Mind Control

Week 7-- Having a Mary Spirit

For as he thinks within himself, so he is. (Proverbs 23:7)

This chapter has so much great information and wisdom in it that I wish I could write it for you word for word.  So many need to hear this message.

The Battlefield of the Mind!!!

Joanne Weaver chooses a quote from  The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis to describe how the enemy is able to use our minds against us, and then she goes on to say of the enemy," he is absolutely intent on keeping our minds from working the way God wants them to, and doing what God wants us to do. Above All, Satan wants to keep us from knowing our Heavenly Father.

Romans 1:20 tells us "since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities , His eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen."   He has gone out of His way to reveal Himself and His love to us.  But Satan wants us to be so totally focused on fleshly things that we are conflicted, confused and preoccupied with ourselves.

I don't know about you but the weapon of choice that Satan uses on me is worry... if he can get me to worry about something, then he knows that I will try to find a way to 'fix' it... isn't that what mothers do???  But, when I let my mind be led by the Spirit, instead of worrying the thing to death, give it to God in prayer... then I am able to listen to what The Father has to say, and to seek wisdom from other believers... and the hardest part of all, Wait On Him, to give me the answer, wisdom, knowledge, or discernment I need.

Then Joanne gives us The Five Rs to help us manage our thoughts....

1. Recognize... the thought... is it the deceivers tool?   Is is defamatory, selfish, condemning, accusing, attaching your character, or confusing you?  Is it a destructive thought?

2. If it is of the deceiver... Refuse to accept it as your own. DON'T DWELL ON IT!  You know where it is coming from.

3. Reckon yourself dead to the power of sin. Just as if you were a dead person, do not respond to the power of it's suggestion.  But let Christ mind be in you... use scripture to counteract the attack!

4. Rest in Knowing that you are in Christ and He is in you. If you fail or fall don't spend the rest of the day receiving thoughts about how you hate yourself, don't give the devil a foothold!!  Do Not Replay it over and over again!!

5. Remind yourself who you are in Christ, dust yourself off, confess that you listened to the deceiver and believed his lies.  Take it to the Lord, ask forgiveness, and learn from your mistake.  Mark down how you were deceived and go on with your life.  Walking with the confidence of a woman who know she is deeply loved, totally forgiven, and completely able to live life.  All because of Christ Jesus!!

          

           You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on you!! (Isaiah 26:3)

Fix your attention on God, you will be changed from the inside out.  Readily recognize what He wants from you and quickly respond to it.(Romans 12:2 The Message)

                            I leave you with this thought...

   The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian, But the fact that I am a Christian makes me a different kind of woman. (Elizabeth Elliott)

 

One Yes at a Time

Having a Mary Spirit... Week  six

" I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. " May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. (Luke 1: 37)

" Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about 3 months and then returned home." (Luke 1:56)

We are left to guess at Mary's age at the time the angel visited her.. but she was probably no more than a teenager.  Can you imagine it? An angel comes to you and gives you the news that you are going to have a child. And that Child will be the Son of God.   I would be asking like she did... " how will this be?"  The angel answers her.. and then he tells her a very powerful thing... Nothing is impossible with God.

Donna Otto is quoted in the book as having said, ' as far as I can tell, once Mary said yes to the angel, she kept saying yes to whatever God was doing in her life and her home.

The Bible tells us that Mary spent 3 months with her cousin Elizabeth who was also going to have a baby promised by God.  Did you ever wonder why... was it to get away from prying eyes... or because Elizabeth needed her... or did she just need the comfort of an older woman who was experiencing the same thing she was?  When Mary turned to Elizabeth, she drew strength from fact that they had the same things in common. They faced some of the same challenges in their upcoming motherhood. Do you see the parallels? In watching Elizabeth give birth to a child who would become a man used by God... Mary was preparing her own spirit to meet her future as the mother of The Messiah.

But, even as I type this, I wonder, did she really understand what would be asked of her???  I can't help but ponder how Mary endured the things she endured as the mother of The Christ...

