Flesh vs Spirit

When I found this post, this person sounds so much like me that I could not resist bringing it over to you. If I were to write a post on deliverance ministry I would use those exact words.  This article is courtesy of: http://www.surewordministries.net/articles.html
by: By: Donna J. Kazenske

Here we go:

Are you an individual that likes quick fixes and drive-thru Christianity? If so, you're not alone in this dilemma.

The church worldwide desires quick fixes. Most of us don't like to wait on God, nor do we want to spend hours studying His word in a manner that would transform our lives for all eternity. Why is this? It takes effort to spend time with God, study His word and do what He has called us to do.

Our world, as we know it, operates in fast speed mode. We are a people that desire instant gratification of both the flesh and the spirit. We enjoy drive-thru experiences because it doesn't waste our time. But what are we doing with all of our extra time? Are we spending it on spiritual things, or are we wasting it on the things of this world?

I believe God is raising His standard (the word of God) in our lives. He is calling His church to walk in the Spirit so that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. The flesh desires quick fixes. The Spirit desires whatever it takes to fulfill God's plan and purpose.

Galatians 5:16-21 - I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Over the years, I have seen many Christians attend deliverance seminars and counseling sessions which seemed to work over a short period of time, but eventually proved to be of no avail in the lives of these individuals. Why is this type of ministry common practice in Christian circles? Why are so many people not delivered?

I know there are various answers to these questions, but I want to focus on one possibility in particular.

Galatians Chapter Five defines the works of the flesh. It does not list adultery, fornication, dissensions, idolatry, lewdness, heresies, revelries, sorcery, hatred, murder and drunkenness as demonic spirits. It lists them as works of the flesh.

If these are in fact works of the flesh (which they are), why are we calling them demonic spirits? Could it be that Christians are not getting delivered from these so-called demonic spirits because these are not spirits at all, but instead are works of the flesh? Is it possible to cast out the flesh? Of course not! Flesh must be crucified, not cast out.

There are no quick fixes when it comes to the flesh.

Galatians 5:24-25 - And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Are we as Christians walking in a manner that is pleasing to God? Are we walking in the Spirit, or are we still walking in the flesh?

If we are truly walking in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh mentioned in Galatians Chapter Five. If a person is truly converted, they should not be fulfilling the lusts of the flesh; they should be living a victorious life in Christ.

Scripture tells us that those who walk in the flesh to fulfill its lusts thereof will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Why are so many leaders preaching a watered down gospel message today? Or, let me take it a step further. Why are so many leaders preaching another gospel today? Why are we not preaching true repentance which leads to true conversions and godly lifestyles? Why do we have so many so-called 'seeker friendly' churches in our society today? Is it because we are afraid to preach the truth of God's word? Is it because we don't want to offend people with the true message of salvation and what it really means to be saved?

We can't live with one foot in the world and one foot in the church. It just doesn't work that way. We are either in the kingdom of God or we are in the kingdom of Satan. There are no in-betweens.

Matthew 16:24 - Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me."

Denying oneself speaks of denying self or denying the flesh. The cross speaks of crucifixion or death. If we want to truly follow Jesus, we must deny our selfish nature and all of its ungodly attributes. We must crucify the flesh and live by the Spirit of God.

I believe it's time for the church to return to the Lord. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to come and root out everything in us that's not of Him. We need to get back to preaching the true message of the kingdom of God which leads people to true repentance.

True repentance brings true conversion, deliverance and healing. True repentance negates the need for counseling and deliverance sessions. True repentance, according to God's word, converts the soul and allows one to walk in the Spirit.

May God grant us mercy as we work out our own salvation

http://www.surewordministries.net/articles.html

The Mark of Spiritual Insecurity

When we call ourselves Christians and never move forward with God, we remain in our immaturity stage, we usually associate with people who share our beliefs, our ways, behavior and our attitude toward Him.  We feel comfortable among people who accept our worldview style of faith. We feel accepted, valued, affirmed, and there is no pressure to move forward in spiritual maturity. Sadly, the only encouragement they receive is to remain in their infantile state. They go through life avoiding anyone or Church who would challenge them to get out of their delusion. Spiritually insecure people do not even like churches where their worldly views and lifestyles are not validated they do not feel they fit in.

Spiritual insecurity is about living in bondage. It causes us to sacrifice our relationships with our spouses, children, coworkers and friends just for the sake of being validated. It eats away the joy of life because you are forced to live a life where you are constantly self-conscious, always defensive, and anxious. It goes as far as leading to depression. Spiritually Insecure people tend to create an atmosphere that fosters unnecessary conflicts. There is a reason for it. They don't only use people to achieve their end, they also depend on other  people who makes up their little community to validate them, constantly reassure them so they can feel loved and accepted. When people around them do not respond in an expected way, they are driven to self pity, they feel the pain; they feel weak and out of control. Some of them often lashed out. What it all boils down to, it is about feeding and appeasing their fragile ego.

How then do we deal with spiritual insecurity? We learn to deal with spiritual insecurity by first of all learning to separate our fear from reality. Living in a state of spiritual insecurity is choosing a life of sin. The fact that we live in fear of not being loved and accepted says that we do not trust God’s Word because His Word tells us that there is no fear in love, but perfect love cast out fear.  When we feel tempted to act out we can turn to Him for strength to overcome because the scriptures tell us that God always provide a way out when we are tempted. We got to keep in mind when we live with anxiety He is not being honored, and the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. We learn to surrender to Him who is able to do more than we can possibly imagine. We stop being afraid, let Him change us and build our characters. Once our identity is anchored in Him, we no longer depend so much on someone else to make us happy, we find strength and power to live freely and we know we can let go of the fear that controls us as we learn to live in Him moment by moment. 

PRAYER: Father God your grace is enough to take us through all that we need. Yet we have a hard time trusting you for the journey. We have a hard time letting go and embrace who you are in your love, your majesty and sovereignty. I pray that you would move us to a place where we would want to be free, free from Satan’s reign, free from his chains, and free to love and serve you. Teach us to see ourselves through your eyes so we can be encouraged to walk with you and forsake all that offends you. 

Check out my newly released book:  "Apprehended & Apprehending" 

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