When the Enemy STRIKES Chapter one review
Know his tactics, he comes ONLY to steal, kill and destroy!!!
Godsfruitful
Encouraging others in Christ
Archive for the category “Testing”
It’s NOT about today…It’s about eternity:)))
After a week of vacation,
and a POWERFUL Easter Sunday, I’d say that I’m a tad behind on blogging
and reading others blogs…
I must admit that I feel very blessed that a good number of you have said that you look forward to reading my post for encouragement.
My purpose is exactly for that reason which also glorifies Christ:)))
2 CORINTHIANS 4:16-18
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Today, a good friend and I met to walk and catch up. We discussed our physical limitations, family situations, and had a wonderful time of encouraging each other in the Lord. Oh, how we will continue to face obstacles in this life on earth, but we must keep our commitment to serving Christ.
Rather than giving up when persecution wore him down, Paul concentrated on experiencing the inner strength from the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16).
FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: Don’t let fatigue, pain, or criticism force you off the job for Christ. Our ultimate hope in terrible illness, persecution, or pain is realizing that this life is not all there is-there is life after death!
Let’s remember that we will live forever with God in a place without sin and suffering! 🙂
Mesmerized memorizers we MUST BE!!
Some days are better than others aren’t they? It seems that situations can happen and redirect our entire day.
We can depend on on
e sure area that will never redirect us, and that is God’s Word.
God’s Word is real and beautiful. Stay true to God and His Word no matter how bad the world becomes.
Obedience to God’s law is the only way to achieve real happiness.
PSALMS 119
This is the longest psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible. It may have been written by Ezra after the Temple was rebuilt (Ezra 6:14, 15) as a repetitive meditation on the beauty of God’s Word and how it helps us stay pure and grow in faith.
This psalm has 22 carefully constructed sections, each corresponding to a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet and each verse beginning with the letter of its section. Almost every verse mentions God’s Word. Such repetition was common in the Hebrew culture.
People did not have personal copies of the Scriptures to read as we do, so God’s people memorized His Word and passed it along orally. The structure of this psalm allowed for easy memorization. Remember, God’s Word, the Bible, is the only sure guide for living a pure life.
FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: Storing God’s Word in our hearts is a deterrent to sin. This alone should inspire us to memorize Scripture. But memorization alone will not keep us from sin; we must also put God’s Word to work in our lives, making it a vital guide to everything we do.
Believing, RESISTING and living VICTORIOUSLY :))))
As Christians, do you know that we are told to RESIST the devil? Scripture tells us to resist the devil, and he will flee from us
I cherish the Word of God, and believe every WORD is TRUE AND GOD BREATHED!! Now…let’s apply it!
I don’t know about you, BUT I for one am TOTALLY resisting him.
I have had it with him sneaking around, as well as slipping right on up and using people. We must be aware of what God’s Word tells us to do and live as He has called us to live.
JAMES 4:7-10
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
Although God and satan are at war, we don’t need to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated satan (Colossians 2:13-15; Revelation 12:10-12), and when Christ returns, satan and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20:10-15). satan is here now, however, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause. With the Holy Spirit’s power, we can resist satan, and he will flee from us.
How can you draw close (“nigh“) to God? James gives five suggestions? (1) “Submit to God“(4:7), Realize that you need his forgiveness, and be willing to follow Him. (2) “Resist the devil” (4:7). Don’t allow him to entice and tempt you. (3) “Cleanse your hands… and purify your hearts”(that is lead a pure life) (4:8). Be cleansed from sin, replacing it with God’s purity. (4) Let there be fears, sorrow, and sincere grief for your sins, (4:9). Don’t be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for them. (5) Humble yourself before God, and He will lift you up (4:10; 1 Peter 5:6).
FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: God has given us what we need to live a powerful and victorious life in Christ. The same power that raised our LORD and SAVIOUR from the grave is alive and available to us as Christians today. We must make ourselves disciplined to reading and applying His Word in our lives DAILY!
LET US DO OUR PART AND RESIST THE devil AND he WILL FLEE…he HAS NO CHOICE BECAUSE OUR SCRIPTURES TELL US THAT he WILL FLEE!!
(I always put my Armour on (EPHESIANS 6:11-17) first thing in the morning and rebuke the devil in JESUS NAME!!)
Are you distressed with your thorn today? DON’T BE :))
Did you expect NOT to learn the hard way? As I look back over the past nine years since accepting Christ into my heart, I realize just how much I didn’t know when making my profession of faith. I understood and trusted that Christ died for my sins, forgave my sins once I repented, and my salvation was secure in Him. The Holy Spirit indwelled and filled me with a willingness and hunger that’s always been hard to explain, in fact, my family sometimes thought I may have been just a little over the top at times :))!!
I’ve recently begun to understand that it truly is trials in life that cause us to grow in our trust in Christ. I’m talking about situations that cause you to know what it means to say “I’m a sinner saved by GRACE.” 
It’s only after repeated attempts to get out of where we currently are trapped in our situations that we have no control over, That we are finally aware that He is entirely in control and will give us all that we stand in need of this day and every day.
2 CORINTHIANS 12:8-10
8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ sakes: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
We don’t know what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was because he doesn’t tell us. Some have suggested that it was Malaria, epilepsy, or a disease of the eyes (Galatians 4:13-15). Whatever it was, it was a chronic and debilitating physical problem, which at times kept him from working.
This thorn was a hindrance to his ministry, and he prayed for its removal, but God refused. Paul was a very self-sufficient person, so this thorn was difficult for him. It kept Paul humble, reminded him of his need for constant contact with God and benefited those around him as they saw God at work in his life.
FRUITFUL OBSERVATION: Although God did not remove Paul’s affliction, He promised to demonstrate His power in Paul. God’s power shows up in weak people and should give us courage.
Let us recognize our limitations, admit our weaknesses and affirm God’s strength today and every day!
**PLEASE READ**
Hello blogging family:)
I hope that you all are well and busy encouraging others in Christ!! You all are a blessing to me and encouraging as well:))
I want to tell you about ‘FRUIT BITES’ !!
A FRUIT BITE is a 2 minute video segment for encouragement. I hope to upload on M W F.
I hope it will encourage others. Sometimes it’s easier to watch than to read, so maybe on the days that you are running short on reading time, you can just listen to the 2 minute FRUIT BITE
and get a BIG BITE of encouragement to help you along in your day!
God Bless you ALL and please continue to keep up the GREAT EFFORTS that you all put forth with encouraging others in Christ!!
I’m stepping out of my comfort zone with creating FRUIT BITES. We must be fruitful for Him! 🙂
Sincerely,
Kim Mefford
Godsfruitful.net
Godsfruitful 