18 October 2019
A true follower of Jesus Christ will know how to fight in this hour. I meet people every day that fight battles, severe battles. They face the voices in their minds that scream out of strongholds of pain telling them – "you won't make it, rather quit, God does not hear you, He no longer cares. You are all alone!"
It is a secret, silent, deep war that we all have to fight, no matter who we are. I feel sorry for those who accommodate these thoughts and generational dark behaviours without knowing that it is a battle of the mind.
In the Word, we read of David that battled the same thoughts. He battled his past failures and kept pondering them. He fought his future fears as well as his present weaknesses. These thought patterns can completely occupy your mind, just as David experienced when he left Jerusalem and was cursed and thrown with stones. (2 Sam 11,15,16)
His crumbling identity was the battle which he had to face in his mind. He quickly learned that he had to instruct his mind in the right way, if not – the mind will listen to these inner voices (cell memory) of past failures, even of the generational line. Or he could give a new instruction to his mind saying, "I am a child of God, I am going to overcome".
Paul also knew this battle. In 2 Corinthians 7:5 we read his thoughts after leaving Macedonia, "our flesh had no rest, we were troubled on every side, without were fighting and within were fear". Words of mocking and cursing raised against him and the fruit was fear. The battle and voices can be inside or outside – we can accuse ourselves or listen to the accusations of others. All these have one assignment to discourage you, diminish your faith and deplete your hope.
It is when we walk up the hill and grow weary, that the voices inside become stronger and stronger. We get worn down with the inner voices – but this is where the battle starts. The Word clearly instructs us how to fight this battle.
- Take every thought captive
2 Cor 10:5 [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One.
- Speak to these dry bones
Ezekiel 37:3 And He said to me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, You know!
- Set your mind on the Kingdom that is above
Php 4:8 For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
Are you down and out today, tired of the battles in your mind?
I get so excited when I look at Lazarus’ life. He was in the grave; everything around him was dead and smelled of death. This is the condition of many of us on the inside. We inherited generational unresolved cell memories. They pay out in many ways – and we eat their fruit – dancing to the tunes of the previous generations’ thoughts, issues, behaviours and sins.
But God gave His Son and He wrote a new dance for each one of us to dance on.
It is called our ‘Eternal dance’. In order to step into this dance, we need to first overcome the dark thoughts – our cell memories with all its junk.
After the grave Lazarus shared his story with the people, "I was very ill, everything around me was dark, I smelled like death, I lived in the past, I felt so sorry for myself. Not only was my thoughts dark, but I carried unresolved generational memories with me. I felt like they did – the generations before me and I acted the same. The generational voices and memories kept on telling me I am not going to get out of this darkness. I cried so many tears of despair and hopelessness. The last cry before I fell asleep was ‘Jesus, son of God, have mercy on me!’”
Lazarus continued, “But, now I know. You can whisper and He hears your voice, you can utter no word and let your tears speak, because He understands the language of sorrow and pain.”
“I want to warn you” said Lazarus, “the voices in your mind will echo ‘can’t you see, not even God can help you’. But, there in the grave I heard another voice – a voice of love and hope, a voice of understanding and reassurance. This voice spoke from deep within me and carried the power to call me out of this deep despair. The voice said, ‘Come up higher, lift your head, I want you to get out of the darkness. I am able, I have overcome death and the grave. I am the way out. I will never leave you nor forsake you - you will never be alone! It doesn't matter what you are facing. No weapon formed against you will prosper and every tongue that rises against you in judgement shall be condemned’.”
It was the voice of Jesus – the eternal Word – the power gene inside of me.
Psalm 3:5 I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me.
My friend, incline your ear and listen to the Voice of Truth. God is with you, in the midst of the battle, just get up and start fighting. You need to start speaking to the mountain, you need to get up, you need to instruct your subconscious mind. Bring your subconscious in line with the Voice of Truth. Reprogram it from the Word.
God calls us to be an overcomer, so let’s rise up and start fighting, the longer you feel sorry for yourself, the more your past will control you.
Never question God’s integrity, He is committed and He is with you – every step of the way. It doesn’t matter if you can see and feel Him or not! God is with you.
So, let’s praise Him in the midst of our darkness.
With a smile, I am writing these words, because we currently have load shedding (meaning no electricity) for a couple of hours twice a day. So, I sit and work in the darkness with a sun powered light. This is the way Josh learns for his final school exams. I think my great, great grand parents lived like this.
And in the flesh, I get to praise God in the midst of darkness. I look around and still see a lot to be thankful for!
Bless you my dear friend.
Retah and family