3 Simple Steps

We have a battle going on inside us.  It is our flesh versus our spirit.  Our spirit is made new when we received Jesus.  Jesus comes to live inside us, the Holy Spirit lives inside us.  He is our new nature.  However, we still have our old nature (the flesh) hanging around.

Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.  Galations 5:16-17

Whatever you feed becomes stronger.

Three simple steps we can take to feed our spirit and starve our flesh is:

1. Feed your Spirit with the Word of God and memorize the Word so it resides inside you.
2. Pray.
3. Fast

As you do these things, your Spirit becomes stronger and your flesh becomes weaker. Fasting denies our flesh and makes it easier to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Does it mean you will never give into your flesh?  No. We are human.  We sin.  We fail.  However, it does mean that the next time you are tempted or tried, you will be better equipped to respond like Christ.

Related Posts:
A Seven Year Old's Thoughts on Fasting

One of Those Days {Part Two}

Jesus is Enough

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  We are hard-pressed on every side yet not crushed, we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed--always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."  1 Corinthians 4:6-10


The other day I was feeling discouraged.  I was feeling inadequate and ill-equipped and full of fear of failure in regards to some ministry assignments I have coming up in the next couple of weeks. The weight of these thoughts was beating me down.  I cried out to God in the midst of my struggle to tell Him how inadequate I felt and how much I needed Him.

I said, "Lord, you know me.  You know I am broken.  You know I am inadequate.  You know I can't do this."

Very quietly in my spirit, I heard.  "You're right. You can't.  But I can."

Immediately the heaviness left me as I had the revelation that I can't do it and that is ok because I KNOW the One who can.  I am not adequate, but I KNOW the One who is.  I am broken, but I KNOW the One who makes us whole.  Jesus is enough and I don't have to be.  How freeing!!!

We have this treasure in earthen vessels, the excellence of THE POWER may be of God and not of us.

Jesus died for us so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body.  Jesus died to give us everything we need in Him.  He alone is enough!!!

My pastor, Jeremy McGinnis says:   Jesus + nothing = Everything

Jesus is our everything.  He is our all in all.  He triumphed over darkness and over the enemy.  He defeated death and sin on the cross.

If you are feeling inadequate or less-than today, I just want to encourage you that YOU ARE RIGHT, you are... by yourself!  But, WITH JESUS, YOU ARE ENOUGH because HE IS.  YOU ARE ADEQUATE because HE IS.  YOU ARE MADE RIGHTEOUS because of HIM and the price He paid for you.

Happy Good Friday Living Free in Him readers!!  When you see the cross, remember He paid it all, there is nothing left you can or need to pay.  Oh, we praise your name, JESUS!!!  May you be glorified forever!  

Our Rock of Help

Today I leave for Illinois to help minister at the first Deeper Still Retreat in Illinois.

This trip is important to me for many reasons.  I hope to share more on why later.

 In the Deeper Still Prayer Devotion this week, I shared about how Samuel set up a stone in 1 Samuel 7 to remind the Israelites of God's faithfulness.  He called the stone Ebenezer, which means, "the rock of help". Samuel then declared, "Til now the Lord has helped us." (verse 12).

I believe every single word I type (or I wouldn't type it) and this week, I had to live it out for myself. Sometimes we believe the Word of God, but it isn't until we are faced with having to put it into practice that we realize how strong we believe it or not.   I had to decide if the words I wrote were just letters on a page or if I believed them for me as I fought a health battle.  In the devotional I wrote:

"The Lord subdued Israel’s enemies and delivered His people.  We can be assured that the Lord will subdue the enemy and deliver His sons and daughters.  He has been faithful in the past and He will continue to be faithful in the future.  He will do what He has said He will do.  He will fulfill the call and do it, we just need to trust."

Would I believe the Lord would fight for me?  

Would I believe the Lord would subdue the enemy and deliver me? 

Would I believe the Lord would be faithful as He has been in the past?  

I also had to decide if I would believe God over the lies of the enemy.  God had told me I was going to Illinois for this "mission trip" months ago and I know it was His voice and it had been confirmed over and over again.  

Would I believe God or my body?
  
Would I believe the Word of God that says by Jesus stripes I am healed or my symptoms?  

I decided to believe God.  I believe He is faithful.  He is my Healer.  He is my Redeemer.  He is my Strength.  He is my Everything.  He has overcome every sickness, every disease, and every bondage.  Every force of the enemy is under His feet.  

As I am typing this, it is 15 minutes before we leave.  Until this morning, I had been in bed for 4 days straight with a high fever and bronchitis.  Nothing in the natural made any sense that I should be going on a trip.  As of now, my temperature is normal and my breathing is normal.  God is My Healer.  His will will be accomplished!  He will be glorified!  Praise to our God, our Help, our Defender, our Deliverer!!! 

He is our "rock of help"!  

I hope you go check out the Deeper Still Devotional I write and pray for us this weekend!!!  

www.deeperstilldevotions.blogspot.com