(2 Corinthians 10:10 TNIV) For some say, "His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing."
If your confidence is in yourself then your boldness does not fade but if your confidence is in the Lord then you must learn how to listen, I mean really listen and that is hard to do when your mouth is open. While I do believe it is possible to grow in the Lord to the point that He empowers you and gives you a holy boldness so often that it becomes descriptive of who you are but most boldness I see today is from people’s abilities and their dependence on those abilities to take them where they want to go. Unfortunately, that takes them away from the place where the Lord’s voice is most easily heard, not to it.
As I become more mature I find myself striving to remain, throughout the day, the person I am in the morning. For in the morning I hear the Lord’s voice and I feel His presence as I read and study His Word and I share with Him my concerns with Him but as the day goes on I begin picking up weights and putting them in my satchel as I throw it over my shoulder. These weights of responsibility and concerns come at such a pace I rarely have time to ask my Lord what He thinks or listen for His reply. Sometimes so much so that my ability to hear becomes muffled, I imagine much like the sight of the blind man whom Jesus was healing and he told Jesus that men appear as trees walking around (Mark 8:24). So that’s when I slow down to listen closer. From the outside looking in I appear quiet and at times it must come across as lacking confidence and partly I do lack confidence, in my own abilities. That’s when I stop to listen and realize I can no longer hear God speaking. Usually at noon I walk and pray so that I will once again be mindful of Him throughout the remainder of the day but like Paul I am driven by something deep inside that many do not understand and if the Lord provides the opportunity for me to speak then I also know that He will also give me the boldness to speak it. So the things Paul speaks about in chapter ten are somewhat familiar and it blesses me as it reminds me I am not alone.
(Psalms 16:1-2 MSG) A David song. Keep me safe, O God, I've run for dear life to you. I say to GOD, "Be my Lord!" Without you, nothing makes sense.
(Psalms 16:11 MSG) Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Bragging with caution
Have you ever bragged on someone before they did the act based on their desire to do what is right? How did it turn out? Did you talk to them ahead of time to let them know a test was coming and people were watching to see what they would do? Did they arise to the occasion or did they stumble? You might be surprised, it happens more often than you would think. This is what Paul has done here concerning the Corinthians.
(2 Corinthians 9:2 TNIV) For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.
It would almost seem that faith in the other person is required to do such a thing or could it be Paul caught a glimpse of what God was doing and therefore saw this test for the Corinthians as a minor obstacle because God was behind it all. If that were the case then the test was not only for the Corinthians but for Paul as well. The problem is introduced when the bragging comes from human pride, this never turns out well. It may not show up as a problem at first but the trap has been set and the fall will come. This I know for one reason only, in this case your eyes have been taken off of what God is doing and your dependence is no longer on the heavenly but the earthly.
(Proverbs 16:18 TNIV) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
In all of life’s issues and questions Jesus is consistently the way through. When facing a problem drawing closer to Jesus is the answer. What was the difference in Paul’s boasting and the boasting of an unbeliever? Motivation. Notice I didn’t say because Paul was a Christian or a follower of Christ because even a Christian who loves God the eyes of that person can all too easily be taken off of God and put back on the flesh. It requires daily training and practice crucifying the flesh and a solid prayer life to keep our motivation in check but the reward is freedom in the spirit. Things that before led to difficulties and hardship now open the door through faith in Jesus to new possibilities but it becomes ever more vital that you step where and when the Holy Spirit says to, for we still cannot know the things of the spirit unless we allow God to open our spiritual eyes and ears for the purpose of His glory (read what happened to Peter in Acts chapter 10).
(Psalms 15:1-5 TNIV) A psalm of David. LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy mountain? Those whose walk is blameless, who do what is righteous, who speak the truth from their hearts; who have no slander on their tongues, who do their neighbors no wrong, who cast no slur on others; who despise those whose ways are vile but honor whoever fears the LORD; who keep their oaths even when it hurts; who lend money to the poor without interest and do not accept bribes against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
(2 Corinthians 9:2 TNIV) For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action.
