What is this thing
that has crawled up inside of me, and why can’t I seem to make it go away? It seems the harder I try, the more it takes a hold of my life. Why won’t this feeling go away? It started slow. When she entered my life, I thought I met hope. She made me feel alive. The lonely me was dying inside, and then suddenly I met a fun companion to hang out with. This “friend” pretended to know what I was going through. She made me feel like I was not alone. I spent so much time not paying attention; and now, in my exhaustion, I just now realizing exactly who she is. How could I not know? I was so focused on how she made me feel, that I never took the time to see that she was not real! I never even saw the face of my new companion. I had no idea that her real name was Addiction. I honestly thought her name was Joy. But now it’s the middle of the night, and I am laying here, by myself, in the dark. I’m wondering why. Why do I feel so alone? Why are my feet stone cold? Why do I feel like I’m dying inside? I just want to cry! Where did my Joy go? Why is she nowhere to be found? My stomach is churning and my mind is racing, “What have I done?” Now look at me - I’m looking at so much lost time! Oh God, what have I done? Why did I choose to become friends with this crazy companion? In desperation, I toss and turn, and when I turn on my side - there she is! I am now face to face with my real companion. Addiction is staring me in the face. For the first time, my mind is awake. I see the real spirit who has crawled inside. Beneath the makeup, I see her eyes. She is staring back at me all crackhead and goggly-eyed. She mocks at me and whispers, “Hi.” Oh God, the voice of this temptress makes me cringe deep inside. Why? Oh God, Why? How did Addiction get in my bed? I don’t even remember letting her in. All I remember is Joy. How did this happen? Can I make up for lost time? Am I able to move on from the sin I've committed? I must try! You see, Addiction pretends to be your friend. She slithers in and makes you feel good, and then she hangs on tightly for dear life. Sometimes it’s alcohol, Sometimes it’s drugs, Sometimes it’s gambling, pornography or food; Sometimes it’s girls, sometimes it’s men, sometimes it’s just spending money over and over again. Addiction is about being tied. Addiction is tied to the flesh that takes over my mind. Addiction is actually the spirit of lust. She relies on you craving more of the flesh. She is tied to your thoughts, “I’m not good enough” tosses over and over in your head, and then comes in and makes you feel good. She takes your strength and makes you subside. Before you even know who Addiction really is, she sucks the soul right out of you. Maybe that is why? Maybe that is why I can never seem to overcome when I try! She takes and takes and never gives back. She lies. She tells you "You are not worthy." "You're not good enough." She tells you everyone else does not love you. She lies. Before you know it, you are sharing your bed with a demonic stronghold who likes to pretend. She baits you in, and kicks you when you are down. She makes you do things you would never imagine. She tries. But there is Hope. Hope is found in the blood of the Lamb. Hope is found in Jesus alone. I am here to wake you up. God has placed your life on my heart. You are worthy because of Christ. Christ died for the sins of every man. He loved you before you were even formed. He knows the tricks of Satan. He is the only person who has ever lived that has outwitted the tempting of Satan. Don’t be surprised. Satan attacks the flesh of every person. His desire is to slither in and then grab hold, to take you down to hell with him. But God! God’s right arm is longer than his. He saves every man who turns to him. Just cry out. Call out to Jesus and grab hold of His hand. God is a good Father waiting for you to turn to Him. Call on the name of Christ. Call on His name when you are afraid. Call on His name when you need refuge. Call on His name when you want to win. Call on His name and don’t give up! Jesus is the truth, the way and the life! He sheds His light into the darkness, and He exposes every demonic stronghold for what it is. All you have to do is just ask him to enter your heart and your mind. God’s Holy Spirit drives out demons! He has the power to remove Addiction! But it all starts with you acknowledging the truth. If Addiction is the demon you have been struggling with. If Addiction is the demon who you have invited into your bed. If Addiction is the lie that you have been living with, then it’s time to kick her out! God is waking you up. You were created with a purpose. Your life matters to Him. It is time to see Addiction for who she is. She is not the beauty you thought she was. She has been dragging you down into the pit of hell. It is time to shed light! The Lord is saying it is time to break every stronghold! It is time for His prodigal sons to come home. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.” Luke 15:17-24
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Christians,
