Decision making.

Dark forces of this world

In regards to sin

"... You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove it."

Joshua 7:13

"It" refers to 'sin', sin refers to a sure defeat.  Therefore, remove the sin(s),  get right with God, and walk in the victories he has lined up for you.

They come at you with weapons, but you have God.

"... You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty... This day the Lord will hand you over to me..."

1 Samuel 17:45-47

In the name of the Lord, and in His name only, your battles will become your victories.  

Our boldest enemies

"You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains.  Our boldest enemies have been plundered... no warrior could lift a hand against us..."

Psalm 76:4-5

For those of us that know Christ is on our side, our victories never end.

Fighting against man or God.

"... What if it turns out we're fighting against God?" 

~Acts 23:7-9 MSG

Hmmm... great question to ask ourselves - yes!  Accordingly, in the heat of a battle with another, maybe we should step back for a moment and align their words and actions with God's words and actions, as well as, align our words and actions with God's words and actions.  I truly believe that if we do, half the battles we engage in would be shut down immediately.  

So, let's take a breath before we engage in any sort of argument, accusation, judgment, and the like.  Life is too short and our lives are way too important in Christ to mess with those kinds of dark, worldly, things anyhow.

God is with you

“… they even hired Balaam to work against them by cursing them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing…” 

Nehemiah 13:1-3, MSG

With God before you no one can stand against you: with God on yours side, no worldly human can ruin God’s good plan for you.  

Don’t give up, God is with you.

Taking God seriously.

“… Because you took seriously the doom of judgment I spoke against this place and people, and because you responded in humble repentance… I am taking your seriously.  God’s word.  I’ll take care of you…” 2 Chronicles 34:26-28, MSG

The moment you are ready to open your life to God and close it to the world, he hears you and he sees you, and, in the blink of an eye he wraps you in his arms and carries you to a new life filled with his amazing glory.

Victory is certain with God

“… Be strong!  Take courage!  Don’t be intimidated by the king of Assyria… He has a bunch of mere men; we have our God to help us and fight for us!” 2 Chronicles 32:6-8, MSG

With mere men on your side, failure is likely; with mighty God on your side, victory is certain.

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/66/20/f7/6620f7a3f0ce2beb7e7742ac8c514d83.jpg

Vengeance is for God

"God avenged the evil Abimelech had done..." Judges 9:56-57, The MSG

When God's children come under attack, it is only a matter of time before He comes in like a whirlwind and wipes the whole enemy out.  So, stand tall, and know that as God's child, the evil that comes against you will soon be defeated.

Getting rid of the darkness

"... But only if you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God... Oh yes - God, your God, will bless you just as he promised..." Deuteronomy 15:4-6, The Message

Do you feel that you are being defeated in life?  Do you feel like the world has come against you and that every time you are trying to get ahead, you seem to take two steps back?  Are you overwhelmed and don't know which way turn?  If, Yes, to any of these questions, then let me ask:  Are you listening to, following the voice of, and reading the Word of God?  If, No, then maybe it is time to start... I think that your life will dramatically begin to turn around if you do.  

So why don't you give it a shot - with everything happening in your life now, what do you have to lose?  Maybe with God, all you will find is you've gotten rid of the darkness surrounding your life and you're ready to start living again.

With God before you

“Today know this:  God, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you… he will put them under your power…” Deuteronomy 9:3, The Message

Right now God is going ahead of you, clearing the path to your blessings and greatness.  So, have no fear, with God before you, no one can stand against you (Romans 8:31)!

 

God has cleared the way

Find this quote at, https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwj1oafH_NvMAhUS32MKHWuZCDAQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.com%2Fpin%2F274860383481871575%2F&psig=AFQjCNEpZ5Dqw4xm9NkbE_tJo5sXFzOtPA&ust=1463397935781177

Because you listen and follow the commands of God, your God, there is no need to fear.  He will bring you into the promised land that is yours. He has cleared the path before you and He has given you the strength to conquer those who come against you; do not be intimidated by them, for you will conquer them.  Yes, because you listen and follow the commands of God, your God, He loves you, He blesses you, He increases you - there is not one person, not one obstacle, that will be able to overtake you.  

Adapted from Deuteronomy 7, The Message

 

Complaining gets you nowhere

“… you haven’t been complaining against us, you know, but against. God.” Exodus 16:6-7, The Message

God has reasons for every action, word, and thought that comes out of every human; and with that said, He is God, so He owes no explanation to you as to why He has let it been done, said, or thought of.  So, remember, when you complain, your complaint isn’t towards a man or woman, your complaint is against God, which gets you absolutely nowhere; and in turn, does you absolutely no good.  Therefore, turn your complaints around and make them positives – there is a way, all you have to do is ask God how it can be done.  Otherwise, if you continue to complain, your complaint(s) just might end up coming back to bite you in the butt.

God has already won the battles for us.

"[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross]."  Colossians 2:15 AMPC

There will always be situations and circumstances that come against us to which we really wish we could avoid; situations that torment us mentally and, sometimes, physically.  However, since avoidance isn't an option, we must remember that those powers coming against us are already defeated by God, which means that those powers are only as bad as we make them to be in our minds.  

