Do You Really Know that God Loves You? Part 1: Patient and Kind

Did you know that God loves you? I know this might seem like a stupid question but do you really know with all your heart that God loves you. I was asked this question about 2 years ago and it really shocked me to my core. For the first time I was confused about whether or not God loved me. On a cerebral level I understood that God loved me. I knew the precious sacrifice he made by sending His only Son to die, was a sacrifice of love. But beyond that, for some reason my heart had a hard time translating that notion. I think not fulling understanding that God loved me came from my misunderstanding of Love.

To understand what love really means is to understand God for God is Love and He is perfect in all His ways. Often times we tend to lean unto out own understanding. Proverbs 6: 5 - 6 says

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct[a] your paths.

When we take the world's concept of love and try to project that on God's Word, it fails miserably. We begin to pigeon hole God in our definition of love.

Two years ago, I was dealing with issues of God's love for me. There were moments when I thought, God just doesn't love me. I am not sure how the enemy planted that seed in my mind and heart but he did. God's love is divine and to understand it we must go to His word. I am sure most of you know the following verse but let's really look at it.

1Corinthians 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I  am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,[a] but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Starting at verse 4: Love is long suffering (patient) and kind. I, by nature, am an impatient person. It is by the grace of God that I can practice patience. I, like most people, want what I want, when I want it and how I want it. This is in direct contradiction to what the Word says. Love/God is patient. That means, while I was dead in my sin, He patiently waited for me to realize the error of my ways. He, being my creator, waited patiently as I played the harlot, trying to run after the desires of my wicked heart.  Any normal person would have walked away. I know so many couples who have faced infidelity in their marriage and decided to walk away, but God says, love is patient. It will wait for you to choose it and reciprocate that love. It is kind. Kind according to Marriam Webster's dictionary is defined as;  having or showing a gentle nature and a desire to help others : wanting and liking to do good things and to bring happiness to others. Love desires to help and to do good things. There is none good but God. He is the author of all things good. I can't tell you how many times I have asked God for something that in my understanding was good and He did not give me what I desired. In those moments of God denying my request I often attributed it to the fact that He just didn't't love me. After all, if I asked my earthly father for something and it was within his means to obtain it for me, he would do it with no questions asked. The difference between God and my earthly father is that God sees the results of my requests. He alone knows what is good for me. So although my earthly father means well, he could do me harm if he does not consult the Lord before honoring my request. We don't always understand what God is doing, but if we don't understand, let us pray that the lie that He doesn't love us, does not take root in our lives. If we begin to believe this lie, we render God a liar and He cannot lie. God wants good things to happen to you, He wants you to be happy, but the only person that can define that is God. We can't apply our limited understanding to what happiness looks like. For us, happiness is subjective but to God happiness is absolute and defined by God. To understand true happiness, you will need to seek God. You will need to understand why scripture says 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4).

Have any of you struggled with understanding the love of God, specifically as it applies to your relationship with Him? How did you overcome?

 Over the next couple of weeks I would like to explore the attributes of love, which in reality are the attributes of God.

Smoke and Mirrors: A Disillusioned Generation

My sister and I went out Thursday night this pass week for Fashion Night Out. The event started in 2009 and we have been out shopping that night since it started. We have always had a good time and enjoyed getting free gifts, food & discounts. We were on a mission this time to get dresses for our cousin's wedding this month. After attending the prayer meeting at our church we headed down to Soho to a couple of stores. When we got out of the station there was a large crowd that we have never seen before!
There were so many people out and in one area. It was extremely overwhelming, considering all the crime that happened over labor day weekend, we were a bit worried. We normally do not like large groups of people and avoid them like the plague but we wanted to go to a particular store. On our way to the store we encountered a lot of disheartening events. Young women were dressed in scantily clad outfits, young men were cat calling the girls, individuals were dressed as the opposite sex and all types of inappropriate behavior. It was like watching numerous identity crisis happening all around us. The girls paraded around imitating their favorite celebrities. You could tell that they have bought into the lies of the media about who they are, their worth and what they should look like. The guys approaching the girls were vulgar in their pursuit. They were unnecessarily aggressive, inappropriate and disrespectful. There were many young men dressed as women or acting extremely effeminate.
We were disturbed by what we witnessed. I recently completed The Vision by David Wilkerson and my sister is reading it now. Pastor David talks about the lewdness, lawlessness and flood of filth that will happen in the last days that He saw in the vision that God gave him. It grieves my spirit to see that happening right now with this generation. It also made me upset how the enemy has deceived the masses to believe what they are not. These young people are trying to be celebrities, relevant or important.
Little do they know that they are already stars that have a divine purpose and call on their precious lives. They don't need to pretend to be something that they are not. They are made in the image of an amazing Creator that loves and cares for them unconditionally. Please keep this generation in prayer. We were all here at one point of our lives. We need to pray that we reflect Christ to the world. If these young people can see Christ in us they will be drawn to him. God said that if He be lifted up He would draw all men unto Him. If Christ is lifted up in our lives everywhere we go He will draw men unto Himself. Please continue to be prayerful and allow the Holy Spirit to move you to impact this generation.

