PRAY FOR GOD TO GIVE YOU.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

Pray for God to give you a heightened awareness of the way you're thinking.  Try to become alert to times when you're thinking according to the flesh.  Recognize the feeling it is sowing in your heart.

I often hear people say,  "I can't change the way I feel."  No, but we can change the way we think, and that in turn will change the way we feel.  The less we feed the Spirit of God within us with things that energize Him to fill us, the more His presence will "shrink" within us.  But praise God, the opposite is also true.  The more we feed the Spirit of God and yield to His control, the more His presence will fill and satiate us with life and peace.

"Breaking Free - Day by Day"

ONCE WE ARE WILLING.....

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians 4:31

Once we are willing to see the sin that is involved in our strongholds and agree with God through confession, we begin to see the lies surrounding us.  It's in tearing down these lies wallpapering our  minds that our prison doors swing open.

But while satan does not possess the power or authority to lock believers in prisons of oppression, he does work overtime to talk us into staying, having wooed us there with all the lures he has perfected.  Unfortunately, he doesn't require a written invitation to do his dirty work.  Our failure to post a "keep away" sign through Bible study and prayer can be an invitation by default.

"Breaking Free - Day by Day"

OPEN YOUR MIND AND HEART...

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Open your mind and heart - your entire being - to receive My Love in full measure.  SO many of My children limp through their lives starved for Love, because they haven't learned the art of receiving. This is essentially, and act of faith: believing that I love you with boundless, everlasting Love.  The art of receiving is also a disciple: training your mind to trust Me, coming close to Me with confidence.

Remember that the evil one is the father of lies.  Learn to recognize his deceptive intrusions into your thoughts.  One of his favorite deceptions is to undermine your confidence in My unconditional Love. Fight back against these lies!  Do not let them go unchallenged.  Resist the devil in My Name, and he will slink away from you.  Draw near to Me, and My Presence will envelop you in Love.

"Jesus Calling - Enjoying Peace in My Presence"

The Seduction Of Satisfaction

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

        “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” 
                                                                                                                  Philippians 4:19 (NIV)

Have you ever been tempted to make seemingly small compromises in the short term that had the potential to take you away from God’s best in the long term?

I know this struggle all too well. But I also know that those small compromises build upon one another until they become a big pile of regret.

Temptation of any kind is Satan’s invitation to get our needs met outside the will of God.

One of the subtle ways he does this is to plant the hesitant thought in our mind that God will not meet our needs — that God is not enough. Satan wants us to feel alone and abandoned, so that we turn to his offerings instead. It’s the seduction of satisfaction.

Often the script that plays in our head is, “I need __________ so I can be satisfied.”

It’s what sends the wife on a budget off on a spending spree. She feels the thrill of the sale in the moment. But as she’s hiding the bags from her husband, shame creeps in.

It’s what pulls at the business woman to work harder and longer and refuse to build boundaries in her schedule. Always chasing that next accomplishment or that next compliment but it’s never enough.

It’s what sent me on many eating sprees. The kids were loud, the house was messy, the demands felt beyond my control. So with great justification I’d indulge only to have a bloated stomach and a deflated heart.

This subtle message sold to us by Satan can be exposed when we understand the difference between a need and a want.

All of the examples above were wants — not needs. But oh, how Satan wants to make them one and the same.

When the difference between these two words starts getting skewed, we start compromising. We start justifying. And it sets us up to start getting our needs met outside the will of God. The abyss of discontentment invites us in and threatens to darken and distort everything in our world.

Listen, Satan is a liar. The more we fill ourselves with his distorted desires, the more empty we’ll feel. That’s true with each of the desires mentioned above. The more we overspend, overwork or overeat — the more empty we feel. Remember, Satan wants to separate you from God’s best plans. He wants to separate you from God’s proper provision. He wants to separate you from God’s peace.

God’s provision sustains life. Satan’s temptation drains life.

God’s provision in the short term will reap blessings in the long term. Satan’s temptation in the short term will reap heartache in the long term.

God’s provision satisfies the soul. Satan’s temptation gratifies the flesh.

Oh sweet sister, we must consider these realities when making choices today. We’re all just a few poor choices away from doing things we never thought we would. Especially when our hearts are in a vulnerable place of longing for something that God hasn’t yet provided.

And the time to prevent destruction from temptation is before it ever starts.

We are either holding fast to God’s promise or being lured by a compromise. And isn’t it interesting that the word promise is right there in the midst of that word com(promise)?

God promises, “I will meet all your needs according to the riches of My Glory in Christ Jesus,” (paraphrase, Philippians 4:19). He is everything we need and so perfectly capable of filling in the gaps of our wants as well. We must let truth seep deep into the longings of our soul. Otherwise lies are prone to creep into this place of our desire.

Yes. We must trust God. Embrace truth. Live His promise.

Lysa TerKeurst; Proverbs 31 Ministries

Satan's Plan Against You

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from me, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

“For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:16 (NIV)

Something I pray on a regular basis is that God will give me a keen awareness of the enemy’s plans and schemes against me. I want to be able to recognize his traps and avoid them.

