Word for Today, Wed, 7 Mar 2001: Free of Satan's Bondage

#1 · March 7, 2001, 3:07 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on March 7, 2001, 3:07 pm
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

My life has not been free of struggles. I have made many poor
choices over the years. Some of the choices have resulted in
consequences that I occasionally still have to deal with.

The message of today is very pertinent, because I agree with the
message, for I have personally seen it in action, and have
struggled with several of the issues mentioned myself.

I also firmly believe that there is no reason to remain in
bondage to any of these issues, because in Christ, we have been
freed from the power these things have over us.

Why then, do so many people (myself included) struggle with these
matters? Well, at some point in time, we either were not aware
of these things, or we allowed subtle deception to creep into our
lives and lead us in the wrong direction.

If any of you have ever fallen into any of these traps, or if you
are struggling right now in that manner, take heart and take
hope. All is not lost. You have an advocate. His Name is Jesus
Christ. He understands completely what you are made of. He
understands the struggles. Whether or not you can believe it, He
loves you anyway - yes, whether you're doing well or not, whether
you are "right with Him" or not.

It is Jesus who has born the brunt of the punishment we all
deserve for the things we have done, as well as the things we
have failed to do. For this reason, it is no longer necessary to
continue to struggle with these things. Unfortunately, as Neil's
statistics bear out (and its something I've often suspected) a
large majority of people never really live out the fullness of
the faith and the gift that has been given.

That does not diminish, in any way, the love that Christ has for
us, but it is sad to think that we don't even claim all of the
promises that He so freely offers. Therefore, I urge you, in
view of God's mercy, to seek Him today, while the opportunity is
right in front of you. Ask God to help you with the things you
struggle with. If there are areas you have battled with for a
long time, it might not be easy to convince YOURSELF that it is
possible to be renewed, but I know, as sure as I am here, that
God is able to transform absolutely anyything. So ask Him to
transform your mind, deep within. Seek Him earnestly, with your
entire being, not just a few minutes, not just for show, but
because you dare to trust Him, and also because He is completely
worthy of honor, trust, love, and our total devotion.

Believe me, it is not necessary to remain mired in that garbage.
The Lord removed me from all of that. It is only when I "go
wandering, like a lost sheep" that the old garbage reappears.
When I cry out, like a lost sheep, He rescues me again. After a
while, I learn to wander, less and less. He has made my life
new!

Do you yearn for a new life in Him? How about asking Him, then
believe what you are asking for, and seek Him continually.

Brother Brian

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 3:0:11
Subject: Neil Anderson Devotional for Wednesday, March 7, 2001
From: Crosswalk.com <listreplies@crosswalk.com>

N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L

from Freedom in Christ Ministries

March 7

FREE OF SATAN'S BONDAGE

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John
1:5).

Nobody loses control to Satan overnight; it's a gradual process
of deception and yielding to his subtle influence. It is my
observation that no more than 15 percent of the evangelical
Christian community is completely free of Satan's bondage. These
people consistently live a Spirit-filled life and bear fruit. The
other 85 percent are struggling along fruitlessly at one of at
least three levels of spiritual conflict.

First, a believer may lead a fairly normal Christian life on the
outside while wrestling with a steady barrage of sinful thoughts
on the inside: lust, envy, greed, hatred, apathy, etc. These
people have virtually no devotional life. Prayer is a frustrating
experience for them, and they usually struggle with interpersonal
relationships and a problem-filled thought life. Most Christians
in this condition have no idea that they are in the middle of a
spiritual conflict. Approximately 65 percent of all Christians
live at this level of spiritual conflict.

The second level of conflict is characterized by those who are
plagued by condemning evil thoughts and strange "voices" which
seem to overpower them. They wonder if they are mentally ill. Yet
the majority of Christians at this stage still fail to see their
struggle as a spiritual conflict. Approximately 15 percent of all
Christians fall into this category. Most of these people are
depressed, anxious, paranoid, bitter, or angry, and they may have
fallen victim to drinking, drugs, eating disorders, etc.

At the third level of conflict, the individual has lost control
and hears voices inside his mind which tell him what to think,
say and do. These people stay at home, wander the streets talking
to imaginary people, or occupy beds in mental institutions or
rehab units. Sadly, about 5 percent of the Christian community
falls victim to this level of deception and control.

I don't say these things to frighten you but to encourage you to
walk daily in the light. As you walk in the light, you need not
fear the darkness at any level. Every child of God can and should
be free in Christ.

Dear Lord, I choose to walk in the light today and set aside the
sinful thoughts and deeds that so easily entangle me.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
< www.ficm.org >.
You can purchase "Daily in Christ" and other titles by Neil
Anderson at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors -
CBD). < shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/devo_na >
Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >.
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday, go to
religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday, go to
religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/
-----------
For Copyright Terms go to
www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
The Rules Have Changed...Get Paid to Surf the Web!
www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BKU-690

__________________________________________________
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Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
personal.mail.yahoo.com/

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

My life has not been free of struggles. I have made many poor
choices over the years. Some of the choices have resulted in
consequences that I occasionally still have to deal with.