Who Is The Enemy? - Part 3 & 4: His Devices and Our Weapons

(*Note - Originally, this was meant to be two separate posts, but I think they are stronger together)

11Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. (2 Corinthians 2:11 - KJVersion)

We’ve explored the enemy and his names; now let’s look at some of the devices he uses to attack us and the weapons that God has given us to triumph over them. To be honest, the devil is a one trick pony. He really only has one weapon but that weapon can take various forms. At the end of the day, the devil only has his lies (wiles). It was his 1st weapon and its his last weapon until the Lord comes! One weapon! That’s all! But for one weapon, God gives us many spiritual weapons to combat it.

Wiles = Lies, tricks, deception, lies, temptation, fiery darts (false accusations about us), snare, traps, strongholds (fortress of lies built up around the existence of the enemy in a person’s life).

We should know that these are the usual weapons he uses. You can see this throughout the bible. Wiles can be combated in many ways, scripture says:

Ephesians 6:10-18 (King James Version)
10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14Stand therefore, having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

There is a great website that gives illustrations of the armor that God has given us. Check out: http://www.christianarsenal.com/FullArmour.htm

God has fully equipped us. Let’s look a little closer.

Fiery Darts (v.16) are a major weapon that the devil chooses to use against God’s people. Fiery darts are filled with accusations about us. A lot of these accusations are not directed to God about us, because there is nothing that the enemy can tell God about His children. Instead, these accusations (darts) are directed at us. They are meant to stir up feelings in us that cause us to feel guilty about the things that we have done in the past. Many of the very same things God has already forgiven us about. He, the enemy, loves to bring back feeling of worthlessness, filthiness, helplessness and unforgiveness which work to make us want to withdraw from the Lord or think that we are not useful in God’s kingdom. They also attack our self –esteem, pointing out who we used to be to make us feel worthless. These feelings are extremely detrimental to the walk of a Christian. In order to combat these feelings, we have to look to God’s word for what he says about us.
The 1st and most important thing to know is, you are not who you used to be. II Corinthians 5: 17 states; 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Don’t allow this dart to penetrate you. Remember how you are in Christ. God also says in Psalm 139:14 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. God knows you and loves you. He knows you have failed in areas in your life, but you came to Him to be set free and changed. Allow God to do a perfect work in your life and don’t allow the devil to discourage you. Keep “pressing towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).
*Direct Scripture: Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (Ephesians 6:16). You must have faith that God has changed you and is working in you. Never loose your faith!
*Prayer Tip: When you pray, especially in the morning, declare in the name of Jesus Christ, the name that is above every name, that all fiery darts from the enemy will fall short and that by the power of the Almighty God, they will be trampled under your feet.

A Stronghold is a fortress of lies built up around the existence of the enemy in a person’s life. Usually a stronghold can be built by not combating fiery darts. Accumulated fiery darts can and will produce strongholds. In order to combat strongholds you need to know the Truth, which is Christ Jesus. You need to understand what His blood did for you on Calvary. How it cleansed you and set you free. Often times, strongholds cause God’s people to become depressed. When one is depressed they begin to withdraw. Christians going through depression start withdraw from fellowship with the body of Christ, ministry, God etc. In order to combat this you need to confuse the enemy. Start praising God! There is nothing more confusing to the devil than when you are going through tough times or depression than to praise God. In his mind, there is nothing to be happy about. But for Christian we know that we can be happy because deliverance is near. Praise Him when you wake up! Thank Him for life and ask him for deliverance from the strongholds! He will do it, just believe and have faith!

Temptation is one devise that we should all be familiar with. The number one tool God has given us to overcome temptation is prayer. Jesus said to His disciples in Mark 14:38, “Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak”. Pray always; if we are in constant communication with God then we can not be tempted for there is no temptation when you are in His presence. Even when you feel temptation coming, call upon the name of the Lord and believe and He will deliver you. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He said to pray, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil” (Mathew 6:13). We can overcome temptation with the Word of the Lord just as Christ did when he was being tempted (read Luke 4:1-13). You can defeat the devil with the Word of the Lord. If that tool was good enough for Jesus, imagine what it will do for us.