It would almost seem that faith in the other person is required to do such a thing or could it be Paul caught a glimpse of what God was doing and therefore saw this test for the Corinthians as a minor obstacle because God was behind it all. If that were the case then the test was not only for the Corinthians but for Paul as well. The problem is introduced when the bragging comes from human pride, this never turns out well. It may not show up as a problem at first but the trap has been set and the fall will come. This I know for one reason only, in this case your eyes have been taken off of what God is doing and your dependence is no longer on the heavenly but the earthly.
(Proverbs 16:18 TNIV) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
In all of life’s issues and questions Jesus is consistently the way through. When facing a problem drawing closer to Jesus is the answer. What was the difference in Paul’s boasting and the boasting of an unbeliever? Motivation. Notice I didn’t say because Paul was a Christian or a follower of Christ because even a Christian who loves God the eyes of that person can all too easily be taken off of God and put back on the flesh. It requires daily training and practice crucifying the flesh and a solid prayer life to keep our motivation in check but the reward is freedom in the spirit. Things that before led to difficulties and hardship now open the door through faith in Jesus to new possibilities but it becomes ever more vital that you step where and when the Holy Spirit says to, for we still cannot know the things of the spirit unless we allow God to open our spiritual eyes and ears for the purpose of His glory (read what happened to Peter in Acts chapter 10).
(Psalms 15:1-5 TNIV) A psalm of David. LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy mountain? Those whose walk is blameless, who do what is righteous, who speak the truth from their hearts; who have no slander on their tongues, who do their neighbors no wrong, who cast no slur on others; who despise those whose ways are vile but honor whoever fears the LORD; who keep their oaths even when it hurts; who lend money to the poor without interest and do not accept bribes against the innocent. Whoever does these things will never be shaken.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
That there might be equility
(2 Corinthians 8:11-15 TNIV) Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, as it is written: "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little."
Paul spoke to the Corinthians about giving of themselves, for they had an abundance but the Mecedonian churches gave beyond the giving of the Corinthians, even though they had very little. For their generosity tested the Corinthians and Paul's challenge called them to meet the test.
I don’t know about the Corinthians Paul spoke to but I do know there are areas where I have plenty and sometimes I feel almost like I’m being used because of this gift or ability. That’s right giving doesn’t always involve money, we all too often excuse ourselves from giving when finances are tight, affectively shutting our eyes to what the Lord has called us to do. It is then we must look at our situation objectively and be willing to give away what the Lord has provided. What about skills or talents at which you excel and others are in need of to complete the task the Lord has laid on their hearts? Do you think God gave them that desire so they could fulfill it on their own? Remember if God calls you to do something is it not beyond your own abilities, does it not required faith, action, and recruitment of others? Then why can’t you see God’s call on others? Are you good with computers? Do you know someone who needs your help? How willing are you to help without complaint? Do you make yourself available or do you hide when they come looking? What about spiritual matters, have you felt hard-pressed as of late? Have you not felt God walk with you through this trial, has He not revealed secrets to your spirit? Then use that to help the brother you see struggling or your sister that needs encouragement, be willing for God to use you to do something big in the life of another. “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.”
King David spoke of those who were selfish, those who did evil, those who did not give of themselves… and their responsibility to those with less and he reminds us of the Father’s love.
(Psalms 14:6 NIrV) You who do evil make it hard for poor people to do what they plan to do. But the LORD is their place of safety.
(Psalms 14:6 MSG) Do you think you can mess with the dreams of the poor? You can't, for God makes their dreams come true.
Paul spoke to the Corinthians about giving of themselves, for they had an abundance but the Mecedonian churches gave beyond the giving of the Corinthians, even though they had very little. For their generosity tested the Corinthians and Paul's challenge called them to meet the test.
