Inner Conflict

This poem illustrates the inner conflict that takes place between our spirit and flesh. It's actually a re-post from last year, but seemed fitting for this morning. Although the subject matter may not be your particular subject, I think you can relate to the battle. Sometimes the intensity of the battle can get so strong that you just want to give in and let it overtake you, but don't! God is with you, strengthening you, often carrying you. I have learned that its' in my greatest times of weakness that I can see His strength. Feel free to share this with anyone having a battle! 

Inner Conflict by Shun Strickland

I wonder why it’s so hard to understand

The most serious spiritual battles

Take place in the inner man

For the lover of God

There is no greater stress

Than the battles that transpire between Spirit & flesh

Resist the devil and he will flee

How exactly do I resist when he’s part of me?

If loving that man is wrong I don’t wanna be right

But I long to be pleasing in God’s sight

I’m struggling and it seems no one can see

I guess it’s because the conflict takes place inside of me

I go to church, read the Word and I pray

But when he calls me late at night I don’t always say

NO

But I want to oh so bad

Am I really saved or do I need to rededicate again?

Is there any escape from this life of sin?

Like Paul the very thing I hate to do

Is the very thing I do again

Dag! Somebody help me

Can anybody see

How in the world do I crucify

This part of me that’s fighting not to die

 They say “She really doesn’t love God”

But that’s not my reality

The truth is, it’s my love for Him

Keeping me from completely giving in

Hold on before you make a judgment

About my spirituality

I’d prefer you offer up some prayer

And some accountability

It may not be the lure of sex

That pulls you off your path

Could it be guilt from your abortion

That makes you over eat

Maybe you just talk too much

Do you ever lie or cheat

Whatever your secret battle

There’s only one way victory is won

Is life hidden in God’s only Son

Let His love constrain you

Let His Word re-train you

Don’t run from Him

Run to Him

It’s His power that sets you free from sin

Your own striving and struggling leads to failure again

Remember He is greater than any trap of sin

I may not be perfect but I’m better than before

The more I look at Jesus, the more I win the war

I don’t answer the late night calls

Near as often as I use to

I’m learning that if I resist him

He will flee

As long as I remember

That sin isn’t the real Me!

1.    You should love our God, Yahweh because He loves you. Even if you don't He loves you anyway. 


2.    Loving Yahweh doesn't exempt you from life's challenges, but the reality of His love for you will give you the strength to make it through.

3.     Family is important. Take the time to build relationships. 


4.    Good friends are hard to find, but priceless once discovered. 


5.    None of us make it alone! We are all building on the sacrifices of others. 


6.    Laughter adds years to your life. 
Laugh hard and often!

7.    Marriage is better when your spouse is your best friend. 


8.    Money is a great tool, but a bad god. Let it serve you, never serve it. 


9.    Wisdom is better than silver and gold cause a fool and his money soon separate. 


10. It is selfish to just want enough to take care of you. 
Being able to help others is the will of God.

11. Children are God's way to teach you to be selfless. 


12.  Kids are painfully honest. If you ever want to know the truth ask a kid. 


13. Sex IS better in the marriage bed (no guilt, fear or shame) 


14. Nothing is detrimental 


15. Prayer changes things. 


16. Love overcomes evil every time. 


17. Love always covers and never exposes. 


18. It is better to be thought a fool than speak and prove it's true. 


19. No one owes you anything...not even your parents. 
Play the hand you were dealt.

20. Sunrises are a gift. 


21. So are sunsets. 


22. Parents are still human. Most of the mistakes they made had nothing to do with the kid, they were working through their own issues. 


23. A guy and a girl can be very good friends and never cross the lines. 


24. You can build an amazing marriage if you are willing to grow, learn to love unconditionally and obey God. 


25. Forgiveness is for you!

26. Life is precious and shouldn't be taken for granted. 


27. Everyone deserves respect. 


28. Cursing shows ignorance even if it feels good to do it. 


29. Random acts of kindness do just as much for the giver as the receiver. 


30. Your environment is always working on you. 


31. You need to participate in your own rescue. 


32.  You shouldn't try to rescue people who aren't will to participate in their own rescue. 


33. Your life follows your words. Your life is the sum total of your most dominate thoughts. 
Don’t like your life, change your thinking.