Truly, the only way we can defeat the enemy is by getting into the Word of God, having faith and seeing with spiritual eyes. God has given us a bevy of tools. Also, be diligent in asking the Lord for the Spirit of Discernment which will help you to overcome the devil and know him when he approaches. God will equip us, He has promised to and He has shown us how to. And when you are under attack and feel so helpless and don’t know what to do, simply call on the name of Jesus. Scripture says, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place”. (II Corinthian 2:14) Claim it and claim the victory! Remember the battle is already won, so stand in the knowledge of our Lord and resist the devil!

We hope that this series has truly helped you understand how to defeat the enemy. We pray that you will always walk in victory!

Who Is The Enemy? (Part 2: His Names)

What is our enemy called? Many of us know him as the devil or Satan, but his very name gives insight as to who he is and what he is about. Here are just a couple of the names he is referred to in the Bible;

Accuser
Father of Lies (Liar)
Adversary
Evil Spirit
Tempter

His name tells us that he is a liar, a manipulator and evil. A pastor once explained that God is good and because God is the beginning then that makes him the original good. So all things good come from God nothing can be good unless God has a part in it. Therefore, on the converse side, if Satan is evil and we know him as the 1st evil then nothing but evil comes from him and he has his hand in anything evil. His intentions will never be good.

The Liar: His ultimate goal is to try to convince us that we have messed up and that there is no forgiveness for us. But if we know the Lord our God, we know that He is a forgiving God. A God that believes in forgiveness so much that He sent His only Son to die a sinner’s death to reconcile us to Him. The devil wants you to believe that you have messed up so much that God doesn’t want anything to do with you. The feelings that are born from this type of lie creates depression and withdrawal from God and His Holy presence. These lies cause for some to want to commit suicide, hurt others and bring about other destructive behavior. So the next time you are feeling depressed, or think that you are not worthy of the Lord, tell that liar to get behind you in the name of Jesus. Tell that liar that there is no place in your life for his lies because your very life is owned and consumed by the Lord your God.

The Accuser: Have you ever known someone who has tried to get you into trouble? They try to say and do anything to make you look bad? That’s what the devil tries to do. He is just waiting to speak against us in front of the Lord.

Zechariah 3: 1-10

1Then he showed me Joshuaa the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satanb standing at his right side to accuse him. 2The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”
3Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”
Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”
5Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
6The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7“This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here.
8“‘Listen, O high priest Joshua and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. 9See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyesc on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.
10“‘In that day each of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and fig tree,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

In this passage Satan is illustrated as an accuser. He is just waiting to speak against Joshua the Priest (not to be confused with Joshua to successor to Moses). The priest is dressed in filthy clothes with represents sin and shame. He has probably done some things in his life that he needs to repent for. But God sees the potential and instructs His angel to take away the filthy clothes and to give him clean clothes. Now you can probably imagine Satan pitching a fit. He’s inevitably perturbed that the Lord is willing to forgive Joshua and set him over His people. Place yourself in the priest’s shoes. At some point in our life God calls us. And He says, “I will take away all your sin, your past, your shame and I will give you clean hands and a clean heart, and I will cause you to walk in My ways. I will give you a position in My kingdom and cause you to reign with Me. I will give you a divine purpose, one that will not be snatched away by the Accuser. You will fulfill this purpose if you keep your eyes on Me and keep My Words in your heart. I will cause you to be obedient to My will so that your time on earth will be used to the furtherance of My kingdom.” We all stand before the Lord of Hosts and the Accuser. While the Accuser is trying to point out why we are not good enough God is saying you are good enough. He is saying that He will make you strong and that you can do all things because He strengthens you. Don’t pay attention to the Accuser, don’t listen to his allegations. Stand before the Lord with assurance that He will bring your through and that nothing the Accuser says will stop the Lord from loving you and using you.

The Tempter: It’s no shock that one of his many names is Tempter. If he had the nerve to try to tempt Jesus, surely he is trying to tempt us. He’s so good at trying to tempt people that he even uses (misuses) the Word of God. This is so clearly illustrated in The New Testament, when Jesus is nearing the end of His 40 day fast and the devil comes to try to tempt Him. Read Matthew 4: 1-11 and Luke 4: 1-13.

All his names reveal his character and expose his devices. The next post will explore these devices and his weapons and the final post will conclude with how we can defeat this foe.