I don’t know about the Corinthians Paul spoke to but I do know there are areas where I have plenty and sometimes I feel almost like I’m being used because of this gift or ability. That’s right giving doesn’t always involve money, we all too often excuse ourselves from giving when finances are tight, affectively shutting our eyes to what the Lord has called us to do. It is then we must look at our situation objectively and be willing to give away what the Lord has provided. What about skills or talents at which you excel and others are in need of to complete the task the Lord has laid on their hearts? Do you think God gave them that desire so they could fulfill it on their own? Remember if God calls you to do something is it not beyond your own abilities, does it not required faith, action, and recruitment of others? Then why can’t you see God’s call on others? Are you good with computers? Do you know someone who needs your help? How willing are you to help without complaint? Do you make yourself available or do you hide when they come looking? What about spiritual matters, have you felt hard-pressed as of late? Have you not felt God walk with you through this trial, has He not revealed secrets to your spirit? Then use that to help the brother you see struggling or your sister that needs encouragement, be willing for God to use you to do something big in the life of another. “Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.”
King David spoke of those who were selfish, those who did evil, those who did not give of themselves… and their responsibility to those with less and he reminds us of the Father’s love.
(Psalms 14:6 NIrV) You who do evil make it hard for poor people to do what they plan to do. But the LORD is their place of safety.
(Psalms 14:6 MSG) Do you think you can mess with the dreams of the poor? You can't, for God makes their dreams come true.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Is Hell real?
I recently heard a recording scientists in Siberia made at the bottom of a hole they drilled 14.4 kilometers into the earth, it happened in the late 1980’s and the sound was frightening even today. Years later, for the most part it has been played down as a hoax or explained away by scientific reasoning, whether it was a made up story or facts that led to someone’s wild imagination or a cover up by someone or some government or man’s exploration knocking on the door of eternity, I’m not sure. Even those who made an honest attempt to track the source down could not verify whether it was true or not because the people with whom it originated seems to be confused or unwilling to tell what really happened but strangely enough there are some facts that remain constant and even unrelated stories of other drillings into to the earth’s crust confirms certain facts, such as the intense heat at great depths.
What’s even stranger to me is that so many people have either argued that it is real or that it is not, while all along God’s Word says Hell is indeed a real place, as if to disregard what God has said on the subject. Do I believe scientist in Siberia drilled a nine mile hole into the earth; hit a cavity that released intense heat upwards of 2,000 degrees F. then lowered a special microphone developed to listen to the earth’s plates move but instead heard voices screaming in torment for nineteen seconds before it burned up? I’m not sure but I do believe God’s Word is trustworthy and I know that Jesus tells of a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Some say God cannot condemn someone to such a place or if He did it couldn’t be forever but what if we chose to go there? You say that is ridiculous but do you also believe Pharaoh made the choices that brought about plagues on his kingdom or do you believe God did it? How many chances did Pharaoh have to do what was right? In the end believing something isn’t true doesn’t make it go away, no shutting our eyes while walking only causes the fall. There are certain things God cannot do, such as take back the freewill He gave mankind, it was by this freewill that Adam and Eve were forced out of the garden, never to return, because of choices they made. In spite of all God has done to keep us if we willingly decide to live our lives apart from the laws He has set in motion then the consequences we face are because of our own choosing and believing with every fiber within us God would not send us there is a lie from an enemy already bound for this place. By mixing part truth he confuses and confounds people because of the hatred he has for God, knowing God loves people. God will have the final word, at the final judgment but it is the choices we make that determine our fate before we ever stand before Him and once this body dies our ability to choose will be no more. It is ours to own, whether we live according to the law He has given, that is what decides where we spend eternity.
