Bitterness

Offenses Leads Us To Bitterness

Definition of OFFENSE: 1. An act of stumbling, a cause or occasion of sin, stumbling block. 2. Something that outrages the moral or physical senses. 3. The act of attacking, assault. 4 The act of displeasing or insulting, the state of being insulted or morally outraged, takes offense at the slightest criticism. 5 breach of a moral or social code, sin, and misdeed

Matthew 18:7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! (New Century Version - Matthew 18:7 How terrible for the people of the world because of the things that cause them to sin. Such things will happen, but how terrible for the one who causes them to happen!)

As I observe people, I have realized how so many are hurt due to offenses.  You can see the different stages of hurt that has manifested on their faces or in their demeanor. The offenses almost always results in rejection.  We take offense because we believe what man says or does to us despite the fact that God is very clear on who we should trust. Psalm 7:1 O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; Save me from all those who persecute me; And deliver me.  Psalm 56:11 In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?  Man cannot do anything to you unless you open the door for him to do so.  Man offends by criticism, judging, accusations (charges against you) blame, slander, backbiting, gossip, etc.

How do we open the door to torment and destruction when we are offended or when we offend?  Before we go any further, I want to give you a list that is a result of offenses and I want to ask you to meditate on these and tell me which one is the strongman.  This strongman will allow the rest to manifest and is the general over the rest.

Bitterness….Unforgiveness….Resentment....Retaliation….Anger/Wrath….Hatred….Volience….Murder….

If you picked Murder, you are incorrect.  Murder is the end result.  We have to identify the one in control once we opened the door due to the offense.  Bitterness is the strongman.  Bitterness initiates the process that can result in murder or will leave you in bondage somewhere in between Bitterness and Murder.

Bitterness - Hebrews 12:15 Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.   Bitterness corrodes like acid, eating away at our soul.  It poisons the mind first and then the body.  It is often marked by cynicism and animosity toward others.  Bitterness is a strong man kept in place by several underlings.  Each underling is given entry into our lives by the one preceding it.  The severity of the evilness of each underlings gets progressively worse.  Bitterness is a strongman and he seeks a place to live.  You are the palace and he wants to be in your house and once you let him in, he will bring others to torment you.  He is the general and he has an army that he will try bring in and destroy you.

Un-forgiveness - Something has been done to you and there is a spirit assigned to you.  What is the first thing that comes to you when someone wrongs you?  Un-forgiveness.  Bitterness is the strongman and the first armor he trusts in is Un-forgiveness.  Un-forgiveness is now part of your life and your will not have forgiveness if you give a place and habitation for Un-forgiveness.

What Bitterness is banking on is you remembering a record of wrongs.  He is banking on the spirit of Un-forgiveness reminding you of Bitterness someone has against you.  The task of Un-forgiveness is to remind you, rehash it, bring it up, project it, and torment you with it.  Un-forgiveness will replay the words, the voices, the sights, and the sounds.  Un-forgiveness will flash at you everything others have ever said over and over again to reinforce itself so the strongman of Bitterness can stay.

Resentment – The strongman now sends out another spirit to reinforce Un-forgiveness.  Resentment stands on the foundation of Un-forgiveness.  The record of wrongs is now fermenting and Resentment fuels the fermentation of Un-forgiveness.

Resentment defiles you by saying “You know what?  I really don’t like you.  I resent you. I’m never going to forgive you.”  Bitterness is trusting the spirit of Un-forgiveness to stay with you and add fuel to the fire. He is trusting that Resentment will get a foothold for more torment and control. 

Retaliation – “I’m going to get even.  You’re going to pay.  I remember what you did to me and you better watch your back.”  The spirit of Retaliation is much more dangerous than Un-forgiveness and Resentment.  After Resentment has started to simmer, we find ways to get back at the person who caused it.  We do this in many ways and one of the most common is slandering of the person.  You will express your criticism to anyone who will listen.  You want to be heard and you want someone to agree with you and when they don’t, you go to the next person.

Anger and Wrath – After Retaliation gets a foot hold, anger starts to set in.  Un-forgiveness, Resentment and Retaliation have been building and now a strong feeling of anger comes along.  Un-forgiveness and Resentment can be hidden skillfully by someone who is deceptive.  Retaliation can be hidden, but Anger starts to show physically.  Family, friends, coworkers, see this manifestation of anger in your face and demeanor.  It is a very uncomfortable for people to coexist with a person with anger and wrath.

