Who are you? Who, Who?.. Who Who?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Who are you?  Who,Who?.. Who, Who?

 

Who are you?

There are some deep questions in life worth pondering. One of the most important questions is “Who are you?”. How you answer that question profoundly affects both how you choose to live your life, and it how and where you will spend eternity.

What defines who you are?

If someone walked up to you right now and asked “Who are you?”  how would you answer? The short answer comes quickly.  ex: Hi I’m John, I’m a retired Aeospace engineer based in Florida and we are traveling in this RV during summers. The deeper answer is more complicated and is more revealing.

Most people build a story line in their head using elements from a historic timeline? Who are your parents? Where did they come from? What was your childhood like? Where did you live? What was your family like? Was there a lot of love? Where did you go to school?  What did you do well at? What were your struggles? How do you spend your time? What do you enjoy doing? How do you make money? How do you choose to spend your money?  What kind of relationships do you have? What did you inherit from your parents? What will you give to your kids?

Along with this historical timeline, they also build a self-image based on how they believe others view them:  Pretty/Handsome or plain/homely, Smart or dumb, Fit or fat, Coordinated or awkward, Hardworking or lazy, Capable or useless, Successful or unsuccessful, Worthy or worthless, Victor or Victim.

This story line of “who you are” shapes your outlook on life and has a great influence on how you approach things.  If you view yourself as worthless or a victim, it will be unlikely you will ever recognize an opportunity in front of you, take the initiative to pursue it,  and rise above whatever obstacle you are currently facing.

So far, we have focused on the physical and mental aspects of your story line, lets add the spiritual.  How do you view your spiritual self? Do you accept there is a higher authority? What will happen when you die? Do you have a soul that might live on if you say or do the right things?  Will your life be judged? How will you make out with that? Where will you spend eternity? Given that. .how should I spend my remaining time in this life? 

How you view yourself spiritually has a great influence on how you live your life and what choices you make.  Just recognizing a couple of spiritual aspects could shift the behavior of an entire society: 1) God is everywhere and knows everything, and 2) You will pay the price in judgement for whatever you say or do in this life.  That is the threat/punitive side,  but there is also the promise/incentive side: God is love, He loves you, He wants you to prosper, and He will help you if you let Him.

You must invest some time and energy if you want to develop the spiritual aspects of life as they cannot be discerned through observation in the world. Spiritual laws are counter intuitive, they work the opposite of physical laws.  The physical world teaches you to take to get ahead, the spirit world teaches you to give;  the physical world teaches you live until you die, the spirit world teaches you to die so you can live.

You are composed of mind, body and spirit. If you define yourself only in physical / earthly terms,  I  encourage you to spend some time on the spiritual side, it will change the course of your life, now and for eternity.

If you already include a spiritual aspect in your self-image, I encourage you to explore the following extension or evolution:   

  • God loves you unconditionally
    • “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
  • When you invite Him as your lord and savior, You are born again.
    • “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • You are now a child of God, HE is your father.
    • “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12)
  • Everything from your past is wiped away, you are free from it.
    • “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” (Romans 6:6)
  • He helps you transform, from being self-centered to becoming love in action like him.
    • “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”(Romans 12:3)
    • “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
    • “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3)
  • You are part of the body of Christ…He is the Head, You are his “arms and legs”.
    • “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”(1 Corinthians 12:27)
  • He wants you to: be like him, Think like Him, and Act like him
    • “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
    • “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:29)
    • The Holy Spirit is in us and teaches us ” ..we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)
  • He wants you to continue His work
    • “Jesus said… As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20:21)
    • “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. (John 14-12)

Why is this important? Why should you care? It is all about perspective, and faith.  If you view yourself as anything less than a child of God, striving to be Christ-like in thought and actions, forgiven of sins, and standing righteous In front of the father,  you will be vulnerable to attack in this world.  The things people say about you will matter more than God’s love for you, The things that happen day to day will matter more than your purpose for being on this earth…to become love in action.    

In a prior blog post i described the power of positive confirmtion, where you turn your understanding and beliefs into a positive statement of declaration. It is a very effective approavh to building confidence and growing your faith into actions. 

