The Evil Within My Mind

                                                 When The Door Slams 

For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me. So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God's law. But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh, to the law of sin.             Romans 7:19-25 HCSB   

            All of the "roaring and groaning" of my spiritual desire to overcome evil in my heart--this reached your ears [O Lord]...Now I see that I was searching for the answer outwardly--trying to reason with my mind the best way to escape temptation--when the freeing knowledge I sought could only come by the Holy Spirit as it brings inner light. As long as I kept struggling in this way, I was unable to return to the place where my soul might receive fullness and well-being and rest and joy.

            But you, O Lord, who abides forever--you are not angry with us in our fumbling blindness. You are so merciful to "dust." It was pleasing to you to reshape the deformity that was causing my blindness. You kept stirring me with the sense that I was missing some secret goodness that is in you. O Lord, you kept me in a state of restlessness. Finally, I saw, inwardly, the truth about the origin of evil! 

            I saw how superior I felt, in my striving for spiritual well-being and sufficiency--but in all this striving I was still totally inferior to you. I had been so blind to what I was doing, because pride is like a spiritual wound to the face, swelling shut the inner eyes of understanding. And through this swollenness of pride and disobedient, I was fumbling in the darkness of my mind separated from you. But your healing hand applied to my eyes a stinging ointment that caused repentance and my pride and self-sufficiency to subside. 

            I was given a true understanding for my sinful condition. And at the same moment I saw myself in this way, I looked upon you and your mercy for me...From that day to this, I have kept this stinging ointment for my sins--the pain that causes me to run to you for the healing of my soul, and not away from you but in my pride, mistakenly thinking that I can somehow prove my worthiness. For I see now that this pride--self-sufficiency before you--is the source of the evil within my mind. 

            Affirmation: The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. He lets me lie down in green pasture; He leads me beside quiet waters. He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name's sake. Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff--they comfort me (Psalm 23:1-4 HCSB).     

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                                Never Rest Ministries

The Biblical Answers Have To Be Lived And Not Just A Thought

                                                  When The Door Slams

Until we all reach unity in the faith and in  the knowledge of God's Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ's fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head--Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.                            (Ephesians 4:13-16 HCSB)                                                

            I firmly believe in acquainting children with God's judgment and wrath while they are young. Nowhere in the Bible are we instructed to skip over the unpleasant scriptures in our teaching. The wages of sin is death, and children have a right to understand that fact.  

            When we accept Christ as Savior, we must also acknowledge and then act upon the fact that if He is our Savior, He is also our Lord in all life. He is Lord not just in religious things and not just in cultural things such as art and music, but in our intellectual lives and in business and in our attitude toward the devaluation of people's humanness in our culture. 

            Acknowledging Christ's Lordship and placing ourselves under what is taught in the whole Bible includes thinking and acting as citizens in relation to our government and its laws. We must know what those laws are and act responsibly to help to change them if they do not square with the Bible's concepts of justice and humanness. The biblical answers have to be lived and not just a thought.

            We must live under the Lordship of Christ in all areas of life--at great cost, If need be. It is a faithful life to think of the Christians in China, paying a great price for their loyalty to Christ, but that does not relieve each of us from being under the Lordship of Christ in regard to our own country. 

            Think about this: With Christ as Savior and Lord, we must do all that we can to lead others to Christ. And simultaneously we must use every constitutional practice to offset the rise of authoritarian governments and the loss of humanness in society. But there is no use in talking of offsetting the loss humanness in society if we do not act humanly to all people about us in the contacts of our individual lives.

            Affirmation: We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him for the administration of the days fulfillment--to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him (Ephesians 1:7-10). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness 

                                               Never Rest Ministries                  

              

                

The First Fruit Of Our Justification Is Peace With God

                                                 When the Door Slams

All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.            John 14:25-27 NIV

            The struggle we have with a holy God is rooted in the conflict between God's righteousness and our unrighteousness. He is just and we are unjust. This tension creates fear, hostility, and anger within us toward God. The unjust person does not desire the company of a just judge. We become fugitives fleeing from the presence of One whose glory can blind us and whose justice can condemn us. We are at war with Him unless or until we are justified. Only the justified person can be comfortable in the presence of a holy God.

            The Apostle Paul set forth immediate benefits--fruits of justification. In...Romans he explains what happens to us when we are justified, when we are covered by the righteousness of Christ that is by faith: "Since we have been made right with God by our faith, we have peace with God. This happened through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has brought us into that blessing of God's grace that we now enjoy. And we are happy because of the hope we have of sharing God's glory" (Romans 5:1-2). 

