Some attacks begin as a thought
from the enemy. Once he can get you to think on his ideas, he can
create a problem or perpetuate a problem. His idea is to make you hyper
focus on the problem he's created so that it will consume you. You
must choose to say no and reject his thoughts!
That doesn't
mean you ignore problems and concerns in your life, it means that you
choose to focus on God and deal with life's issues as He directs through
the Holy Spirit.
Don't take on the thoughts from the enemy, don't take on the feelings
of it, don't take on the guilt he's trying to put on you, and don't
allow it to permeate your life. Choose to say no to his ideas and
replace them with healthy thoughts. If the enemy can get you to shift
your focus onto his thoughts, he has succeeded in getting you to shift
your focus off of God.
When we let the mental attacks of the
enemy become our focus, we have replaced the counsel of the Holy Spirit
with the counsel of the enemy.
"Don't worry about anything, but
in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your
requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses
every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable--if there
is any moral excellence and if there is any praise--dwell on these
things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me,
and the God of peace will be with you" (Php 4:6-9).
If you feel you must push, pull and prod people and circumstances
into the order which best suits you and makes you feel satisfied, you
might have a control issue. There may even be times when you have the
authority to move people and things around to your liking, but that
doesn’t mean you have the God-given right to do so. A constant desire
to control people and circumstances is likely a sign that you are
operating with a worldly mindset as opposed to a Kingdom mindset.
This is a concept that Jesus tried to get into the minds and hearts of
His disciples. When they asked Jesus if He was going to restore the
Kingdom of Israel and release them from Roman rule, Jesus replied “you
shall receive power when the Holy Spirit is come upon you and you shall
be my witnesses” (Acts 1:6-8). Jesus was telling them not to worry
about the authority of the earthly realm because the power to change
every circumstance, our own hearts and the hearts of others lies within
the realm and power of God’s Kingdom. Giving Israel power to rule
herself again would do nothing to change her heart and bring her to God –
that would simply give her worldly authority. And so it is with us;
being able to control the world around us does nothing to change our
hearts and provide a witness of the glory and power of God to the world
around us. It’s the character and power of God that brings about His
changes and will – He simply needs a yielded vessel.
Peter
received a reprimand from Jesus when he tried to control the outcome of
events in the Garden of Gethsemane. In an effort to protect and free
Jesus, he cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. Peter took
control of the situation; he set things in order, He rescued Jesus! But
Jesus told Peter to put the sword away; God could send thousands of
angels to free Him if He asked. But God’s will was not for Jesus to be
free at that moment, and when Peter tried to control the situation he
was actually working against the will of God (Matt 26).
In
trying to control people and circumstances, we too may find ourselves
fighting against the will of God. Such was the case with the woman
whose husband attended church with her for the first time. As they
walked into the church the woman saw 2 empty seats, but those were next
to the woman who prayed throughout the entire service. Oh NO!!! If her
husband sat next to this woman he’d never come back! She desperately
looked for a couple of folding chairs to set in the back of the church,
but her husband pointed to the two empty spots, taking a seat next to
the praying woman. As the service progressed her husband broke down in
tears, accepted the Lord and became a believer. The prayers of the
praying woman convicted him; he sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Our ways may not be God’s ways, and forcing our control and
will into situations and onto people may even negate the prayers we've
prayed; this is what nearly happened to the woman who's husband attended
church with her. There are even groups of people today who want to help
God bring His prophecies to pass - they give them a little extra nudge
here and there to help them come to pass.
Letting go of control
means we have to stop worrying about the way things look to other people
and stop trying to set things up for God so He can move within our
boundaries and make us happy! We might even have to suffer some
embarrassment or go through a process of being humbled. But God knows
what He’s doing, and unless He directs us to take control, it’s best to
wait and trust; He is able to move all things into place so that His
will is done. He’ll let us know if He needs help.
There are approximately 330 prophecies related to Christ's first
coming. Every one of those prophecies was fulfilled in a natural,
physical and literal manner: where He would be born, how He would die,
how He would be buried, who would give Him His grave, etc.
Do not
think that God has changed His character and the meaning of His Word
midstream! When He speaks of Christ's 2nd coming it is not only from a
spiritual and prophetic perspective: it
involves natural events in which the literal appearing of Christ
happens. The fulfillment of these prophecies involves actual, physical
events which are spiritually birthed and produce spiritual effects.
What are some physical and literal signs that His return is near?
-Social & moral upheaval and degradation (2 Tim. 3:1-4)
-Israel regains control of their God given land (Eze. 37, 21; Jer. 30-31; Amos 9:14)
-Natural disasters intensify (Matt 24, Rev 6).
He will physically & literally return and every eye will see Him! (Rev 1:7)
Act 1:11 They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into
heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come
in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven."
(If
you would be interested in a free online study of an overview of the
Book of Revelation, please send a private message to God's Word in
Everyday Life (Facebook Group), indicating your interest).
