Understanding the Enemy!

[Matthitjah]

Bless you all richly in Christ Jesus,

I do believe it is the fast to afflict the soul. The fast of ones own personal will.

That could be many things as well as food.

I believe this is the fast he is looking for. As well the one that breaks bondage and yokes as one to afflict the flesh.

Ps

[JesusisGod2]

Praise the Lord Doc, good insight!

[Faith1]

Ditto JIG2 Amen Dr Luke!

[Brad]

Once that we receive Jesus into our heart we cannot get any closer.

I would have to strongly disagree. I am so much closer now to the Lord then when I first became a believer!

The reason that you feel closer is maybe because you have been spiritually growing into His image. When we sin Jesus does not forsake and leave us on our own. He gives us a reasonable amount of time to overcome and mature. In the old covenant God did not indwell His people like He does now.

When I read the Paslms I think how much better do we have it now with God indwelling us. David was perhaps the closest to God and was call a man after God's own heart.

Having God indwell us does not mean that we have arrived into perfection other than that we have arrived into Christ who is our perfection. The race we run is the race of not giving up and giving into the ways of the old man of sin, and ultimately Satan.

I can't tell you how many times my wife has spiritually beaten herself to spiritual death trying to get closer to Jesus. She says she gets closer to Him when she reads the bible but as soon as she stops she feels left alone, in fear, has no peace or faith. She looks up to heaven hoping that God hears her but feels that He is not.

For myself I know and have faith that Christ is right inside me and He gives me peace. when I sin and do things that displease Him His Spirit gently rebukes me and I know that I have not arrived I just know that my life is hidden in Him. I run the race press on into knowing Him better. But I never have to worry about Jesus being away from me and me getting closer to Him.

Thats what believing the gospel is partly about.

[George]

The traps of would'a could'a and should'a

How often we get bound up because we cannot forget our past! And we wonder how things could have been, or how things should have been, or would have been! The enemy loves to keep us in our past -- because it's an area we can do nothing about!

You cannot change your past! You cannot go back in time, but so often the sins of our past plague our walks today and in the future. When the enemy is attacking you with the would'a could'a should'a attacks then you have to claim to the promises of His Word!

Psalms 103:12  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Notice the Lord didn't say North - South! North has an end -- at the north pole. South has an end -- at the south pole. The Lord says EAST is from the WEST -- there's no end! I wonder how often we paralyze ourselves with being trapped in the past!

You can't change your past -- but you can change the future! Learn from your past, don't relearn lessons from your past, and press forward, seize the day!

God gave you the power to live victorious today! So live in victory!

Your brother in Messiah with much agape love,

George

[Guest shadow2b]

-QUOTE 

Psalms 103:12  As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Notice the Lord didn't say North - South! North has an end -- at the north pole. South has an end -- at the south pole. The Lord says EAST is from the WEST -- there's no end! I wonder how often we paralyze ourselves with being trapped in the past!

You can't change your past -- but you can change the future! Learn from your past, don't relearn lessons from your past, and press forward, seize the day!

God gave you the power to live victorious today! So live in victory!

Your brother in Messiah with much agape love,

George

-George--my Brother----hope ya don't mind that I highlighted part of your most insightful post----

-YEPP---very true--- my past just overwhelms me at times.....IT amazes me that GOD could be so

-forgiving but HIS WORD states "there is no temptation that has overtaken me but such that

-is "common" to man.....no wonder the "spirit-man" has such a tough time overcoming

-those "common" sins......PRAISE THE LORD for giving us the HOLY-SPIRIT-who is the only power

-or reason we can overcome those things that try to "trap"us & keep us "paralyzed"in the past.....

-Thank you Bro. for reminding "US" that we can live victoriously thru the HOLY-SPIRIT-teaching "US"

- daily how to go forward........GOD-BLESS-YOU------------------Gary--

[Brad]

The traps of would'a could'a and should'a

How often we get bound up because we cannot forget our past!  And we wonder how things could have been, or how things should have been, or would have been!  The enemy loves to keep us in our past -- because it's an area we can do nothing about!

You cannot change your past!  You cannot go back in time, but so often the sins of our past plague our walks today and in the future.  When the enemy is attacking you with the would'a could'a should'a attacks then you have to claim to the promises of His Word!

Psalms 103:12

[Guest idolsmasher]

There's different types of fasts recorded in the Bible. There's the Daniel fast -- only vegetables and water. There's the type of fast -- no food and water recorded in Esther. Then there's the fast without food -- Jesus.

There's also the Isaiah fast:

Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

[Faith1]

The past can be such a killer in our walk with Christ, really need to take Christ with both hands not just one hand and the other reaching backwards.

Onwards and upwards.

Great stuff George.

Blessings

F1

[JesusisGod2]

I know this is my biggest battle and my most attacked area in my walk with God,---my past.

Thanks George, this thread is really something I have needed to address in my walk. This is an area where I am defeated more than anything else, and as you have said there is nothing I can do to change my past, only to shape my future in Christ.