What’s even stranger to me is that so many people have either argued that it is real or that it is not, while all along God’s Word says Hell is indeed a real place, as if to disregard what God has said on the subject. Do I believe scientist in Siberia drilled a nine mile hole into the earth; hit a cavity that released intense heat upwards of 2,000 degrees F. then lowered a special microphone developed to listen to the earth’s plates move but instead heard voices screaming in torment for nineteen seconds before it burned up? I’m not sure but I do believe God’s Word is trustworthy and I know that Jesus tells of a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Some say God cannot condemn someone to such a place or if He did it couldn’t be forever but what if we chose to go there? You say that is ridiculous but do you also believe Pharaoh made the choices that brought about plagues on his kingdom or do you believe God did it? How many chances did Pharaoh have to do what was right? In the end believing something isn’t true doesn’t make it go away, no shutting our eyes while walking only causes the fall. There are certain things God cannot do, such as take back the freewill He gave mankind, it was by this freewill that Adam and Eve were forced out of the garden, never to return, because of choices they made. In spite of all God has done to keep us if we willingly decide to live our lives apart from the laws He has set in motion then the consequences we face are because of our own choosing and believing with every fiber within us God would not send us there is a lie from an enemy already bound for this place. By mixing part truth he confuses and confounds people because of the hatred he has for God, knowing God loves people. God will have the final word, at the final judgment but it is the choices we make that determine our fate before we ever stand before Him and once this body dies our ability to choose will be no more. It is ours to own, whether we live according to the law He has given, that is what decides where we spend eternity.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Relational Currency
Have you noticed how two different people can say the same thing to the same person and one is accepted and the other isn’t? When Paul wrote to the Corinthians concerning an error they were making he acknowledged that the things he said hurt them…
(2 Corinthians 7:8 TNIV) Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—
The difference is relationship, the Corinthians knew that Paul would give his very life if it were required to keep the Corinthians close to God. He instructed them as he watched them grow and he prayed for them as he received reports during his travels. Paul had developed relational currency with the Corinthians so that when tough things needed to be said he was able to say it without having them turn away. Too many times we come into situations where tough things need to be said and we blurt it out. We either think that simply because it is true that is all that is required and we simply lack the love and care as we announce our own righteousness or we never stop to think about whether our relationship with that person is strong enough to receive it. Either way the devil has his way when the one delivering the message does so without first getting into the trenches with the one they say they care for.
(Proverbs 27:6 TNIV) Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Love your neighbor, your co-worker, your family, your friends so that when tough times come and speaking the truth means it might cause pain you will have the currency to do so without jeopardizing your relationship with them and you will have an assurance your message will be received thereby cause that person to move towards God instead of impeding their progress.
(Psalms 13:5-6 TNIV) But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD's praise, for he has been good to me.
(2 Corinthians 7:8 TNIV) Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while—
The difference is relationship, the Corinthians knew that Paul would give his very life if it were required to keep the Corinthians close to God. He instructed them as he watched them grow and he prayed for them as he received reports during his travels. Paul had developed relational currency with the Corinthians so that when tough things needed to be said he was able to say it without having them turn away. Too many times we come into situations where tough things need to be said and we blurt it out. We either think that simply because it is true that is all that is required and we simply lack the love and care as we announce our own righteousness or we never stop to think about whether our relationship with that person is strong enough to receive it. Either way the devil has his way when the one delivering the message does so without first getting into the trenches with the one they say they care for.
(Proverbs 27:6 TNIV) Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Love your neighbor, your co-worker, your family, your friends so that when tough times come and speaking the truth means it might cause pain you will have the currency to do so without jeopardizing your relationship with them and you will have an assurance your message will be received thereby cause that person to move towards God instead of impeding their progress.
(Psalms 13:5-6 TNIV) But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the LORD's praise, for he has been good to me.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
No good thing can be accomplished but through Christ
No matter the battles won or the foes defeated on my own I am nothing. Maturity in the Lord would tell me to be on guard against the belief I had anything to do with previous victories but the flesh is strong and continually offers reasons why I can wield weapons on my own. However, my spirit has learned the lesson of listening and my soul recognizes my Savior’s touch gently leading me where I am to go. Sometimes I can see what is on the horizon and I can feel my flesh cringe, knowing what is to come may cause pain or sorrow but my spirit knows God has promised purpose and ultimately I know He knows best.
(Jeremiah 17:9 MKJV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?
Without Christ my heart is entirely selfish, my motives for the things I do benefit me alone. However with Christ my heart is renewed so that it resembles the heart of my Savior and King but to turn from Him is to return to that which was left behind. Again the mature follower of Christ recognizes even the smallest bits of selfishness and cast them aside therefore maintaining a continuity of Christ’s likeness in all that he or she says and does, not for their glory but the glory of the One that leads them and there my friend is the battle and unending struggle. For in this life I am required to face opposition, how many times have I cried out to Jesus to take away the things that so easily beset me but this is the one question that remains unanswered and persistently unresolved. It would seem there are victories ahead of me and it is through these victories my spirit is strengthened yet there remains battles that will not be won until Jesus returns or this life is over, which causes me to remain at the feet of Jesus, on my face, so that I will know just how desperate I am for His guidance. In the end the difference between the believer and the sinner is the understanding of condition of one’s own heart and your inability to change it without Christ.