So if you have a spiritual identity and believe the scriptual statements above, consider the following answer to the question of who you are – it can be powerful and liberating

  • I am a born-again son of God,
  • I am not be defined by things of this earth,
  • I am defined by my creator, my heavenly father, who loves me deeply.
  • He loves me so much he sent His son to Die for me.
  • He created me for a reason, and He has never given up on me
  • He forgives my past so I can focus on going forward
  • I have the Holy Spirit inside me, guiding me, and helping me transform
  • I am a member of the body of Christ – his arms and legs on this earth
  • As the Father sent Him, He sends Me, I will do His work.
  • My father is pure love, I feel His love in me
  • I am His love in action, His love flows through me into every situation.
  • I view others as He views them – as his children needing love
  • My inheritance is the kingdom of God and I am proud member

My favorite speaker on this topic is Dan Mohler.  Here is a video where he explores the topic of Your Identity

I hope you find this discussion helpful. Leave me a comment.

 

Should you expect healing when you pray?

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Should you expect healing when you pray?

I have been praying for people to be healed for several years now.  Sometimes I see a physical healing, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it happens right during the prayer, sometimes it comes soon after; minutes or hours or gradually over days. Many times it is not clear what has happened physically, but the person feels something distinctly positive inside them; some sort of energetic spiritual inflow or some sort of pressure release. Up until now, I have been satisfied with what ever results are achieved because it is the Holy Spirit doing the work and I am just an agent setting up the situation for it to happen.  This variation in results is fine with routine aches and pains but becomes an issue when serious illnesses remain after prayer. 

Should I expect more? Is there something more I should be doing?

HE showed me the answer and it is in black and white. 

I need to step up my game and deliver on His expectations of Healing.

A quick review of the basics:

The universal equation for God’s grand design takes the form of:

LOVE flowing through TRUTH yielding USEFULLNESS and then GROWTH

LOVE: God is love. We need to fully embrace Gods unconditional and infinitely powerful love for each of us. His love flows into us. As we transform, We become His love in action for others.  

TRUTH: We need to believe several key truths deep in our heart:

  1. God is the source of all good
  2. Illness is the work of the devil 
  3. God’s will can be known and it is unchanging
  4. God’s will is for us to prosper so we can bring him glory and attract others to the kingdom.
  5. Sin separates us from God and his will
  6. Illness and death entered the world as a wage of Adam’s Sin. It stays here because of  ours.
  7. Sin is between you and God; You “sin” when you choose to violate what God tells you to do; Choosing to do the wrong thing when you know better.
  8. You must repent of your sins for them to be forgiven (Acknowledge them, Turn from them, and resist them by Following God as you move forward) 
  9. Jesus paved the way for us to get out of sin: Divinely born as human, Resisting temptation and living a sinless life, Receiving the holy spirit and doing wonderous works, completely submitting his flesh to death in faith with the Father, perfecting his human soul, and glorifying his human body through resurrection 
  10. Jesus broken body serves as a reminder for us – sin cursed on a pole for all to see. We are to put our fleshly sin to death. 
  11. Jesus sacrificial blood provides forgiveness for mankind, it washes us from guilt for the decision to sin
  12. When we choose Jesus, He presents us as righteous to the Father, and we are reunited with his will 
  13. Jesus resurrection overcame all the the forces of hell and gave Him authority over heaven and on the earth 
  14. Jesus immediately delegated authority to us as his “body” to continue his work on earth
  15. Jesus released the holy spirit to each of us to guide us and help us
  16. We have the full authority to do all that Jesus did and more.
  17. The power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in us
  18. Our ability to engage The holy spirit in us strengthens as we transform our mind
  19. We must speak to our mountain, Life and death are in the power of the tongue
  20. We must conceive healing in our brain, and then manifest it through faith in our heart. 

For USEFULNESS:  I need to take action based on these beliefs to create usefulness in a situation

  1. Acknowledge God
  2. Acknowledge  Jesus work
  3. Stand against the devil
  4. Speak God’s will into place
  5. Bring glory to the father

For GROWTH: We strengthen our own faith and become a beacon for the kingdom.  Be assertive, Be humble, Give credit.

If you want to go deeper on any of these basic elements please <Click Here> to go to my web page on healing

Several key points recently became more clear

1) You need to KNOW it is God’s will to heal – and believe it in your heart

How can you know God’s will?  He tells us very clearly.  Jesus is the expressed image of the father (Hebrews 1:3).  If you know Jesus you know the father (John 14:7). Jesus does only what his father shows him (John 5:19). 

Jesus healed everyone that came to him (Matthew 15:30). He did not turn anyone away.  He never denied anyone because they did not have faith.