The message of today is very pertinent, because I agree with the
message, for I have personally seen it in action, and have
struggled with several of the issues mentioned myself.

I also firmly believe that there is no reason to remain in
bondage to any of these issues, because in Christ, we have been
freed from the power these things have over us.

Why then, do so many people (myself included) struggle with these
matters? Well, at some point in time, we either were not aware
of these things, or we allowed subtle deception to creep into our
lives and lead us in the wrong direction.

If any of you have ever fallen into any of these traps, or if you
are struggling right now in that manner, take heart and take
hope. All is not lost. You have an advocate. His Name is Jesus
Christ. He understands completely what you are made of. He
understands the struggles. Whether or not you can believe it, He
loves you anyway - yes, whether you're doing well or not, whether
you are "right with Him" or not.

It is Jesus who has born the brunt of the punishment we all
deserve for the things we have done, as well as the things we
have failed to do. For this reason, it is no longer necessary to
continue to struggle with these things. Unfortunately, as Neil's
statistics bear out (and its something I've often suspected) a
large majority of people never really live out the fullness of
the faith and the gift that has been given.

That does not diminish, in any way, the love that Christ has for
us, but it is sad to think that we don't even claim all of the
promises that He so freely offers. Therefore, I urge you, in
view of God's mercy, to seek Him today, while the opportunity is
right in front of you. Ask God to help you with the things you
struggle with. If there are areas you have battled with for a
long time, it might not be easy to convince YOURSELF that it is
possible to be renewed, but I know, as sure as I am here, that
God is able to transform absolutely anyything. So ask Him to
transform your mind, deep within. Seek Him earnestly, with your
entire being, not just a few minutes, not just for show, but
because you dare to trust Him, and also because He is completely
worthy of honor, trust, love, and our total devotion.

Believe me, it is not necessary to remain mired in that garbage.
The Lord removed me from all of that. It is only when I "go
wandering, like a lost sheep" that the old garbage reappears.
When I cry out, like a lost sheep, He rescues me again. After a
while, I learn to wander, less and less. He has made my life
new!

Do you yearn for a new life in Him? How about asking Him, then
believe what you are asking for, and seek Him continually.

Brother Brian

Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 3:0:11
Subject: Neil Anderson Devotional for Wednesday, March 7, 2001
From: Crosswalk.com <listreplies@crosswalk.com>

N E I L A N D E R S O N D A I L Y D E V O T I O N A L

from Freedom in Christ Ministries

March 7

FREE OF SATAN'S BONDAGE

God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all (1 John
1:5).

Nobody loses control to Satan overnight; it's a gradual process
of deception and yielding to his subtle influence. It is my
observation that no more than 15 percent of the evangelical
Christian community is completely free of Satan's bondage. These
people consistently live a Spirit-filled life and bear fruit. The
other 85 percent are struggling along fruitlessly at one of at
least three levels of spiritual conflict.

First, a believer may lead a fairly normal Christian life on the
outside while wrestling with a steady barrage of sinful thoughts
on the inside: lust, envy, greed, hatred, apathy, etc. These
people have virtually no devotional life. Prayer is a frustrating
experience for them, and they usually struggle with interpersonal
relationships and a problem-filled thought life. Most Christians
in this condition have no idea that they are in the middle of a
spiritual conflict. Approximately 65 percent of all Christians
live at this level of spiritual conflict.

The second level of conflict is characterized by those who are
plagued by condemning evil thoughts and strange "voices" which
seem to overpower them. They wonder if they are mentally ill. Yet
the majority of Christians at this stage still fail to see their
struggle as a spiritual conflict. Approximately 15 percent of all
Christians fall into this category. Most of these people are
depressed, anxious, paranoid, bitter, or angry, and they may have
fallen victim to drinking, drugs, eating disorders, etc.

At the third level of conflict, the individual has lost control
and hears voices inside his mind which tell him what to think,
say and do. These people stay at home, wander the streets talking
to imaginary people, or occupy beds in mental institutions or
rehab units. Sadly, about 5 percent of the Christian community
falls victim to this level of deception and control.

I don't say these things to frighten you but to encourage you to
walk daily in the light. As you walk in the light, you need not
fear the darkness at any level. Every child of God can and should
be free in Christ.

Dear Lord, I choose to walk in the light today and set aside the
sinful thoughts and deeds that so easily entangle me.

-----------
This daily devotional is published and distributed by
Crosswalk.com. It is written by Neil Anderson at
< http://www.ficm.org >.
You can purchase "Daily in Christ" and other titles by Neil
Anderson at christianbook.com (Christian Book Distributors -
CBD). < shopping.crosswalk.com/bye/devo_na >
Additional devotionals are available from Crosswalk.com:
< devotionals.crosswalk.com >.
-----------
To read the Current Feature Story from ReligionToday, go to
religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentFeatureStory/

For today's complete News Summary from ReligionToday, go to
religiontoday.crosswalk.com/CurrentNewsSummary/
-----------
For Copyright Terms go to
http://www.crosswalk.com/info/copyright

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
The Rules Have Changed...Get Paid to Surf the Web!
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BKU-690

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
personal.mail.yahoo.com/