(Jeremiah 17:9 MKJV) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?
Without Christ my heart is entirely selfish, my motives for the things I do benefit me alone. However with Christ my heart is renewed so that it resembles the heart of my Savior and King but to turn from Him is to return to that which was left behind. Again the mature follower of Christ recognizes even the smallest bits of selfishness and cast them aside therefore maintaining a continuity of Christ’s likeness in all that he or she says and does, not for their glory but the glory of the One that leads them and there my friend is the battle and unending struggle. For in this life I am required to face opposition, how many times have I cried out to Jesus to take away the things that so easily beset me but this is the one question that remains unanswered and persistently unresolved. It would seem there are victories ahead of me and it is through these victories my spirit is strengthened yet there remains battles that will not be won until Jesus returns or this life is over, which causes me to remain at the feet of Jesus, on my face, so that I will know just how desperate I am for His guidance. In the end the difference between the believer and the sinner is the understanding of condition of one’s own heart and your inability to change it without Christ.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Why so personal?
Most of us spend a good portion of our lives trying to keep things hidden, we hide things from our boss, we hide things from our pastor, we hide things from those that enforce the law, we hide things from our wives, we hide things from our husbands, we hide things from our children, we hide things from our parents, we hide things from friends and family but what if you were in a situation where those things were revealed, at least one side anyway? What if people began to form opinions about you based on what others said and did so without ever asking you if it was true or not? What if those opinions began to affect your life so much you began to feel boxed in or at least limited by what they believed to be true? Jesus said in Matthew 13:57 “Only in their own towns and in their own homes are prophets without honor.” This is not to imply that we are holy or righteous like Jesus but rather that people’s opinions are formed on what they believe to be true, whether it is true or not and being as such these opinions limit their own ability to see what is right in front of them. In affect they willingly place blinders on their own eyes and then go around telling everyone they know the way. Jesus asked the people, “why worry about the speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?” Matthew 7:3
When your private matters have been exposed for all to see somewhere from deep down inside you begin to yearn for the truth to be known, not in part but the whole because a partial truth is still a lie and you know even those who so freely offer opinions about how to run your life have things of their own they are hiding. Job did not have good things to say about his “friends” who offered advise (Job 13:4). You don’t long for truth to be made known so those on the outside looking in can go through the same thing you did but rather you long for truth because that is what really matters, in all of our lives the façade we work so hard to hold up must come down if real growth is going to happen and it is understood that one day each of us will come face to face with the whole truth and each one will have to deal with what they have or have not done. You see on that day what your neighbor did will not be so important but that day is not here yet, still it calls out to my soul.
What if once the pain and frustration of your private life being exposed has subsided you begin to see God’s footsteps for your life, knowing His opinion is the only one that matters and what once was slander now becomes freedom because other’s opinions simply doesn’t matter anymore. What if the very thing the enemy was using to cut you down God made a stepping stool so you could see clearly above the crowd? If all these things happened to you would you be more inclined to share what is in your heart? Knowing if people are that interested in your life, they should at least hear it from you.
I believe in telling the truth in love, for it will not be of gain if I cannot learn to do that. Once I hurt someone, their heart’s door will be closed to whatever I have to say. However, I also believe it is better for us to step into the light of our own free-will than to be exposed to the light while working in the darkness.
(Matthew 6:22-23 GNB) "The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!