34. Loving the right person can add to your life, loving the wrong person can destroy you. 
Love should make you better!

35.  Change ain't change until you change! 


36.  Jesus (Yeshua) is Lord to the glory of the Father whether we like it or agree.

37. You have a responsibility to take care of your body. Don’t love food more than you love your health.

38. Date your spouse. It keeps things HOT!

39.  You should never settle for good when great is available. Commit to excellence!

40.  Living your God given dreams, honor God, makes the world better and gives you personal satisfaction – so live your Dreams!

See what happens when you believe God really can do it!

“All things are possible to the one who believes.” Mark 9:23 (amp)

Jesus makes this statement in the midst of what seems to be impossible circumstances. He is talking to the father of a son who suffers from terrible seizures. No seizure is a pleasant experience, but these seizures cause the boy to fall into the fire and the water. The father is living every moment trying to keep his son alive. Talk about a full time job! I doubt this father ever had a full night’s rest because his fear of his son hurting himself kept him from sleeping peacefully. He learned to live in this place accepting this as his fate in life until….he hears of Jesus.

I’m certain that when this father first heard of the miracles, he was skeptical. I’m sure he had spent time looking for a cure, traveling to a doctor here or there looking for the latest treatment hoping that this would be the medicine that would be “it.” But time after time he was disappointed because nothing produced the healing he longed for his son to have. However, as he kept encountering people who had experienced the healing power of God through Jesus, he begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could get the miracle he desperately needed. Finally, he decides to go and see what Jesus could do for his son.

When the father arrives where he heard Jesus would be, he discovers that Jesus is gone, but his disciples are there. The father asks the disciples to heal his son and they pray, but nothing happens. Just when it seems that he and his son will leave disappointed again, Jesus shows up. The man runs to Jesus telling him how he came to the disciples looking for a miracle and nothing happen. Jesus begins to investigate the situation asking how long the boy had suffered with this affliction. The father tells Jesus that the boy has suffered since he was a child and he ends his story by saying, “If you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” The father is desperate!

Notice how Jesus responds, “You say to me, If You do anything? Why all things can be possible to him who believes.” Jesus tells the man, “Sir, what you get is not up to me, it’s up to you, what you receive is based on what you believe.” What Jesus said to the man is not just for him, it’s for all of us. What we receive from God is based on what we believe. Now the father does something smart, he tells Jesus that he believes and asks for help with any areas of unbelief that would stop him from getting his miracle. Guess what? Jesus heals his son! Praise the Lord!

But the story doesn’t end there. The disciples asked Jesus why they couldn’t heal the boy. He tells them because of their unbelief. One translation says because you don’t take God seriously enough! The only way to receive anything from God is to believe that HE is willing and able. We must take God at His Word even when the situation seems impossible. What do you need from God? Healing? Peace? Deliverance? Nothing is impossible if you can believe.

As we see the power of God produce change in our lives, we also release our faith to impact the lives of others. We don't want to be like the disciples who couldn't help the father and son because don't believe. Take God seriously and watch faith change your life and the lives of others.

God, what do you have planned for me in 2012?

It's time to prepare! God has an amazing 2015 planned for you and you have a part to play in making it your reality! Let's start with reflecting over 2011. 

What are your 5 biggest accomplishments of 2014?

1.     _____________________________________________

2.     _____________________________________________

3.     _____________________________________________

4.     _____________________________________________

5.     _____________________________________________

Give yourself a pat on the back! If you are like most people you accomplished some great things and now it's time to move forward. The strength of progress is vision. If you don't know where you're going or what it looks like, how will you know when you get there or if you are off course? You won't! The great news is you don't have to create your vision from scratch! God already has a magnificent plan for your life! James 1 tells us that when we lack wisdom, we should ask God and He will share liberally! God wants you to know His plans for your life and the path you need to take to get there!

Here's the question to ask: God, what do you have planned for my life in 2014?

Spend some time asking God to show you in a way that you can understand what He desires for your life. Then write down what He places in your heart. Remember that God cares about EVERY area of your life so He wants to speak to you about your spiritual walk, relationships, health, finances, even your vacations. So what is God saying?

Habakkuk 2:2-3 (NLT)

“Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that the runner can read it and tell everyone.”

As believers, the visions we write should be His answer to this question?

“What do you have planned for my life in 2015?”

What is your vision for 2012 (pick one area of life, health, finances, relationships, career, etc.)? Be as specific as possible.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are 5-7 action steps you need to take to make this vision manifestation?

