Jesus with my world. It is my choice to care about the souls of others or care about my own cares. What will I choose?
This has been the burning passion in my life, but is that fire still burning deep inside of me? I would have to be honest and say, “Not like it used to be.” My life has become so busy, that my passion has been buried by the pressures of living.
So what can I do about this? It is time to ask God’s forgiveness and ask him to fill me with a passion for sharing Jesus with my world. It is my choice to care about the souls of others or care about my own cares. What will I choose?
Monday, March 3, 2014
What Happens When God, Answers by Evelyn Christenson
Have a Thankful Heart
Thank you, Dear God for the life of Evelyn Christenson. The learning that she has shared through all of her books has allowed me to learn the easier way, through her words and not as much living it. There are so many treasures in this book that will change my life foever. Thank you Evelyn!
Page 175
What happens
when God answers? The ultimate, final
response on our part should be to thank Him.
No matter how God has answered our prayer, the one thing He expects from
us is thankfulness.
People tend to
insert their thanksgiving at different places in the prayer process. Some never bother to thank God no matter how
great and wonderful the answers He sends.
Most people but not all, are thankful when God answers the way they
requested and has given them what they wanted.
Then, some Christians have matured enough spiritually to thank Him in
spite of how He has answered, trusting His divine wisdom.
But the Bible
has an even greater requirement as to where the thanksgiving belongs in the
whole prayer process. Philippians 4:6,
surprisingly, reads, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your
requests be hade unto God” (NASE. emphasis mine).
I love this same verse in
the Living Bible Translation. I have it
written and framed in my office. It
says, “Don’t worry about anything. Pray
about everything. Tell God your needs
and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.
I am not supposed to worry
about anything. I should pray about
everything. I need to tell God
my needs AND THEN DON’T FORGET TO THANK
HIM FOR HIS ANSWERS.
I am guilty of forgetting to
thank God for his answers. I wonder how
he feels when he answers my prayers and I do not even thank him.
I can relate this to my own
children. If they ask me for something
and then I get it for them, how would I feel if they did not even thank
me? I would feel sad. I would feel like they were using
me. I would feel like they don’t even
care about me.
God, of course, is more
loving than I am, but I wonder how he feels when I forget to thank him for his
answers. This is a wake-up call for
me. How could I ever forget to thank God
for answers to my prayers?
This has been an incredible
life changing book. It took me awhile to
go through it because God was speaking change to me through Evelyn’s
words.
Thank you, Dear God for the life of Evelyn Christenson. The learning that she has shared through all of her books has allowed me to learn the easier way, through her words and not as much living it. There are so many treasures in this book that will change my life foever. Thank you Evelyn!
Well, this truly has been an
incredible Journey for me. I have read
all of Evelyn’s books, except two of them.
It has taken me through all of 2013 and so far in 2014. I am going to miss my Journeys with Evelyn,
but she truly has been my inspiration and motivation to follow what the words
of the Bible tell me. She was my mentor
while she lived on this earth and still is my mentor from Heaven. Praise God.
The next book I will be
reading will be Battling the Prince of Darkness, Rescuing Captives from Satan’s
Kingdom. I plan to read this book in one
week because I will not be available to read for a few weeks. So, I will be posting my thoughts about this
book daily for one week, beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5th.
I want to finish my
incredible Journey with Evelyn during April, the most important time of year when
we remember how much God loved us. Palm Sunday,
Good Friday and Easter reminds us of God's great love. Praying God’s Way during this time is not how
I planned to end my Incredible Journey with Evelyn, but how appropriate. God is so good.
Then, for the month of April,
1, 8, 15, 22, & 29. I will be
posting every Tuesday as I read through the whole book, Praying God’s Way. It will be sad for my Incredible Journey to
end, but in many ways all I have learned will be just beginning in my life.
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