He didn’t just pray for them, He HEALED  them.

He didn’t heal some of them, He healed ALL of them. 

God is unchanging:   “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8).

If Jesus is God incarnate, and He healed everyone that came to him, and He is unchanging – than he wants you healed. It is God’s will to heal you!  Believe it!!!  

2) Healing flows from the Spirit through the Soul into the Body

Healing flows from the holy spirit through your soul into your physical body 

Your soul consists of your Mind,  your Will  and your Emotions. We are limited by the transformation of our mind. And the Eyes are the entry way to the mind.

You conceive of healing in your mind. You become what you think  (Proverbs 23:7). You can only be as good as what you eat (Eyes, Ears, and Mouth).

Stay focused on the Word of God and the model of Jesus life. Commit to Transformation from natural self centered nature to loving God and others more than yourself.  Work to become Love in action for those around you. This opens the pathway for transformation.

Cleanse yourself of unforgiveness. Just as Jesus loves you and forgives you of your sins against the father, You need to love your enemies and forgive them. Any negative energy in your emotions will impede the flow from your spirit through your sole and into your body.

Acknowledge Jesus broken body paved the way for your redemption and salvation. Submit your body to him. Receive His healing from the spirit through your soul into your body

3) Jesus handed the ball to us and expects us to continue his work on earth

After his resurrection, Jesus was given ” All authority in heaven and on earth”  (Matthew 28:18)

The very next thing he did was delegate his authority on the earth to us: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,…” (Matthew 28:19). 

He expects us to continue His work: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

Jesus came here to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8),  but the work is not complete “…the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19)

Jesus expects us to do exactly the same things He did while he was here on earth, and even more:   “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father (John 14:12)

He established us as the Body of Christ on earth, with Him as the head. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

He gave us the holy spirit to guide us and help us just as it helped him. (John 14:26)

So there is a distinct hand off, and we need to take the ball;  and do what Jesu did, including heal the sick.  Pretty Clear message.

4) We need to expect healing

He told us  “…these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons;….they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:14-18). HE didn’t say they MIGHT recover. HE didn’t say they will recover if THEY believe.  HE said they WILL recover.  That is pretty clear.

When Jesus sent the 72 out to the cities, he sent them to heal the sick (Luke 10:14). He didn’t tell them to just Pray for the sick. He told them to HEAL them.  That is pretty clear.   

So I got my answer. Healing is the expectation. But how?  The answer comes in James 5.

5) We need to be fervent and pray God’s will into place

The basic healing instruction is in James 5:13:  “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.  Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed….” 

But the kicker comes in verse 16: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Fervent :  Intense and purposeful

Righteous: Right in the eyes of the Father, Righteousness is a gift from Christ.

It is God’s will to heal, but we must make it happen through our engagement and effort

James 5:17  shares how Elijah’s prayer was instrumental in executing God’s will to deploy a drought and then later rains as a way to influence Ahab. Elijah was the person who brought both of those into place though his fervent prayer.

We are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27); We are His arms and legs on this earth.  He acts through us via the Holy Spirit.  If we do not have clear expectations of God’s will of healing in our mind and in our heart when we pray…folks will not be healed. 

There is a huge difference between praying for God to please come and heal someone vs taking the initiative to actually heal someone through prayer. 

Conclusion

I am now better aligned with the will of God as written in the Word and demonstrated by Jesus. I have accepted the hand-off and am committed ot continue Jesus work on earth.  I expect healing to take place. I will pray the will of god into existence on earth. I will not be satisfied until the promised signs are consistently manifesting through me as a believer.

Updaye: It has had a dramatic effect on the results of recent engagements. I look forward to sharing more dramatic healing testimonies as further evidence so others can leverage them and come into faith. 

Hope this helps someone.  

 

The Power of Positive Confession

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

The Power of Positive Confession

 

I have come to appreciate the power of positive confession… It has opened up a whole new level of connection with HIM.

A very common aproach to prayer goes something like: “Jesus please do xxx for me” .  A better version goes something like “Jesus please help me do xxx”.  This is a good start but you can do even better. 

Recommended Approach: Consider the issue at hand, gather the spiritual truths you understand in your mind, grounded in belief, intentions, and conviction in your heart, and form them into strong positive statements from you mouth.

For example:

Before:  Lord, help me keep these sinful thoughts from my mind.