1.   ______________________________________________

2.    ______________________________________________

3.   ______________________________________________

4.   ______________________________________________

5.    ______________________________________________

6.    ______________________________________________

7.     ______________________________________________

What are the biggest hindrances facing your vision?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is your plan to overcome these challenges?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I challenge you to print this and read it daily. Make sure that you are doing the work to make your dreams reality! It's time to live your dreams!

Live the life you were created a live - a repost

I'm always thinking about thinking ... mainly because I understand that my thinking controls every area of my life. I know from past experiences that trying to change areas of my life without changing my thinking only produces a temporary change. Before long I revert back to my previous behavior. Why is this? Because for the most part our thinking is set on auto pilot. We just cruise along at the same altitude until we hit a little turbulence that causes us to adjust, but just like the auto pilot, once we have navigated the storm we return to our programed altitude. Often our desire to change comes from a crisis. For example, we when we get our paycheck and it's not enough to pay our bills, we talk about getting another job and promise to do something different, but once we pass through the storm we settle back into auto pilot. We do the same with our health, our relationships and dreams.

We know we want more, we know God has created us for more, but yet we stay in the comfort of auto pilot. Why? Because even though we want change, we haven't done the work to produce change where it matters most...in our thinking. As a result, we continue to repeat the same cycle expecting a different outcome, even though we know it's insanity. We offer up so many excuses as to why we don't change, but in reality all those excuses cover up the real thing holding us back ... fear!

"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." (Nelson Mandela receives the credit for saying this, but he was actually quoting Mariam Williamson. In the end it doesn't really matter who said it first, it's true.)

Fear causes us to accept just existing rather than living which is so far beneath the abundant life God created for us. Fear causes us to refuse to allow the God given dreams in us to become the reality we live! Fear causes us to be more comfortable with things that we should never tolerate. Fear controls our thinkink causing us to place and accept limitations as normal living. We get so focused on how hard it is to return to school that we can't even envision oursleves with the degree in hand. Our fear keeps us from seeing that millions of others have overcome the same issue...not because they are favored or more blessed, but because they eradicated the fear by dealing with their thinking. They disproved the lies established by fear by taking consistent counter actions to their fears.

If others have overcome fear to achieve their goals, then I can...you can. But the first step is deal with our thinking. Here are four things we must do to change our thinking so that we can live abundantly

1) Locate ourselves - How do we think? Spend time thinking about our thinking. Why did I respond that way? Am I limiting myself? Why do I procastinate?

2) Make a Commit to Change - We must make a quality decision that enough is enough and that we are willing to do the work necessary to produce the change we desire.

3) Surround ourselves with successful others - Our environment is always working on us so the best thing we can do is surround ourselves with others who are also committed to living abundantly

4) Develop successful systems - We need plans to make our dreams come true. Nothing just happens. If the goal is weight loss, then let's plan our meals and schedule our workout time...it won't happen if we don't. If we're going to start a business, carve out time to work on the business plan and teach others in your life to respect that time. If the goal is to grow spiritually, then make bible reading and church attendance a priority and don't read your bible when you're sleepy...you know you are going to fall asleep.

5) Do all you can and trust God to do what you can't. God wants you to succeed way more than you do. He's given you everything you need to be successful, however, He needs you to do your part. When you have done the natural...you can expect the supernatural.

Each of us is here on purpose for a purpose. Our lives are more than being consumed with uninspiring activities and reality tv. Let's be the best we can be, make a difference in our lives, those we love and the world!

The Conflict of Warfare

I wonder why it’s so hard to understand

The most serious spiritual battles

Take place in the inner man

For the lover of God

There is no greater stress

Than the battles that transpire between Spirit & flesh

Resist the devil and he will flee

How exactly do I resist when he’s part of me?

If loving that man is wrong I don’t wanna be right

But I long to be pleasing in God’s sight

I’m struggling and it seems no one can see

I guess it’s because the conflict takes place inside of me

I go to church, read the Word and I pray

But when he calls me late at night I don’t always say

NO

But I want to oh so bad

Am I really saved or do I need to rededicate again?

Is there any escape from this life of sin?

