Be careful with your feelings!

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 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)

                           Many times, when we hear the word soul, we, automatically, think of the spirit and yes, in some bible verses it may imply that.  In others, the soul is completely different. One thing to see is that man was created in three beings---Spirit, soul and body. (I Thess 5:23) The soul implies the mind, thoughts and feelings. In the above verse (Heb 4:12), we see that the word helps us to see the difference between our thoughts (Soul) and God's thoughts (Spirit).  You see, Brethren, we need to be so Christ-inside minded that our very thoughts are in line with his thoughts. We need to have discernment on identifying our feelings and if its in line with the word. Remember, you have the mind of Christ!
                      A case in point was Noah. God gave them a command. Let's look at the verse below--
            " And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. " (Gen 9:1)
                  Sounds familiar? Of course! That is the same command given to Adam and Eve. God had allowed a flood to come in the form of rain and destroy mankind, except for Noah and his family. Now, Noah and his family were given a charge---Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth!
Sounds simple, right? Wrong. If you continue to read the accounts, Noah and his family did not follow through on God's command. How do I know this? If you read Gen 11:4, we see Noah's seed. They wanted to build a tower whose top may reach heaven, make a name and finally the words....Lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of this earth! It started with one act of disobedience and grew into defiance and pride.
          Defiance because of making a tower whose top may reach heaven. Brethren, they were building this tower in case another flood came. They knew about God and heard about his works, but they fell into the same carnal mindset of the past before the flood. Sin multiplied and it was contaminating society. They knew that God was going to judge them and prepared themselves for the flood---just in case.
                    They were, also, prideful. They wanted to have the glory and not give it to God. Pride comes before a fall. The root of this was the first command of God --To be scattered about the earth and they were not about to do this. What happened? They dwelt in Sinar, which was Babylon. Babylon means confusion. When you depart from God's command in your life, you dwell in confusion.
             What happened after this? God had an ace up his sleeve. He did not judge them with the flood, but with confusion of their language. Before this, they spoke one language, now their language was split into different dialects and words and they could not communicate. Are you relying on your feelings? Seek God's face and get some godly counsel. Yes, there are times in which God speaks through feelings, but be careful that it does not contradict the word nor God's direction for your life. Failure to follow through can not only affect you but your family and generations to come. God bless.

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

                     

Is God in control?

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                        "  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live"  (Deut 30:19)  
              
                              Have you ever heard the saying---"God's in control?" People will use that saying in the midst of trials and testing, but is that really true? Many times, we hear people say----"I cannot believe in a God who allows bad things to happen to innocent people. Where was God in the Sandy Hook killings? Why did those children have to die?" Then, we would have answers like----"God's ways are mysterious and we cannot figure them out." While tragedies like this happens and people have a hard time coping, we need to, nevertheless, find answers to why bad things happens to innocent people.
            First, we live in a fallen world. Since Adam sinned and bowed his knees to Satan, it opened the door for tragedies that has affected innocent lives through the centuries. The good news is this---There is an answer and its Jesus! He died for our sins and has provided a way to answer life's toughest questions. Let's start with analyzing Deut 30:19. As we study this verse, we find that there are two witnesses---Heaven and Earth. Some important words are spoken here and it is to our advantage that we pay attention to this.
             This verse speaks of choices---Life and death. Blessing and cursing. Everyday we are faced with choices. What to eat for breakfast. What to wear to go to work, but friend, we have the choice to choose life or death. You may say--That's easy. Serve the Lord and live right for the day. That, in itself is true, but it goes deeper than that. 

                 " Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." (Prov 18:21)

                    Did you know that you can be blessed by your words? This is not some new age teaching as some claim, but it is God's word! Many times, we listen to the news and hear of the high crime statistics. We, also, allow fear to dictate to us what to do. For example, many in America do not go to night services on Sunday because of the fear of becoming a crime victim. Brethren, thoughts are going to come to us. Everyday, whether you believe it or not, we will have bad or even crazy thoughts come to us. We need to take control of those thoughts and allow the mind of Christ to flow through us.
                When we allow the thought of fear to come to our minds, we need to grab a hold of our mouth. Why? Because if you speak your thoughts, you shall have what you say. Jesus said in Matt 6:31 to take no thought saying...
In other words, don't speak those thoughts. Don't say for example---"I don't go to church for fear of becoming a crime victim." Instead, say to yourself---I have the angels of God surrounding me because I am an heir of Salvation. In Jesus name--Amen! 
                 If we want God to be in control, we must do our part. He did his part by sending his son to the cross. He did his part when he gave his back to his tormentors and purchased healing for us. He did his part when he gave us all things pertaining to life and godliness. (II Peter 1:3). Now, we have to do our part and that is to use our tongue to speak life or death!
                     In fact, we as a body need to take out time to pray in the spirit. I know that we cannot avoid tragedies world wide, but we can make a difference in our circle of family, friends, community and even our nation. I am convinced that due to the prayers in the body is the reason that we have not had an attack of the magnitude of 9-11. In fact, many terrorist plots have been averted due to the power of prayer. 
                     Prayer is so important that it can change the course of history. In World War II, America was losing important battles against the powerful Nazi machines. Hitler had the best minds and technology. America was on its way to defeat, but it wasn't until the wives and mothers got on their knees. When that happened, America and its allies rose up to victory. 
                      That is why the Bible says to pray without ceasing. When you pray God's word in your prayers, something happens. Faith starts to rise up and before you know it, you are on your way to victory. So use your tongue and let God be in control! Start speaking life and blessing today! 

Prayer--Dear Lord, Forgive me if I have talked foolishly. Help me to control my tongue. Help me to speak life and blessing over my circumstances. I bind every word of unbelief and fear. I put it under my feet. I declare that this day, I am more than a conqueror. This day, I confess that I delight to do your will. This day, I confess that I love righteousness and hate iniquity. This day, I have more than enough to pay my bills. This day, I walk in divine healing and sickness and disease have no place in me. I have the mind of Christ and I make the right decisions each and every day. Thank you,Lord, for giving me the victory in this day. In Jesus name--Amen! 

Scripture reading---Deut 30