Scripture: Hosea 4 v 6: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."
John 14 v 6: "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
The Lord says in His Word, "My people perish for lack of knowledge." He emphasizes that when we actively reject the words written in the Bible, our manual for true life, then His response is to reject our prayers and needs. The Lord always responds in the same way that we treat Him. Always!
If we love Him, He pours out love upon us, even our enemies love us. Christians in Syria saw this when ISIS militants had destroyed, raped, crucified, tortured, and beheaded their family members. They forgave and showed these fanatics the love of Jesus. They brought them into their homes, fed them and tended their wounds. They gave them the gospel and thousands of these evildoers got saved. No condemnation.
If we reject the message of salvation, the Holy Spirit will eventually cease to convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment. He will leave us to struggle in our own flesh and soulish behaviour. The Lord hopes the lack of progress in our lives will shatter our pride and self-will so that we humbly acknowledge our need of a Saviour.
This very thing propelled me many years ago to search the Word and allow the Holy Spirit to be my teacher. I did not want to ignorantly die. I wanted to let Jesus into my heart to let Him express Himself fully in my life. It took time and effort and is still a work in progress, but I am no longer ignorant of the plans of God or the schemes of the devil.
We spend our natural lives filling our soul and mind with junk food. When we get saved we repent of all that, which means we change our mind about religion, sin, sexual immorality, holding grudges, swearing, racial hatred and unruly behaviour. We let go of crutches like alcohol, drugs, smoking and love of money, for the true life of Jesus. Love, joy, peace, holiness, humility, and patience.
He has opened a door to allow me to share what I have learned with whoever wants to read about it in these blogs. Everything I share has been through the purging fires of holiness and truth. The desire of my heart is that those who have been misled in any way can come back onto the paths of righteousness. Jesus seeks to save the lost but the pens the sheep sometimes land up in give insufficient or bad food. Or no real food just a constant diet of skim milk.
So my adventures with the Lord started over 40 years ago and continue to this day. Some people are surprised that I enjoy spending quality time with complete strangers, sharing the knowledge the Lord has poured into my spirit. When we break the bread of spiritual knowledge it grows from a tiny seed to an enormous tree. The Lord is blessed that ignorance has been given the boot.
Let's start with the moment a thought to sin comes to mind - do not give in to the temptation. Before you touch that bottle of alcohol or reach for that drug or phone that "affair"; even more serious issues like rape; molesting a child; abusing a woman; STOP and ASK Jesus to help you.
When that temptation comes first submit to God. This is the promise - Submit to God, resist the devil, he will flee. So to submit you need to ask God this question "What do you want me to do?" He will tell you to do any or all or something else of the following:-
A) call on the name of Jesus;
B) phone a Christian to pray with you;
C) pray in tongues;
D) rebuke the devil in Jesus' name;
E) do the opposite of what the temptation is eg. Have a glass of water; flush the drugs away; delete the phone number.
Next RESIST the devil. That is say NO I will not give in to your demands. By the power in the Blood of Jesus I reject your control and hold over my life. I will continue to fight against your evil temptations. I belong to Jesus and He protects me.
Next, the devil will flee. Eventually the devil will completely give up on you. He will test you to see if you mean it. Keep following this formula. It is God's word and it truly works. Jesus in your heart will help you fight the good fight. He will help you forgive all those who have hurt you. If you do not forgive these are the consequences:
Matthew 18 v 33 - 35: "Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."
Mark 11 v 25 - 26: "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Prayer: Heavenly Father You resist the proud and give grace to the humble. Teach us Lord to be humble before You and defeat the spirit of pride in us that deceives us. Teach us to be submitted to You at all times so that we can easily resist the devil and see him flee. Help us to forgive so that there are no barriers blocking answers to our prayers. In Jesus' name. Amen.