Just imagine...

I have said yes to God using my children. I know their hearts and how much they love the Lord... I have watched their hearts break while trying so hard to do what they believe God is asking them to do. I've seen the heartache and the pain when others don't understand who they are or why they give so much... 

Once my child was hurt so much by people who should have been there for him, who should have loved and supported him,but they  accused him falsely. And one day as I was praying for him, I said to the Lord..."Look how they have treated my child." and He replied, " Sharon, look at what they did to Mine." 

Doing God's will takes one yes at a time.. and sometimes these are very hard yeses.

   There was a time when God was asking me to do something and I was like Jonah... " Lord, You're kidding, right.  You know that I can't do that... that's too hard for me, I don't want to be a blessing to this person. I just want them to feel the pain that I feel."  Yeah, I was being very stubborn about it.  I went kicking and screaming. I did what God asked me to do after months of begging Him to let me off the hook. Did it make me feel better?  No.. I was still like Jonah... I was waiting on God to punish this person. After months of dealing with me, The Father helped me to understand, for my own good, I had to forgive and get on with my life. Is this person a different person today.. I pray they are.

  

Lord, use my life to honor you all of my days..

My Lord and My God, keep your servant from willful sins, that they may not rule over me. And I will be innocent of great transgressions. (Psalm 19:13)

The Misery Maker

Having a Mary Spirit- week 5

 Dying to Live

" I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do good, but I cannot carry it out.  For what I do is not the good I want to do, no the evil I do not wish to do this I keep doing." Romans 7:18-19

  My sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit.  They are constantly in conflict. It is impossible for me to balance The Spirit and the flesh.  I must die daily to my sin... and I can only do this through the infilling of the Holy Spirit.

We are no longer under the Law, but under Grace.

In a Bible Study by Beth Moore, Living Beyond Yourself , Beth states that there is a powerful masquerading misery maker living inside of each of us.  It is only the infiltrating power of the Holy Spirit that I can ....

Do those things I couldn't

Feel the things I didn't

Know the things I wouldn't

                                    This is the verse that sustains me...

"The Lord God is My Strength, My Personal Bravery, and My Invincible Army.  he makes my feet like hinds feet, and will make me walk--- Not stand still in terror, but walk and make Spiritual Progress, upon my High Places of Trouble, Suffering and Responsibility." Habakkuk 3:19

an aside note... sorry I am so late with this... Life has gotten in my way lately... and I have not had time to post...

A BIG THANK YOU TO MY FRIEND ALICE.E... who granted me high honor by sending me 2 awards...thanks be to God who has blessed me with such sweet blogging buddies!

I will post them when I am able to get them on my sidebar!!

THANKS MY SWEET BLOGGY FRIENDS!!!

 

Don't Miss the Miracle

 A visiting minister recently filled in for our pastor while he was on vacation....

He gave the definition of a miracle as:  an unmistakable action or event of God that reveals His character or purposes....

"While He was still speaking, a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them.  He approached Jesus and kissed Him, but Jesus asked him, "Judas are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" When Jesus followers saw what was going to happen they said,"Lord, should we strike with our swords?"  and one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. But Jesus answered and said," No more of this!" and He touched the man's ear and healed him." (Luke 22:47-51)

   By this time, Jesus had done many miracles and wonders.... but it seems that these people missed this miracle... Did You??? I'm pretty sure the servant didn't!!! So why did the others miss it????

Could it be that they were just too busy with their own agendas?  Their own cares, worries, selfishness?

Have you ever witnessed a miracle, but it wasn't until much later that you realized that you almost missed it?

I have seen many miracles in my life.  The miracle of grace that saved my soul.. still amazes me.  The miracle of the Father's care of my family when I was a child, and the miracles that I have witnessed in mine and my husbands lives. And, yes the wondrous  miracles in the lives of my own sweet children.  Thus far, I have not missed the birth of ONE of my grandchildren... I almost missed Jacob, but I walked into the room just as his mother 'laughed' and out he popped.  Yes, she was laughing, aren't the drugs they give you today just the greatest?