Our mental attitude and outlook towards our circumstances is what makes our circumstances either bad or good, because whichever the circumstance or situation, God has already taken care of them for us.   Therefore, our thinking must be in line with the Word of God.  If it isn't, then we will never live the blessed, peace-filled, joy-filled life that God has graciously given us, and died for us to live.  We must be on a continual fight against darkness with the Word of God, prayer, and thanksgiving. 

So, no matter what happens, from here until the day we get to be the good Lord in Heaven, let's start focusing on God, not the situation.  When we do, I know that the Light will come in,  and the darkness and fear within will begin to quickly fade away.

Praise God!!

FORGIVE!!

"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop." Mark 11:25 AMP

FORGIVE.  

Until you do, the full life God has for you will never be fully perfected.  

For added help, I've copied and pasted from the following link, so that you have no questions as to the meaning: +https://www.google.com/search?q=Forgive&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

~Thank you, +Google~

for·give

fərˈɡiv/

verb

verb: forgive; 3rd person present: forgives; past tense: forgave; gerund or present participle: forgiving; past participle: forgiven

stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake.

"I don't think I'll ever forgive David for the way he treated her"

synonyms:

pardon, excuse, exonerate, absolve; make allowances for, feel no resentment toward, feel no malice toward, harbor no grudge against, bury the hatchet with; let bygones be bygones; informallet off (the hook); formalexculpate "she would not forgive him"

• stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone for (an offense, flaw, or mistake).

  "they are not going to pat my head and say all is forgiven"
• cancel (a debt).

  "he proposed that their debts should be forgiven"
• used in polite expressions as a request to excuse or regard indulgently one's foibles, ignorance, or impoliteness.

  "you will have to forgive my suspicious mind"

  synonyms:

  excuse, overlook, disregard, ignore, pass over, make allowances for, allow

Be on guard!

"Be on guard against men [whose way or nature is to act in opposition to God]..." Matthew 10:17 AMP

Notice those whom you associate often with. What are their words and actions like?  Do they speak words of life to those around them (loving, gentle, patient, kind, helpful, positive, etc.), or do they speak words of death (negative, critical, harsh, offensive, repulsive, rude, etc)?  If you are around someone long enough, you should be able to pick up on signs. As well, God will give you warning signs of those whom you should keep your [heart and soul] distance if you ask Him. However, as a child of God and one called to be a light in a dark world, be careful not to alienate anyone because you think they are evil. Instead, make a point to speak words of life around them, and pray that they, too, will follow suit, and begin to hold themselves accountable for words and actions they shouldn't say or do.  BE a living example for them.  

My friend, you and I are called to make a difference in this world.  Even if it is to help only one person come to Christ in our entire lifetime, then that is what we should do.  Constantly ask yourself what your actions and words are like to those around you.  If they are anything less than God-approved, repent and change them.  This world needs us! God needs us to help change this world.  He wants every single person to end up in Heaven, and it is our duty to help make that happen.  So, keep your heart guarded at all times, but, always be forgiving and merciful.  Make a commitment to be a life changer for God!  Not only will you change the lives of others, you will notice blessed changes in your life - one right after the other, thanks be to our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What does God hate?

"And let none of you think or imagine or devise evil or injury in your hearts against his neighbor, and love no false oaths, for all things I hate, says the Lord." Zechariah 8:17 AMP

It is written, it is true, and it is plain as day: God hates evil, lying, and  devised schemes of hurt and pain. Therefore, we are to pray for those around us, lend a helping hand, encourage one another, promote peace and love, do good - be a sample of Christ!  

Now, I know It can be really tough to not want something, or do something, to someone you know is hurting another, (or hurting you), however, it is not up to us to take the revenge - that is between them and God.  So, kick the dust off of your heals with the liars, cheaters, haters, problem causers, and let God do the rest.  His way will drop them to their knees a lot faster then what we could ever do anyway.  Make it a priority not to become part of what God dislikes - you will be abundantly blessed for it.

So, starting today, encourage someone, help someone, pray for someone, do something good for someone, or stand up for someone who cannot stand up for themselves.  Be God's mighty child and show the world around you what a Christian is all about! Yes, it should be our honor to help others! As well, it is a demand and calling spoken by God Almighty himself. 

Why commit this great evil?

“Why do you commit this great evil against yourselves… Why do you provoke Me to anger with the works (idols) of your own hands…?” Jeremiah 44:7,8 AMP

Let’s think about this?  Why do we sin, which is, in essence, committing evil?  Really, though, why?  All it does to ourselves, and, sometimes, other innocent victims involved, is cause trouble, produce hurt, and generate resentment, anger, and the like.  It is amazing to me how we can fall so easily when the consequences can be so severe.

For me, I can honestly answer that a lot of my sin is from wanting to be in control, and to avoid confrontation and/or hurt.  However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that when I’m in control, things end up in a mess; and when I try to avoid confrontation, it always comes back to smack me in the face, making the confrontation double of what it could have been.  What about you?  What makes you fall into sin easily?  Well, whatever it is, I think it is of the utmost importance that we seriously think before we speak and/or act.  

 

So, is sinning really worth the pain, hurt, resentment, anger, malice… evil?  I have to answer, “No!”.  Therefore, join me in taking more time to think about our actions, and our words; I honestly think that it will transition the world around us into a much more gentle, peaceful, loving; hence, God-like, place.