I believe part of His answer came one day as I studied the story of Satan tempting Eve in Genesis 3 and our key verse: “For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16).

As I compared these passages, I had a serious epiphany about how Satan goes after us. These verses outline Satan’s 3-pronged plan of attack on our hearts. And it’s the same plan we see him using while tempting Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11! A fact that tells me while the enemy may be powerful, he’s also predictable.

Let’s take a closer look at Satan’s plan as revealed in Eve’s story and Jesus’ story:

1. Make them crave some sort of physical gratification to the point they become preoccupied with it. Be it sex, drugs, alcohol or food.

Satan tempted Eve with fruit, which “was good for food” (Genesis 3:6b, NIV).

Satan tempted Jesus while on a fast with bread.

Satan tempts us with whatever physical stimulation we are too preoccupied by — be it taste, smell, sound, touch or sight. These things are good within the boundaries where God meant for them to be enjoyed. But venture outside God’s intention for them, and they become an attempt to try and get our needs met outside the will of God.

2. Make them want to acquire things to the point they bow down to the god of materialism. Keep them distracted by making their eyes lust after the shiny things of the world.

Satan tempted Eve by drawing her attention to what was, “pleasing to the eye” (Genesis 3:6c, NIV).

Satan showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Him that He could have it all.

Satan flashes the newer, bigger and seemingly better things of this world in front of us, trying to lure us into thinking we must have it. “This will make me fulfilled. This will make me happy.” And then it wears out, breaks down, gets old and reveals just how temporary every material thing is.

3. Make them boastful about what they have or do. Keep them distracted and obsessed with their status and significance. Choke the life out of them using the tentacles of their own pride.

Satan tempted Eve by promising an increased awareness which would make her become more like God.

Satan tempted Jesus by telling Him to throw Himself off the highest point of the temple, and then command the angels to save Him. This would impress everyone watching and certainly raise Jesus’ status and significance.

Likewise, Satan tempts us to try and elevate ourselves over others. We wrongly think we have to become something the world calls worthy. This creates a need within our flesh to have people notice us, commend us, revere us and stroke our pride. We then dare to boast about all we are.

Oh sweet readers, this is where we must stop and remind ourselves that we don’t have to be held hostage by Satan. We are onto him and his schemes. And his power over us is nothing compared to the freeing promises of God.

There was a huge difference between Eve’s response to Satan and Jesus’ response to Satan. Eve dialoged with Satan and allowed him to weave his tangled web of justifications. Jesus on the other hand, immediately quoted truth. With every temptation, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy as He answered, “It is written …” and He shut Satan down with the truth of God.

What will our response be?

It’s our choice.

Satan has no power over us except what we allow. Moment by moment, decision by decision, step by step — will we operate in God’s all-powerful truth or allow Satan to entangle us in his lies?

- Lysa TerKeurst, Proverbs 31 Ministries.

Open Manholes

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

It happens in an instant. One minute you’re walking and whistling, the next you’re wide-eyed and falling. Satan yanks back the manhole cover, and an innocent afternoon stroll becomes a horror story. Such is the pattern of sudden sin. This demon of hell can penetrate the deepest faith, and desecrate the purest home.

Want to sharpen your defenses a bit? Recognize Satan. Rip off his mask. Look him squarely in the eye and call his bluff. “Get behind me, Satan!” And…accept God’s forgiveness. Romans chapters 7-8 declare the Emancipation Proclamation for those of us who have a tendency to tumble. “Thanks be to God, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord!. . .therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:25-8:1 NIV).

Claim the promise. Praise the Lord. And…watch out for open manholes!

From: God Is With You Everyday, by Max Lucado

Your Best Weapon Against Satan

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Satan has no recourse to your personal testimony. So your best weapon against his attacks is a good memory!

Don’t forget a single one of God’s blessings. He forgives your sins—every one.  He heals your diseases—every one. He redeems you from hell—and saves your life. He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown. He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence. Create a trophy room in your heart, place a memory on the shelf. Before you face a challenge, take a quick tour of God’s accomplishments. Look at all the paychecks he’s provided, all the blessings he’s given, all the prayers he’s answered.

Imitate the shepherd boy David. Before he fought Goliath, the giant, he remembered how God had helped him kill a lion and a bear. Face your future by recalling God’s victories!

From God is With You Every Day

The Devil's First Question

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                                                " . . .  Yea, hath God said?"  Genesis 3:1

     This is the first question mark in the Bible or in all history.  It was asked by the devil, and he has been asking it ever since.  His favorite attack is always to cast doubt upon the Word of God.  He insinuated that God was very unjust and cruel by denying to His creatures the blessings of the garden.  Of course, the Devil "misquoted" the Word of God.  He altered it just a little, but that little was fatal.  He quoted God as saying,  "Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden."  God had said nothing of the sort.  God had said,  "of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat"  (Genesis 2:16).  This was exactly the opposite of satan's statement.  There was only one exception - the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

     Think of the foolishness of satan's question.  If Adam and Eve had been prohibited from eating of EVERY tree, how then could they live?  They were not permitted to eat FLESH, only fruit and vegetables  (Genesis 2:16).