After: Lord, Thank you for loving me. Thank you for placing the holy spirit inside me to teach me and to guide me. Thank you for making me aware of the sinful thoughts I have had. Thank you hor helping me turn from them and follow you. Thank you for loving me and never giving up on me even when I miss the mark. I am committed to keep my mind pure so I can stay close to you and flow your love out to others with no barriers. 

This approach uses the same underlying principles prescribed to achieve salvation:

“… if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

The act of Speaking is powerful:

God spoke the universe into existence (Genesis 1):  He “said“..let there be light…and there was light (Genesis 1:3). 

“The power of death and life is in the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18:21).

Your mouth reveals what is in your heart: “For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)

The speaking process connects all the dots through your mind (thoughts and understanding),  your emotion (values, beliefs), your will (choosing to speak), and your mouth (converting thoughts as words into sound projected into the air around you)

I encourage you to use this approach in your daily spiritual engagement.

Example: Heavenly father: I thank you for loving me more than I can ever even imagine. Jesus: I thank you for loving me so much you were willing to suffer and die for me. I thank you for reuniting me with the father so that I can stand here humbly in innocence and righteousness. I thank you for never giving up on me no matter how far off track I got. I thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit to guide me on this journey. I thank you for continuing to help me recognize shortcoming and helping me improve. You are the vine and I am a branch; Nothing is possible without you, but through you, anything is possible. I submit myself to you and put my complete trust in you. My mind is convinced, my heart is convicted, and my flesh is complying. You are pure love.  You are in me, and I am in you. With your help, I am becoming your love in action…your arms and legs on this earth. With your continued help, I WILL be a beacon for you and make you proud. Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, for me, my family, and all of your kingdom. AMEN.

Other examples:

Confession of Faith and Identity – Derived from Dan Mohler

Confession of Transformation

Confession of Healing – From Greg Fritz

Leave a comment,  let me know what you think and how this works foe you

Other info on prayer

 

Pride – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

Pride: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Pride is a really, really, really big deal.  It is one of the most important things to get right in this life. How you manage pride will not only affect your life here on earth, but it may well determine how and where you spend eternity.

Definition:  Pride is a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from

  1. One’s own achievements,
  2. The achievements of those you are closely associated, or
  3. From personal qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

Examples:

  1. “He is proud of his degree from a prestigious university”
  2. “He is proud of his daughter’s performance in the school play”
  3. “He takes great pride in his appearance”

Pride is an important and necessary foundation for healthy mental function. However, misguided pride is at the root of most evils.

The critical differences between healthy and unhealthy pride is the “Why” behind it.  Pride is healthy when it is focused on producing usefulness for others. Pride is unhealthy when it only serves yourself.

Healthy pride (The Good)

  1. He was proud of placing high in his class at a well-recognized university because it will open doors, enable him to get a good job, and allow him to make a real difference in peoples lives.
  2. He was proud of his daughter’s performance in the play because she worked hard in preparation and she is clearly growing as a competant individual.
  3. He takes pride in his physical fitness because it will enable him to live a long and productive life

Unhealthy pride (The Bad)

  • He was proud of being accepted at 15 schools because it was 5 more than any of his friends and proves he is better than them.
  • He always worked extra hours, even when there wasn’t much to do,  just so people would notice him and comment on his dedication, it made him feel useful.
  • We was proud of owning the biggest house on the block, it made him feel important.
  • He got a brand new fancy sports car every year and parked it prominently outside because he knew the neighbors would see it every time they went by and they would think more highly of him, and maybe even become jealous.

You can start to get the picture:  When it is all about ME it can become an issue.

I found it helpful to connect the dots with a few of the things I was proud of.  I came to appreciate that the fancy ski boat I was very proud of was really just a vehicle to connect with people and build a social network around healthy outdoor sports activities.  Recognizing that purpose shifted my thoughts more towards “how can I create an even better waterskiing experience for this group of people”, and away from “how can I make my boat look more beautiful”. 

Exercise: Think about the various things you are proud of in your life (Physical self, Talents/Skills, Education, Accomplishments, Family, Job, Wealth, Possessions, etc). Ask yourself a couple questions: 1)  Can you connect each of them to providing usefulness for others? 2)  Have you been more focused on the “it” or on its usefulness?  Reflect and adjust as needed.