Praise God, I did not miss the miracle of my sweet Mama when she went home to be with Jesus.  I did not miss the miracle when God granted my Sweetheart a clean bill of health from prostate cancer  and the miracle that he still is cancer free!!!

There are so many many miracles that God has performed in my life, and the lives of my loved ones that one day I will find time to record... miracles of such awe and wonder, that take your breath in such a way that all you can say afterwards is... " THAT WAS GOD!!"

  The miracle of friendships that last a lifetime... those sweet and precious friends who come into your life, and you know that they will always and forever be your friend.... and you are allowed to witness the miracles in their lives as well.

   Today... I saw the result of a miracle... a miracle that brought three people together that might just have missed each other... but by the Grace of God.... a Miracle of friendship that began miles away.. but we know in our hearts, it is  ' A God Thing'.

    I cannot explain it... but I KNOW that it is a miracle.  What His total plan or purpose is... has yet to be revealed...but Praise God... I did not miss it!!!

                          Kathy, Joy and I had lunch in Downtown Columbia.... Kathy... who I had never seen face to face... my friend through this Bloggy thing... that introduced me to my friend Joy... who now lives here about 10 minutes away... and oh what JOY  we shared as we 'shared our lives' with one another.  You can find Kathy here.

             Oh, Sweet Ones.... don't be so busy that you miss the miracles that God would have you witness...  do not miss the actions or events that Our Gracious, Loving Heavenly Father wants to reveal to us each day..... Keep your eyes peeled for His Miracles!!!

Strength in Weakness

Week 4  Having a Mary Heart....

 "But He said to me.. my Grace is Sufficient for you, for My Power is made perfect in Weakness." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Commentators do not agree on the exact nature of Paul's 'thorn in the flesh'. Some think he had epilepsy, severe headaches, or eye disease.  Some believe it was a fever, and others, a speech disability.  Yet under the influence of this pain... Paul wrote these words communicated to him by God.

In our homework for this week... this statement is made...

Often the difficulties we face in life are actually preparation for a greater work God wants to do through us.

And we are asked to consider David, Joseph, and Jesus... and to describe the method God used and the Situation for which they were prepared....

  David was a shepherd boy.. yet God used him to destroy one of Israel's.. most feared enemies.... (1 Samuel 17)

   Joseph was just a teenager when he was sold into slavery by his brothers... God used Joseph to save many lives and lives of his own family from famine.

Jesus....the Bible tells us that Jesus was lead by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil....(Matthew 4) and Hebrews 4:14-16 says that Jesus was subjected to this temptation so that as our High Priest, He would be able to sympathize with us...in our weakness.

" For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then approach the Throne of Grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4: 14-16)

       In this life we will be placed in many situations...  Life lessons... Character builders... it's hard for us to see where He is leading when we are in the situation.... but His Grace is Sufficient ...

AMAZING GOD!!

  I want to share with you about an amazing week-end that I had the privilege to be apart of this past Friday and Saturday....

      I was one of an estimated 70,000 women who attended the Living Proof Simulcast with Beth Moore by way of satellite.  There were sites in Forty nine of the Fifty United States, Canada and Mexico. 70,000 women worshipping and praising God in One Accord.  In all there were 217 sites attending this awesome venture.  What is even more amazing is that during this time, only one location lost the feed, and that was only for about 20 minutes.

   In this world of technology we are able to reach so many with The Truth... and be taught by an awe inspiring teacher.... The Worship leader and The Praise Team were amazing and lead us all in glorifying and praising God.

  Beth's scripture reference was Luke chapter 8, verses 1-13.  The title for the Week-end was 100 Fold Word... Maximum Impact..

The Knowledge of the secrets of God have been made known to you.(Luke 8:10)

You can read more over at Truly Captivating.com

This is ONE miracle that I did not miss....  I will discuss this later in another post.