     If satan were correct in his quotation of God's Word, it meant that Adam and Eve were doomed to die of starvation.  What a cruel suggestion.  What a diabolical twisting of the Word of God.  The first attack of satan is to create in man's heart "doubt" concerning the Word of God.  Satan is the author of doubt - God is the author of faith.  Therefore, doubt is of the devil - faith is of God.

     Are you troubled with doubts?  Doubts about God, the Bible, and your salvation?  You can only find the cure for those doubts in God's Word.  God is true - the devil is a liar  (John  8:44).  Peace of heart and mind depends upon the answer to one question:  "Whom do you believe:  the devil's lie, or God's Word?"  Meet your doubts today by using the weapon of our Saviour Himself.  "It is written!"  "The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants:  and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate"  (Psalm  34:22).

"Bread For Each Day"

NEVER! NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

                                        ". . .  he will not fail thee."  Deuteronomy 31:6

                                        ". . . they shall never perish."  John  10:28

                                        ". . . I am with you . . . unto the end"  Matthew  28:20

     Once the work of God's grace is begun in the heart, it must continue forever.  A book might be filled with quotations like the three above assuring us that he that "hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ"  (Philippians  1:6).

     Years ago a preacher addressed a great congregation on the security of the believer against the tempter of our souls.  In a sytle vividly dramatic he pictured the Spirit of evil traversing the earth to tempt the members of Christ's flock.  To place after place he went seeking rest and finding none.  Christian after Christian overcame his tempting suggestion by the power of faith and the energy of Scripture.  At nightfall he entered the chamber of a dying saint.  The shadow of death was on his face, the awful moment of the soul's transit had nearly come, attendants were waiting in the intensity of silence for they thought that it was almost over.  "I will cast a dart of doubt concerning Jesus into that saint's mind,"  said the evil one,  "and fill his last moments with fear."  But just then the saint's lips parted and the words came forth,  "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.  Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."  In a moment his spirit was glorified and satan was foiled.

     He has promised,  "I will never leave thee."

"Bread For Each Day"

The Hedge

Come, sit, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the comfort of the Lord:  "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice."  Ephesians  4:31

Job 1:10-20
1.)"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright; and one that feared God and shunned evil.  2.) And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.  3.) His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the sons of the east.  4.) And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.  5.) And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.  Thus did Job regularly.  6.) Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and satan came also among them.  7.) And the Lord said unto satan, Whence comest thou?  Then satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.  8.) And the Lord said unto satan,  Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one that feareth God and shuns evil?
9.) Then satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nothing?  10.) Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side?  thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land.  11.) But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face.  12.) And the Lord said unto satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand.  So satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.
13.) And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:  14.) And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them:  15.) And the Sabeans attacked and took them away; yeah, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.  16.) While he was yet speaking there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and destroyed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.  17.) While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans formed three bands, and raided the camels, and have carried them away, yeah, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.  18.) While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:  19.) And, behold, there came a great wind from across the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.  20.) Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped,  21.) And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.  22.) In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."

     Job was a "perfect and upright" man - a real saint - and as such he was providentially protected by the "hedge" of angels (Psalm 34:7 and Hebrew 1:14), and the sheltering love of God.  Yet no true servant of the Lord escapes the eye of the adversary.  Satan and his hosts are constantly seeking to trap us and hinder us as we walk the pilgrim pathway to the City of God.  Nothing, however, can harm us or come inside the hedge unless God allows it.  We are guarded on all sides by His presence, for He is before us (Isaiah 48:17); behind us (Isaiah 30:21); to the right of us (Psalm 16:8); to the left of us (Job 23;9); above us (Psalm 36:7); underneath us (Deuteronomy 33:27); and - in his dispensation - even within us (I Corinthians 3:16).  When things which seem adverse happen to us, we must recognize immediately that they come to us with divine permission and definite purpose.

     Austin Dibb, a pastor and true child of God, was once extremely ill.  In his weakened condition, he was severely attacked by the evil one.  "I have had a terrible conflict with the enemy today,"  he said in his quaint way.  "The Devil said,  'Thou hast been my enemy all thy life, Austin, and now I have thee fast, and now I shall have my revenge on thee on the deathbed.'"  "And what did you say to him then, Austin?"  said a friend who had called to comfort him. The old man raised himself upon one elbow and with a loud and vigorous voice exclaimed,  "I said, 'Devil, the Lord hath put a hedge about me, and thou canst not touch me.'"  "What did the evil one say to that?"  asked his friend.  "Nothing!"  replied the venerable old gentleman.  "The old serpent just fled, and I fell into a peaceful sleep!"  From that  moment Austin Dibb had no further doubts, for he recognized his divine security and protection.

     In God's care we too can be at peace, for He keeps "the hedge."

"Bread For Each Day"