            Think about this: The first fruit of our justification is peace with God. To the ancient Jew peace was a precious, but elusive commodity. The present-day turmoil in the Mid-East seems like a replay...The Jew longed for peace. He yearned for the day when swords would be beaten into plowshares. He waited for the time  when the Prince of Peace would come to end  the incessant hostilities. So important to the Jew was this quest for peace that the very word peace became a daily greeting. Where we say "hello" or "good-bye," the Jew said, "Shalom." 

            Renewal: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:15-17 NIV)        

 Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                            Never Rest Ministries

               

Fear Is Not Your Master

                                                 When The Door Slams

The LORD is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life--of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.                                                                                          Psalm 27:1-3 NIV 

             Are you afraid? Does it bother you and lower your self-esteem? Do you try to deny it? Well, don't. Because the truth is, you are not alone in your fears. We are all afraid. My fears may not be the same as yours, but they are there nonetheless. 

            You may be afraid of the dark, whereas I am afraid to speak in front of a large group.... Fear is not my master....You may be afraid that you are going to come down with an incurable disease, and I may worry that I am going to be involved in an automobile accident....Fear is not my master. But one way or another, we all have our doubts about the future, our worries, and our fears....Fear is not your LORD. 

            If you tell yourself you should not be afraid, or to fear something that makes you a coward, then it is time for you to lower your expectations in that regard, fear has a price to high and it will take you to a place you don't want to go. 

            Very often, the person who has tendencies in the direction of defeated perfectionism has a problem with his fears. He tries to deny them and fight against them, which don't usually do any good at all, and then he berates himself for being a coward. He don't realize that courage really has nothing to do with the absence of fear.

            Think about this: If you tense up and fight it, chances are that it is really going to grab ahold of you. If you tell yourself things like, Stop being afraid, stop having butterflies in the stomach and you probably going to aggravate things. But, if you learn to admit that you are afraid, just go with it and accept it, you can overcome it. 

            This great law briefly and simply stated is that if you think in negative terms you will get negative results. If you think in positive terms you will achieve positive results. That is the simple fact which is at the basis of an astonishing law of prosperity and success. Believe and succeed that fear is not your master.

            Intercession: Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, "LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you  (2 Chronicles 14:11 NIV).

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                        Never Rest Ministries                       

                   

              

How Can We Carry The Burden Of Reality As Christians

                                                 When The Door Slams

Where there is no [wise, intelligent] guidance, the people fall [and go off course like a ship without a helm], But in the abundance of [wise and godly] counselors there is victory. He who puts up security and guarantees a debt for an outsider will surely suffer[for his foolishness], But he who hates (declines) being a guarantor is secure [from its penalties]. A gracious and good woman attains honor, And ruthless men attain riches [but not respect]. The merciful and generous man benefits his soul [for his behavior returns to bless him], But the cruel and callous man does himself harm. The wicked man earns deceptive wages But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].                      Proverbs 11: 14-18 AMP

            How can we remain open to all human tragedies and aware of the vast ocean of human suffering without becoming mentally paralyzed and depressed? How can we live a healthy and creative life when we are constantly reminded of the fate of the millions who are poor, sick, hungry and persecuted? How can we even smile when we keep being confronted by pictures of tortures and executions?  

            Maybe, for the time being, we have to accept the many fluctuations between knowing and not knowing, seeing and not seeing, feeling and not feeling, between days in which the whole world seems like a rose garden and days in which our hearts seem tied to a signpost between moments of ecstatic joy and moments of gloom depression, between the humble confession that the world wide web holds more than our souls can bear and the realization that it is only through facing up to reality of our world that we can grow into our own responsibility.

            Maybe we have to be tolerant toward our own avoidances and denials in the conviction that we cannot force ourselves to face what we are not ready to respond to and in the hope that in one future day we will have the courage and strength to open our eyes fully and see without being destroyed. All this might be the case as long as we remember that there is no hope in denial or avoidance, neither for ourselves nor for anyone else, and that new life can only be born out of the seed planted in crushed soil.

            Think about this: Because of this I do not hesitate to say the person who has learned to live in an "attitude of gratitude" for all God's benefits has found one of the great secrets to successful spiritual living. Nothing pleases God more than our deep appreciation for all that he has done and all that he is. We soon discover that just as there is great tranquility in a human family where appreciation is frequently expressed, so the same is true in the family of God. Try it and you will find your days are full of delight in the power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name.

