Author: marquitabp

Are You Behind Enemy Lines?

 

"But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him before the tribunal."  Acts 18:12

 

We all face hard times at some point in our lives.  At those times, it feels like the attacks of the devil and his minions are greater than ever before.  It is easy to get weary in your faith and allow doubt to enter your heart.  We feel like all hope is gone; what makes matters worse is that those around us betray us and help in the discouragement.  When you get to this point, all you long for is an ally and a way out of the bad situation.  But a key problem lies in the fact that sometimes its not us keeping ourselves down, but the company we are keeping. 

 

I'm sure everybody has heard of the saying "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" which is indirectly derived from the scripture Matthew 5:44 "But I say to you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which spitefully use you, and persecute you;".  You have also heard be careful of the company you keep.  In the Gospels, you see that Jesus kept those same 12 disciples and others like Mary of Magdalene, Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary in his company.  He did not have many people changing in and out.  Yet He knew full and well that the devil was after Peter, and that the devil would take Judas Iscariot.  When you are facing seemingly insurmountable difficulties you must guard your eyes of what you see, guard your ears of what you hear, guard your heart of what you allow to get there.  So obviously you must watch your company because we sometimes buy into the negativity they sometimes bring.  You must stay on the offensive with God protecting you to get through difficulties or else the negativity that swirls around you can cause you to be caught off guard.  Because the very people you believe to be your friends will turn their backs on you, or worse yet, feed you lies and negativity to keep you from getting past it.  So give your situation to God, but while you are recovering be sure to evaluate your company so you will not concede defeat.

 

"God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, "You must remove the evil person from among you." " 1 Corinthians 5:13

Go Get Your Healing

 

 "He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds."  Isaiah 53:5

 

Don't laugh, I am not trying to make up for missed days!!  I have been fasting this week and decided that I would take the time to sit here and do the work!  Plus these are all things that have been revealed to me through my readings and just through God's words to my heart.  I am a believer in the works and miracles God has performed through others and directly.  But I have come to know that like everything, you must hold onto your faith in receiving whatever you may be believing God for.  Because the goal of the enemy is to steal your joy and deceive you into not believing in God's promises.

 

I believe there are some key main practices to receiving healing.  You must guard your tongue and mind to the ploys of the devil, being specific and persistent in your requests of God, and having an enduring faith.

 

God speaks several times on the importance of the tongue and words you say in healing. Here in Proverbs 12:18, the Bible says "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, But the tongue of the wise brings healing."  So by speaking recklessly about your situation, or buying into and repeating what the doctors say, you program your mind and heart to buy into death.  You allow the devil's thought insertion and deception tactics to overpower your faith. "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."  Proverbs 16:24  Sidebar, the Bible is a great place to learn all of the literary practices you learn about in English lol.  Our words are simply seeds, and if planted in fertile soil, produce a great harvest.  So when people tell you to watch what you say, you really should!!

 

 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Philippians 4:6  This entire scripture carries some blatant spiritual pointers.  1) Don't worry or be anxious, because quite frankly, when you worry, you are doubting God.  2) Notice the but. Present your requests to God by prayer and petition.  Not just one thing, but everything.  Give every single thing to God.  For all of your needs, wants, and desires, fall on your knees and present them to God.  And especially your healing because God is the only person that can do it.  

 

This verse is clear and true!  James 2:14 says "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?"  How can you expect healing if you are doing things that go against that belief?  Can faith that professes healing, health, and prosperity save the person that in the next breath is doubting, worrisome, and pessimistic about their fate?  Can someone who does not believe genuinely expect to reap that reward??  Its like school.  With the exception of the rare genius, how can you pass a test if you did not study or pay attention to the professor's lectures?  Are you prepared?  In healing, how can you prepare yourself for the physical manifestation if you continue to doubt or neglect to prepare yourself to handle it?

 

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."  James 1:22