A little bit on how Pride works;

Pride is a relative thing, it requires two parts: Your own mental self-image, and something to compare to.  Both can be a challenge to get right, and both can be a source of issues if you get them wrong..

Your Self image:

  • How do you view yourself – mental and physical capabilities, competency, integrity, ambition, spiritual position with God?
  • There is a lot of literature on how to maintain a healthy self-image.
  • Jordan Peterson is one of the best. Recommend his 12 rules book and videos. <Link here>

The comparison image:

  • Who are you positioning against, and how do you view them
  • You make important comparisons in two directions:
    • Horizontally: You vs other People
    • Vertically: You vs God
  • With other people you are evaluating their mental or physical capabilities, social status, reputation, education, wealth, spiritual worthiness, etc.  
  • With God you are characterizing His role in your life. It is a direct function of your understanding and beliefs. Do you acknowledge His existence, His role in creating and sustaining the universe, and His role in creating and sustaining your life.  Who is really doing all the doing? Do you take all the credit?  Do you acknowledge Him in your head? Do you give Him credit publicly?

So given that framework, here are some of the Ugly(s):

  • Self-Centeredness – Selfishness – It is all about “Me”
    • This is the root of most undesirable situations
      • “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)
  • Pride – pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from personal qualities or possessions that are widely admired. – It is healthy when it is focused on creating useful function for others. It is unhealthy when focused only on yourself.
  • Pride is considered the deadlies sin because it can get in the way of positive inflow from the lord. And with out positive inflow you will die spiritually and spend a long etenrity without the Joy of His love filling you.
    • “Pride goes before destruction,
      And a haughty spirit before a fall.”(Proverbs 16:18)
    • For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.(James 3:16)
    • For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.(1 John 2:16)
  • Arrogance: Thinking you are above the need for input from others
    • If you do not recognize God is the source of everything you are and everything you do, it is a form of arrogance – and it violates the great commandment – Love God with all your heart.
    • Arrogance also manifests as not being willing to listen or not being coach-able.
      • “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” (Proverbs 8:13)
      • “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.” (Proverbs 13:10)
  • Judgement – positioning yourself above anyone else – seeing them as beneath you – less capable in some way, less moral, less fortunate, poor, homeless, injured. You are all children of God and equal in his eyes.
  • Vanity – Striving to increase your own reputation
    • Doing things for your own physical appearance in excess of practical function
    • Doing extra activities just so that people will notice – workaholic
    • Seeking “credit” for doing charitable things – charity should be done anonymously – God will give you credit
      • “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1)
  • Boasting:
    • This is what the LORD says: “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom or the strong boast of their strength or the rich boast of their riches (Jeremiah 9:23)
  • Jealousy – Feeling you are missing out on something and you covet or desire what they have.
    • “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else”. (Galatians 6:4)
  • Murder – Take action to bring someone else down – Physically kill or verbally speak against them. To do this you do not see them as equal in Gods eyes.
  • Lust – Wanting something for yourself without a proper and useful purpose for it.  
  • Adultery – Taking something precious from someone else for yourself.

Exercise 2: How do you look at other people? Do you ever compare yourself to them? Is that constructive or just self serving? Do you see each and every individual person in this world as a child of God… worthy of His love?

Exercise 3:  Who is responsible for all you have accomplished? Do you take all the credit?  Who created you?  Who gave you natural skills and capabilities?  Who presents opportunities to use them? Who allows you to breath every second of every day?   Do you acknowledge Him in your head? Do you give Him credit publicly? Do you really love Him with all your heart?

Pride can be a huge barrier for an effective relationship with God.  You need to get over yourself and acknowledge Him and His role just to get started.  Once you do that, you can work your way out of the self-centered mindset you were born into and are continually conditioned by during life in this world.  Once you see yourself as a vessel of God’s love and recognize your purpose here is to be useful to God’s other children, you will be well on your way to an effective relationship with Him. 

Hope this helps.  Leave a comment. Happy to discuss.  

 

The Game of Life

Posted on by jakirkgasser10439

The Game of Life

 

Ever play a game: A card game? a board game? a video game? a sports game?  a role play simulation?

There are usually specific rules for how to play. There is usually a goal or criteria for winning: Score the most points, Get rid of your cards, etc.  Often there are rewards for making good choices, and consequences for making bad ones. There is often a tension element:  A time clock, or competition for  limited resources.  Some games are just for entertainment, but others are educational… you walk away from the game smarter than when you started, having learned something through the experience.