Anger and Wrath never occur unless these three, Un-forgiveness, Resentment and Retaliation have been festering for some time.  You get angry for a reason.  The reason is because of the breach, because of the hurt, because of the victimization, and they that their anger is justified.

Retaliation may seem worse than Anger, but this is the fermenting stage.  Retaliation sets the stage to eliminate, but you will not eliminate anyone unless you have Anger and Wrath working within the spiritual dynamics of this principality and the spirits that create and answer to it.

We are dealing with Anger coming out of a relationship.  This is the Anger and Wrath tied to Bitterness.  This is a progression of spiritual dynamics producing the elimination of a person in a relationship.  It is the root behind all people who murdered someone and are in prison.  It is the root behind all family splits, behind all division, and behind all break up of human relationships.

Hatred – After Anger and Wrath has gained their foothold, Hatred comes.  Hatred not only has the root of Bitterness, but is being fueled by all the previous.  Now begins the stage of elimination. 

Hatred says this: “I exist on the planet and you do too, and one of us has to go and it will not be me.  I hate you, I can’t stand you.  I resent you, I am going to get even because you don’t belong on this planet.”  Hatred involves the elimination of the other person.  Retaliation was the fermenting stage of this.  Anger started to vocalize it and now Hatred comes to help execute it.

Bitter ness is banking on the fact when you are ready to forgive, old Un-forgiveness will pull up a flash card of memories reminding you of what they did to you.

Violence – You can see Violence every day in families and the news is a constant reminder how bad it is getting.  This is the progression of breakup of human relationships out of Bitterness.  Bitterness is behind all domestic Violence and all juvenile Violence.

Violence is what puts people in jail and this is why we have a police force.  Violence is Anger and Hatred in motion because it is not just emotional and spiritual anymore, it has now become physical.

At this level, people will hate you so much; they will want to punch your lights out physically or verbally.  Bitterness is banking on the fact that this progression in your life is going to keep him in place and these spirits are able to generate their nature in you and also in others to fuel this thing back and forth.

Murder – The seventh and final spirit that competes the full plan of the devil for destruction originating from the strongman of Bitterness (Hebrews 12:15) is the spirit of Murder. 

This can actually be physical murder, or murder with the tongue, which is character assassination.  When hatred, violence and murder are in someone’s life, they feel they are justified and everybody else is going to pay the price.  Have you been a victim of this?  Did you feel defiled?  Have you victimized someone else on this basis?

Beware – If any one of these seven spirits answering to bitterness exists, all of the preceding spirits will be there.  If left unchecked, all the rest will surely come.  For example, if you see Hatred in a person, Un-forgiveness, Resentment, Retaliation and Anger always precedes Hatred.  Each of the seven is progressively worse than the one just preceding it.  You are a target of the strongman of Bitterness and you don’t want him to set up his throne within your life.

Resolution – In order to defeat the strongman of Bitterness, you need to understand how his armor works.  You have to understand the Bitterness armor in your life so that so that Bitterness can be dealt with and you can be set free.  If you have been offended by someone or you have offended someone, the breach needs to be repaired with that person if at all possible.  If it is not possible, you can still be free by the power of God through Jesus Christ whether there is any resolution with that person who created the breach or not.

We are going to get offended as we go through life.   The key is don’t hold the offense captive (….bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Corinthians 10:5).  When someone says or does something that makes you feel a “ping of hurt,” recognize that “ping of hurt” as an offense.  This is especially important for people who have a long history of rejection in their lives.  They tend to take anything that someone says as rejection and therefore, is an offense to them.  Immediately renounce the words or actions that caused the “ping of hurt” in the Name of Jesus.  Below is the prayer and authority that we use when an offense comes.

Forgive me Father for taking offence.  I renounce this offense.  I repent for believing in this offense and in the name of Jesus Christ I cast out this offense (Mark 16:17).  I choose to believe what You say about me and not the offender.

Guard you heart against offenses because in doing so, you protect yourself against the downward spiral of torment that Bitterness brings to you and all people that are around you. Don’t claim the words or actions of the offense, but instead claim what God has to say about you.  I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well. Psalm 139:14. 

Forgive those who offend you and understand that it is the sin working in them. 

If man offends me, I choose to forgive him. Yes, if you forgive others for their sins, your Father in heaven will also forgive you for your sins Matthew 6:14.