Are these next verses figurative language or do John’s words have literal meaning? “Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was thrown wide open.” “The seven angels who were holding the seven plagues came out of the Temple.” “They were clothed in spotless white linen with gold sashes across their chests.” “Then one of the four living beings handed each of the seven angels a gold bowl filled with the wrath of God, who lives forever and ever.” “The Temple was filled with smoke from God’s glory and power.” “No one could enter the Temple until the seven angels had completed pouring out the seven plagues.” Revelation 15:5-8 Does our limited understanding, and our muted imaginations take away from the profound images that John saw in the heavenly realm? If we are the Temple of God and God lives inside our hearts, then do the seven angels come out of us? I think not! That is just another extension of self-centered-ism. God existed long before man. He does not become a part of us, rather we become a part of Him. We must be careful not to limit God. We have to be careful not to view God from this limited, self-centered attempt to understand WHO God is. I ask - Does God have a Temple in Heaven? Did this Temple exist before the hearts of man? Does God’s Temple actually have doors? Is it possible for His Temple doors to be thrown wide open? Do angels exist? Does God have a purpose for the number seven? Are there actually bowls of wrath? Will there actually be seven deadly plagues? Is Christ really a Lamb? Is Christ the actual Son of God? Is Christ the actual Son of Man? Was the Lamb slain to save the world? Did God actually create Satan, a spiritual being who would oppose him? Did God plant the Garden of Eden? Did God plant the Tree of Knowledge, and if so, for what purpose? Is all of this just gibberish? Or is it possible that God is so much greater than my limited reason and imagination? Figurative language creates comparisons by linking the senses and the concrete to abstract ideas. Is this what John did? Did John do the best he could to try to make sense of what he actually saw in Heaven? Does the figurative language diminish the immensity of God? Does our lack of logic or limited imaginations take away from how majestic our God is? God is so good! He loves us despite our weakness and imperfection. His mercy and grace covers our filthy rags. Figurative language or not - for every believer - Faith in a Big God is at the heart. There is so much scripture
that requires us to reach deep into our imagination. Take for instance, “The Temple of God.” How can a person imagine the place where God lives? We can’t even wrap our minds around who God is! How can we possibly imagine the place where God dwells when we don’t even fully understand God's composition? We often speak about God as a life force, an awesome expression of our expanding universe. The size of God is so immense how can His presence be contained in any space? In fact, it makes more sense to imagine space living inside of Him! People speak about God in terms of outer space. We try to understand God through the sun, the stars and the moon; we try to make sense of who God is by imagining celestial objects like the earth. It’s really quite ridiculous, if you really take the time to think about it. God is so much bigger than constellations and horoscopes. He is so much bigger than our largest dreams and hopes. We speak about God as a fire or a cloud - but they are not Him. They are just physical elements that contain His Holy Spirit. We try to make sense of who God is by looking at the depth of the ocean, the valley of death and mountaintops. But God is bigger than all we can see, and God is more powerful than the tiniest particle of DNA that seems to control our very being. Our understanding of God is so limited, so how in the world could we begin to understand the Tabernacle where God lives. It’s quite foolish of us to think that the creation can define and understand the Creator of everything we see. He is so much bigger than our logic, reason and imagination. But we try, because we are only human. I mean, God did give us imagination and logic for a reason. Know, if you can, follow me for a just a moment, as I begin to pour out parts of the 15th Chapter of Revelation that are hard for me to understand. John said, “Then I looked and saw that the Temple in heaven, God’s Tabernacle, was thrown wide open.” I have been sitting here almost an hour trying to visualize the Temple of God. At first, like most people, I considered the physical. I looked at the Temple of God constructed by King Solomon, to fulfill the wishes of his father, King David. Note: this was not the choice of God. God appeased King David to build a temple because He loved him. Solomon placed the Ark of the Covenant In the Holy of Holies, the dark, innermost part of the man-made sanctuary known as God’s Temple. Entry into the Holy of Holies was heavily restricted, and only the High Priest of Israel was able to enter without dying. His entry into the sanctuary occurred once a year on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement was dedicated to Jewish confession and prayer. It was a time for the nation of Israel to recognize the authority of God. I have a hard time imagining the Temple of God in the spiritual realm. And because of that, I have a hard time visualizing the Temple doors opening up! In my spirit, all I can see is God’s Spirit exploding! Imagine God as light. A light so pure and white that it penetrates the deepest darkest night. That is how I see God. Now, try to imagine what would happen to humans if God came out of His Holy Temple. What would happen to the earth, and everything in it? I can only imagine it will totally implode! It would be like a Holy White Hole. Now, imagine what will happen on the Day the Lord when the Creator of the Universe throws open His Temple doors. The more I try to understand how great God is, the more I realize how foolish I am. I am just a creation of God, a human being who has been designed to have limited understanding. I suppose that is where faith comes in. |
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