Like Paul the very thing I hate to do

Is the very thing I do again

Dag! Somebody help me

Can anybody see

How in the world do I crucify

This part of me that’s fighting not to die

 They say “She really doesn’t love God”

But that’s not my reality

The truth is, it’s my love for Him

Keeping me from completely giving in

Hold on before you make a judgment

About my spirituality

I’d prefer you offer up some prayer

And some accountability

It may not be the lure of sex

That pulls you off your path

Could it be guilt from your abortion

That makes you over eat

Maybe you just talk too much

Do you ever lie or cheat

Whatever your secret battle

There’s only one way victory is won

Is life hidden in God’s only Son

Let His love constrain you

Let His Word re-train you

Don’t run from Him

Run to Him

It’s His power that sets you free from sin

Your own striving and struggling leads to failure again

Remember He is greater than any trap of sin

I may not be perfect but I’m better than before

The more I look at Jesus, the more I win the war

I don’t answer the late night calls

Near as often as I use to

I’m learning that if I resist him

He will flee

As long as I remember

That sin isn’t the real Me!

Love your job? You should!

One of the biggest issues with creating a job we love is our belief system. We are conditioned to think work/career has to be a certain way and we follow that path even when it leaves us unfulfilled in some area. Most people have jobs to meet their needs alone. A job should fulfill your passion and pay your bills. In order to create a job that does both you must deal with your thinking. My strategy is actually get go clear about that God wants more for me and then work with Him to create it. 

This could mean starting a business or simply redefining how you view and value your skills, talents and strengths. I personally believe that God cares about where we work, how much we make and whether we enjoy our work because it affects every other area of our lives. If you hate your job, your family certainly suffers from that and it makes sharing God's love in action at work extremely difficult. Anyway, below are some steps that I've put together. Tell me what you think. Do you see how they can assist you is your quest for a new job?



1. Decide that working a job that you allows you to be your best you AND pays you handsomely IS THE WILL OF GOD! Apply John 10:10 to your career. God wants you to have job that pays abundantly and allows you to fulfill your dreams. The enemy wants to steal that from you by keeping you tied to a job simply because it pays the bills. Spend time in God’s word and with



2. Imagine what that job would look like. Many people say they want a better job and more money, but what does that really look like for you? Do you want to make $50.00 more annually or $50,000? What time do want to work? Do you want to work from home? Too many people underestimate the value of their imagination, but until you can see it internally you’ll never live it externally. Even God created the world based on an inner vision. You’re created to do the same! So get clear about what it looks like.

3. Write it down – The Bible tells us to write the vision and make it plain so where’s your vision concerning your job? Don’t just write it, read it continually and make a confession that you say over it. For example, “Father I thank you that you have given me the gift working with numbers and I use that gift to build wealth for my family and advance the kingdom.” I thank you that my gifts allow me to make at least 100,000 annually. I work with people that I like and like me. It is a pleasant, relaxed and productive environment. I am an asset to my company because I am constantly added value by solving problems and making the company more profitable. As a result, I continuously experience increase on my job.” I could go on and on, but you get the picture.



4. Research – What industries or jobs best fit your personality? There are lots of free personality and job assessment tools online, take advantage of them.



5. Find Mentors – Who has done what you want to do? Who has a job that seems cool to you? Invite them out for lunch or coffee (you pay) and pick their brains. Come prepared with questions to ask…don’t waste their time. If you don’t have anyone close, read and read and read! Someone has done something similar to what you desire; you just have to search them out.



6. Create it – If the job you want doesn’t exist; create it. You can do that by using your faith to call it into existence or by literally starting a company that does what you need. Even the job you work today was created by someone…why not you?



7. Be committed to your goal, but flexible in your approach – Whether the goal is to be a VP or small business owner there are so many different paths! If something doesn’t work out, keep moving forward! Too many people get stuck because they are more focused on the mistake than what they learned from it. Mistakes are a part of life. If you decide something is right for you, change directions…it’s okay to do that!



8. Invest in yourself – You may have to go to job that you really don’t like right now, but what are you doing in your free time? What are you reading on your lunch break? What are you learning while you sit in the car while the kids are at soccer practice? If you want something different, you have to learn something different.



Let me leave you with this: I’ve watched my husband create his dream job several times by doing what I shared above. Once a company set up an office in Arkansas to do a new program and he got the job…it paid what he wanted and let him work from home a lot. Another time, a company restructured so he could work from home just to have him on their team. It can be done, if you will believe.

I’m personally creating a company that allows me to do what I love “Helping people win in Life” and still be present and active for my and pastor. In order to do it, I gave up my t.v. time but I gain additional income doing what I love. If we can do it, you can do too! Let me know your progress!