Thank you Henry Wright at Be In Health Ministries for your insights to Bitterness.

Blessings, Tony Sanchez

Hearing the Word of God

Hearing the Word of God

Amos 8:11-12

 “Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord God,
“That I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine of bread,
Nor a thirst for water,
But of hearing the words of the Lord.
 They shall wander from sea to sea,
And from north to east;
They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
But shall not find it.

I was reading in Amos this morning before church and I came across these two verses.  I believe it is safe to say that we are in this time period mentioned in Amos (“Behold, the days are coming”).  The majority of Believers are not consistently spending time in the God’s word.  Why is this?  I am assuming that the things of this world are keeping us so busy that we choose not to read the Word of God and the fact that reading the Bible is hard work.  We can’t find the word of God (“wander from sea to sea and from north to east”) because we are not seeking the word of God.  Therefore, how can we increase our faith if we don’t hear the word of God?

What is faith? 

1. Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

2. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual comprehension rather than proof.

Again, I ask “How can we increase our faith”?  The answer is to have complete trust in God and in His doctrine based on what He says in His word.  God’s word gives us a simple understanding on how to receive faith.

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Many people I am running into are suffering and their faith is waning or nonexistent.  People are suffering because we don’t believe what God is telling us in His word.  We constantly seek answers from man (including ourselves) instead of seeking God.

Seek God’s word and the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding will come because His word will be written in our heart and the suffering will start to subside.  Hebrews 8:10 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Blessings,

Tony Sanchez

Forgive Them and Love Them

Forgive Them and Love Them

Do we really know to what measure we must forgive?  I can say I have forgiven somebody, but have I really forgiven them and do I really know how to forgive?  I had to ask myself this question many times. 

My father was not a nice person and he made life miserable for me, our family, and any other person that became a part of his life.  I labeled him a terrorist before the word became popular. I remember as a kid in high school I would avoid seeing him for months at a time even though we lived in the same house.  We had a side entrance and I knew his schedule so it was easy to plan how not to see him. 

He died six years ago without ever saying the words “I love you” to me.  I can’t remember a time that I truly loved my dad.  So, it was a relief for me not to have to face him anymore and the fear he brought to my life. Through it all, I had emptiness in my heart.

As I go around talking with people I hear their stories on how they have forgiven a person.  It goes something like this: “I have forgiven John, but……I have forgiven Jane, but…….”  I interrupt them immediately and tell them that there is no “but” in forgiveness.  What they are telling me is that they still have that ping of un-forgiveness whenever that person comes into remembrance. You may have forgiven them once, but you may have to forgive them over and over again as it says in Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Symbolically, we have to forgive over and over even if it exceeds seventy times seven.

Being a believer in God, I had to forgive my Dad and even though he is dead.  I had to understand how his sin affected his life and the lives of others, but God still loved him just as much God loves me.  My Dad just did not know how to love because he was not taught the love of our Heavenly Father.  Once I was able to separate his sin from the person God created and loved, I was able to bring about healing in my life.

I want to share with you what the Lord showed me. I already knew how to forgive my Dad when thoughts of his offenses come to mind even to this day.  Somehow this was not working for me because I did not feel at peace because I did not love my Dad.  It is only when I started this process of confession that the healing became complete.  I pray this short prayer out loud confessing my forgiveness for my dad and confessing out lout how much I love him. 

Father God, I forgive _________ for all their offenses towards me.  Father God, I love ______ who you created in love. 

What we say can be a blessing or a curse.  Our verbal confession of forgiveness and our verbal confession of love for those who have offended us is a blessing not only for the person but for us. 

Shout out to the Lord your confession of forgiveness and love for the person who has offended you so that God will forgive you. 

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  Matthew 6:14-15

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (As the Lord loves you)  Matthew 22:39

I pray the love from our Heavenly Father helps you overcome any un-forgiveness so that there is healing in your life.

Tony Sanchez 5-18-13

Amor of God

Greetings to all,


I started this blog a few years ago with the thought of sharing God's Word.  Two or three years ago I built a distribution list that I send teachings or messages to.  Unfortunately, I should have copied and pasted what I wrote to this blog.  I believe I missed opportunities to make a difference in lives.


I hope to take what I have written in the past year and transfer many of the teaching to this blog.

Amor of God

Ephesians says to “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles (tricks, ploys, schemes, trickery, deception) of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). 