            Confession: "When my soul was fainting within me, I remembered the LORD, And my prayer came to You, Into Your holy temple. "Those who regard and follow worthless idols turn away from their [living source of] mercy and lovingkindness. "But [as for me], I will sacrifice to You with the voice of thanksgiving; I shall pay that which I have vowed. Salvation is from the LORD  (Jonah 3:7-9 AMP).  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness. 

                                                            Never Rest Ministries         

                                                                                                                              

When The Storms come And They Will

                                                 When The Door Slams

So that whoever believes will on Him have eternal life [after physical death, and will actually live forever]. "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [one and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.                John 3:15-16 AMP 

           When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire Him. When you recognize His wisdom, you will learn from Him. When you discover His strength, you will rely on Him. But only when He saves you will you worship Him.

            It is a "before and after" scenario. Before your rescue, you could easily keep God at a distance. Comfortably dismissed. Neatly shelved. Sure He was important, but so was your career. your status. Your salary. He was high on your priority list, but He shared the spot light with others. 

            Then came the storm...the rage ...the fight...the ripped mooring...the lies of politicians... the starless night. Despair fell like you had lost your only friend; your bearing were gone...what am I going to do now. In your heart, you knew there was no exit.

            Turn to your career to help? Only if you want to hide from the storm...not escape it. Lean on your status for strength? A storm is not impressed with your title. Rely on the government for rescue? Many try....many fail. 

            Suddenly you are left with one option: Lord God Jesus Christ. And when you ask...genuinely ask...He will come. And from that moment on He is not just a deity to admire, a teacher to serve, or a master to obey. He is the Savior. Our Lord and Savior to be worshiped    

            Think about this: The world of Jesus' day was filled with fear. The Romans feared rebellion, and their subjects feared Rome's power. The Sadducees feared the Pharisees, and both were suspicious of the publicans. The hearts of people everywhere were filled with fear and distrust. Life was uncertain, and above all, people feared death. 

            The world lives with fear even today. What is your fear? Do you fear the future? Do you fear life's burdens that sometimes seem almost overwhelming? Do you fear death? Most of us fear everything except God--yet it is God whom we should fear most of all!

            Affirmation: Jesus can put an end to fear for all who trust in Him. "Do not be afraid, Jesus is the answer to any fear you have. After all, God's power is greater than the powers of evil, and "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future...nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).  

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him fore His forgiveness. 

                                                            Never Rest Ministries 

                                  

The Humanitarian Theory Of Punishment

                                                 When The Door Slams

He went on: "What come out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come--sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person."                                    (Mark 7:20-23 NIV)

            As a Christian, I most certainly believe in punishment. Biblical justice demands that individuals be held accountable. Throughout the history of ancient Israel, to break God's law was to invite swift, specific, and certain punishment. When a law was broken, the resulting imbalance could be righted only when the transgressor was punished and thus made to "pay" for his wrong. 

            Though modern sociologists take offense at this elemental concept of retribution, it is essential: If justice means getting one's due, then justice is denied when deserved punishment is not received. And ultimately this undermines one's role as a moral, responsible human being.

            During the 1980's we saw the incredible prison population boom, crime consistently rose. In 1990 alone, violent crime rose 10 percent, and over twenty thousand people were slaughtered in the mean streets of our nation. During the hundred hours in  which the air and ground warfare of Desert Storm bombarded Iraq, more Americans died on the city streets of their own country than in the sands of the Middle East...

            A few years ago two Harvard scholars, criminologist James Wilson and psychologist Richard Herrnstein, undertook a ten-year study to determine the causes of crime. A landmark book was published, Crime and Human Nature, In which they challenged fifty years of conventional wisdom that crime was the result of race, poverty, and social oppression...          Although they determined that intellect and genetics had some effect on behavior, the primary cause of crime was simply individual choice. Those choices...were determined by one's moral conscience which is shaped early in life and most crucially by family and friends . 

            Think about this: It is in the circle of the home where children first learn the importance of individual responsibility. Until we reclaim our families and our children, we will never deal with the moral crisis in our society. 

            This is why the distinction between prison and punishment is so crucial. Prisons, though necessary to confine violent offenders, can hardly be considered redemptive. And while punishment is clearly Biblical, American penal philosophy is not based on the Biblical principle of just deserts that it is founded on a humanistic view that crime is an illness to be cured.

            Affirmation: I will give their wealth as plunder to foreigners and as loot to the wicked of the earth, who will defile it. I will turn my face away from the people, and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure. They will enter it and will defile it. Prepare chains! For the land is full of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence (Ezekiel 7:21-23 NIV). 

Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.                         

                                                 Never Rest Ministries