That being said there are still thoughts, ideas, struggles, habits, temptations, and sin in my life that I do not share in whole because there is an enemy and he uses these things to build walls, to divide, and conquer. Therefore, I do not want to provide him the means to build a stronghold in my life but I can tell you each time I write in this journal I have either come through or battling or about to enter what I wrote about. Even Paul, though he spoke of sin and struggles in his own life did not offer details – read 1 Timothy 1:15, Romans 7:18, Hebrews 12:1. Sin is not always easily seen, some of the worse sin happens within and therefore cannot be judged by anyone but God. Still we are told to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16) and the person willing to open up to you and pray with you that person is trustworthy because he/she knows and is obedient to God’s Word. So I tell you I am open about my life with the reader and I can tell you there are certain things I know about the reader such as what country they are from, such as United States, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Poland, France, United Kingdom, and many others and I also know which post gets the most hits or how many hits my blog gets in a day, week, or month but more importantly I pray for you almost every morning and though I don’t know who you are God does. He knows what you are going through, He knows where you’ve been, and He knows what is to come and so I encourage you to open up to others about what God is doing in your life. Be willing to tell them how you struggle, make it real, and make God’s goodness known. In this way you will encourage others to open up as well. Many times I wonder if I have said too much and sometimes I have removed something I posted, if God leads me to do that but I am more concerned fear will keep me from posting something God says to share and He reminds me that He’ll take care of everything else.
When your private matters have been exposed for all to see somewhere from deep down inside you begin to yearn for the truth to be known, not in part but the whole because a partial truth is still a lie and you know even those who so freely offer opinions about how to run your life have things of their own they are hiding. Job did not have good things to say about his “friends” who offered advise (Job 13:4). You don’t long for truth to be made known so those on the outside looking in can go through the same thing you did but rather you long for truth because that is what really matters, in all of our lives the façade we work so hard to hold up must come down if real growth is going to happen and it is understood that one day each of us will come face to face with the whole truth and each one will have to deal with what they have or have not done. You see on that day what your neighbor did will not be so important but that day is not here yet, still it calls out to my soul.
What if once the pain and frustration of your private life being exposed has subsided you begin to see God’s footsteps for your life, knowing His opinion is the only one that matters and what once was slander now becomes freedom because other’s opinions simply doesn’t matter anymore. What if the very thing the enemy was using to cut you down God made a stepping stool so you could see clearly above the crowd? If all these things happened to you would you be more inclined to share what is in your heart? Knowing if people are that interested in your life, they should at least hear it from you.
I believe in telling the truth in love, for it will not be of gain if I cannot learn to do that. Once I hurt someone, their heart’s door will be closed to whatever I have to say. However, I also believe it is better for us to step into the light of our own free-will than to be exposed to the light while working in the darkness.
(Matthew 6:22-23 GNB) "The eyes are like a lamp for the body. If your eyes are sound, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eyes are no good, your body will be in darkness. So if the light in you is darkness, how terribly dark it will be!
That being said there are still thoughts, ideas, struggles, habits, temptations, and sin in my life that I do not share in whole because there is an enemy and he uses these things to build walls, to divide, and conquer. Therefore, I do not want to provide him the means to build a stronghold in my life but I can tell you each time I write in this journal I have either come through or battling or about to enter what I wrote about. Even Paul, though he spoke of sin and struggles in his own life did not offer details – read 1 Timothy 1:15, Romans 7:18, Hebrews 12:1. Sin is not always easily seen, some of the worse sin happens within and therefore cannot be judged by anyone but God. Still we are told to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16) and the person willing to open up to you and pray with you that person is trustworthy because he/she knows and is obedient to God’s Word. So I tell you I am open about my life with the reader and I can tell you there are certain things I know about the reader such as what country they are from, such as United States, Russia, Germany, Ukraine, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Poland, France, United Kingdom, and many others and I also know which post gets the most hits or how many hits my blog gets in a day, week, or month but more importantly I pray for you almost every morning and though I don’t know who you are God does. He knows what you are going through, He knows where you’ve been, and He knows what is to come and so I encourage you to open up to others about what God is doing in your life. Be willing to tell them how you struggle, make it real, and make God’s goodness known. In this way you will encourage others to open up as well. Many times I wonder if I have said too much and sometimes I have removed something I posted, if God leads me to do that but I am more concerned fear will keep me from posting something God says to share and He reminds me that He’ll take care of everything else.
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