Nowhere in the Bible does it say to take off the armor of God.  When you put on the armor of God, it is never to be taken off because of one extremely important reason.  The reason is that Satan’s goal is to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10) and he will never rest until he accomplishes his goal.  Satan works 24/7. Does it mean we will have to be in spiritual warfare 24/7?  

There will be many that will say that we don’t have to be in constant battle with the dark kingdom.  I say we cannot afford not to be in constant battle because Satan is “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and he wants to destroy us all.  One must look at how evil the world has become to understand how much prayer (spiritual warfare) is needed for ourselves, wives, children, family, country and the world.

Faced with the cares of this world, we can easily forget about the severity of this battle. But make no mistake: Our spiritual lives and future in God's Kingdom are on the line. If we lose this war, we lose everything.

It appears to me that perhaps we need to be in constant warfare. The Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17.  Prayer is spiritual warfare and we must do it without ceasing.

Blessings,

Tony Sanchez

Forgive Them and Love Them

Do we really know to what measure we must forgive?  I can say I have forgiven somebody, but have I really forgiven them and do I really know how to forgive?  I had to ask myself this question many times. 

My father was not a nice person and he made life miserable for me, our family, and any other person that became a part of his life.  I labeled him a terrorist before the word became popular. I remember as a kid in high school I would avoid seeing him for months at a time even though we lived in the same house.  We had a side entrance and I knew his schedule so it was easy to plan how not to see him. 

He died six years ago without ever saying the words “I love you” to me.  I can’t remember a time that I truly loved my dad.  So, it was a relief for me not to have to face him anymore and the fear he brought to my life. Through it all, I had emptiness in my heart.

As I go around talking with people I hear their stories on how they have forgiven a person.  It goes something like this: “I have forgiven John, but……I have forgiven Jane, but…….”  I interrupt them immediately and tell them that there is no “but” in forgiveness.  What they are telling me is that they still have that ping of un-forgiveness whenever that person comes into remembrance. You may have forgiven them once, but you may have to forgive them over and over again as it says in Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.  Symbolically, we have to forgive over and over even if it exceeds seventy times seven.

Being a believer in God, I had to forgive my Dad and even though he is dead.  I had to understand how his sin affected his life and the lives of others, but God still loved him just as much God loves me.  My Dad just did not know how to love because he was not taught the love of our Heavenly Father.  Once I was able to separate his sin from the person God created and loved, I was able to bring about healing in my life.

I want to share with you what the Lord showed me. I already knew how to forgive my Dad when thoughts of his offenses come to mind even to this day.  Somehow this was not working for me because I did not feel at peace because I did not love my Dad.  It is only when I started this process of confession that the healing became complete.  I pray this short prayer out loud confessing my forgiveness for my dad and confessing out lout how much I love him. 

Father God, I forgive _________ for all their offenses towards me.  Father God, I love ______ who you created in love. 

What we say can be a blessing or a curse.  Our verbal confession of forgiveness and our verbal confession of love for those who have offended us is a blessing not only for the person but for us. 

Shout out to the Lord your confession of forgiveness and love for the person who has offended you so that God will forgive you. 

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.  Matthew 6:14-15

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (As the Lord loves you)  Matthew 22:39

I pray the love from our Heavenly Father helps you overcome any un-forgiveness so that there is healing in your life.

Baal - The Spirit of Idolatry

God never ceases to amaze me in the way He works.  A few weeks ago, as I was reading about the Prophets in the Bible and I knew very little about Baal.  Baal and idolatry was a central topic in the OT.  The Bible talks about Jezebel who convinced the vast majority of the Jews to worship Baal and only a very few refused to worship Baal. It was the worship of Baal that caused the Jews to be taken captive to Babylon.   I know how powerful the spirit of Jezebel was in the Old Testament and how powerful the spirit of Jezebel is in today’s world.  I began to ask the question: “How powerful is Baal if Jezebel herself worshipped Baal and she convinced her husband King Ahab and millions of Jews to worship Baal?”

I began to get revelation and understanding about Baal.  One understanding that I got is how much we don’t know about the spirit of Baal working in the world today.  Baal was a dominate force in the OT.  Understand that Baal has not gone anywhere.  Baal is doing to us is exactly what Baal did to the Jews in the OT.  Satan never changes either and his mission is to destroy us.  Last Thursday at our morning peer group, Pastor Tim gave me a booklet (24 pages) by Kyle Idleman called “gods at War.”  You can order the whole book (234 pages) from their website (www.godsatwar.com).  I put this piece together from this resources and what I have learned in the last three weeks about Baal and idol worship.  Please note that we too often we look at Baal as singular when in fact Baal may represent thousands.