Did you consider that you are playing a game right now?  A really big game.  A game with realy really big consequences. A game that will change you for eternity  You are playing the game of life. 

  • The purpose of this “game” and this life on earth is for you to develop your eternal soul
    • Your conscious rational mind
    • The passions feep in your heart
    • Your volition, will or conscience.
  • God has established a high stakes game of “Truth and Consequences” to facilitate our learning. 
  • He places us in the middle of an epic battle between Good and Evil. 
  • The game takes place on two planes
    • On a physical level, It looks to us like life on earth
      • Many challenges as you go through life
      • Many choices to make along the way
      • Good stuff happens, bad stuff happens
      • Sometimes you can connect the dots between a choice and a result; Sometimes you can’t
      • The physical world rewards you for gathering resources for yourself and your family (money, property, things)
    • On another level, It is a Spiritual battle for your eternal soul
      • It is the epic battle: Good vs Evil; God vs the Devil; Heaven vs Hell
      • The spiritual world rewards you for becoming self-less and your physical resources to others (time, money, things).
      • You must learn/be taught about the spiritual world.  It is hidden and not inherently obvious
      • You have free will to make decisions
      • The first key decision is to accept that there is a spiritual aspect to you, that there is a force bigger than yourself, and that you should invest some of your resources to learn about it (time, brain power, listening, discussion). 

  • There are two arch rivals: God and Satan

    • The Devil does everything he can to defeat you
      • Tempt you and encourage poor choices, then condemns you when you make them.
      • Attacks you and those around you to make things hard for you.
      • Harm you mentally, emotional, and physically
      • Get you to doubt rxistance of God, or to blame him for bad things.
    • God offers every opportunity for you to succeed. 
      • He provided a rule book, but it takes some work to really understand it.  
      • He sent His son as a living example of how to follow the rules, fight the devil, and win.
      • He placed clues in you about where your best resources are (Talents and Passions).
      • He sent you a personal co-pilot/navigator; but you have to listen to Him
      • He continuously sets up opportunities for you; but you have to be open to them (People, Places, Situations, Decisions) 
    • Finding God in your mind and heart is the winning solution
      • He protects you from attacks if you follow his rules (Avoid bad desisions, Avoid adverse events you otherwise would be exposed to)
      • He helps you recover from an attack if you experience one if seek his help and follow His lead. (Positive artttude, See bigger picture / Long term game, See opportunities in front of you, Strength to overcome) 
      • He gives you authority over the enemy if you learn to use it (Quiet the adverse voices, Protection from bad things that otherwise would be affecting you, physical healing) 
      • He will help you see the plays unfolding if you ask Him, Listen for His input, and Follow Him.

  • Life is easier when you understand the game and its rules

The Spiritual Game of Life – Helpful hints

  • Good and Evil is very real

    •  Adam ate from the “tree of knowledge of good and evil” – (Genesis 2:17)

  • We have choices all day, every day, and they each have consequences 

    • You have a choice between Good and Evil, Blessings and Curses, Life and Death – Choose Life and follow God (Deuteronomy 30:19)

  • You do not create all of your own consequences, some  come from sins of prior generations – you live in a fallen world

    • “…their own iniquities and the iniquities of their fathers together” (Isaiah 65:7)

  • The Devil, Satan, executes consequences of sin

    •  “hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh” (1 Corinthians 5:5)
    • “…, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme” (1 Timothy 1:20)
    • All bad things come from the devil – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10)

  • Evil is everywhere and it is very well organized

    • “…we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high place” (Ephesians 6:12)
    • There are many devils working against us – “we are legion” (Mark 5:9)
    • The devil actively schemes to defeat us: “For we are not unaware of his schemes.” 2 Corinthians 2:11

    • Who is the Devil / How does he work >>> Click here to learn more<<

  • God wants you to learn that it is better to do things for others than to serve yourself. 

    • “…God is love” (1 John 4:7)
    • He put you here to be usefull to others
      • For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10)
    • When you love others and do things to serve them, you are flowing His love through you to them. His love is in you and protects you from attack
      • “…If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us” (1 John 4:12). 
    • When you love yourself more than others, you push Him away, and expose yourself to attack by the devil.

  • The winning solution is to build an active personal relationship with the Living God, focus on manifesting His love through your daily life, and enjoy His blessings now and for eternity.  >> Click Here <<<

The Gme of