There are gods at war within each of us. They battle for the throne of our hearts, and much is at stake. This is why idolatry is the most discussed problem in the entire Bible and a subject that is relatively ignored as being a huge issue in the world we live in. Behind every sin struggle that we have is a false god that is winning the war in our lives. Don't give in to the myth that gods are only statues that people of other cultures worshiped long ago.  Entertainment, pleasure, romance, beauty, pornography, sex, money, success, power, acknowledgment, and life style, are just a few of the gods that vie for our allegiance in today's society.  Perhaps, our biggest idol is our own thinking (religious thinking, pride, addictions, anger, depression, un-forgiveness, rejection, unloving, self- hate, unloving, self-righteous).  Self-sufficiency opposes the Gospel.  If we continue to do things (SIN) contrary to what God tells us to do and if we don’t listen to GOD; we have made our thinking a god. 
Behind every sin we struggle with there is really a more significant issue of idolatry.  Sin is the fruit, but the idolatry is the tree from which it grows.  More than a thousand verses speak to idolatry and more than fifty commands in the first five books speak to idolatry. Isn’t it amazing that the first two commandments in Exodus 20:3-4 (NLT) are about gods?

1. “You must not have any other god but me.
2. “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea.

As long as you want anything so very much, especially more that you want God, it is an idol.

The problem is that the instant something takes the place of GOD, the moment it becomes an ending to its self rather than something to place at GOD’S throne, it becomes an idol.  When someone or something replaces the LORD GOD in the position of Glory in our lives, then whoever or whatever that is, has by definition become our god.

Idolatry is not an issue, it is THE issue.  Idolatry isn’t just one of many sins; it is the one great sin that all others come from.  GOD knows that behind every sin that we struggle with, behind every discouragement we deal with, behind the lack of passion and purpose we live with is this issue of idolatry.  They are false gods that are warring for the throne of our heart and until they are dethroned and LORD GOD takes His rightful place, we will continue to struggle and we will not have victory.

To identify the gods in your life, look at what is central to your life.  What are the golden calves dominating your life?  What has become a substitute for GOD in our lives?  To describe the concept more clearly, anything that becomes the purpose or driving force of our lives probably points back to idolatry of some kind.  Take a mental inventory of what you do throughout the day and determine if what you do brings Glory to GOD.  If you still can’t figure it out, just turn on the television (programing, commercials, and news) and it will show you who your gods are.  The television is a reflection what our world has become and who our gods are.

We are wired for worship, but we often end up valuing and honoring idols and these gods dominate our lives.  Take heed of what the Bible say about the corrupt church in Revelation 2:20-24 (NLT)

²⁰ “But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols (Baal). ²¹ I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.

²² “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. ²³ I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.

Jonah 2:8-9 (NKJV) ⁸ “Those who regard worthless idols (gods), Forsake their own Mercy. ⁹ But I will sacrifice to You
With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed.  Salvation is of the Lord.”  The person who has regard for idols cannot appropriate the mercy GOD desires to bestow.

Zechariah 13:2 (NKJV) ² “It shall be in that day,” says the Lord of hosts, “that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land.  GOD’S cleansing during the age of the Messiah will be radical.  The unclean spirit is rare OT reference to GOD’S decisive dealing with demons.  The prophets are false prophets who continue to speak during the days of the Messiah.

The Bible give us a choice and we need to choose before is it too late.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NKJV)

¹⁹ I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; ²⁰ that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Amen!

 

Vision

Greetings,

I was lead to write this article early this morning.  I was meditating on Luke 13:28 months ago when I received a vision and I want to share this with you.

There Will Be Wailing And Gnashing Of Teeth.

Luke 13:28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

As I was spending time with the Lord few months ago, this vision came to me.  I was hesitant, but I think it is important to tell you about this vision. 

The vision is about the people who have practiced lawlessness and have been cast into the furnace of fire by God’s angels (Matthew 13:41-42).  “Wailing and gnashing of teeth” is the suffering of the wicked because of the evil that they have done all their lives such as anger, hatred, un-forgiveness, pride, idolatry (etc.), and how they have treated others.  In the course of their life, Godly people have been put in their path and they chose to ignore them. 

This is the part that was astounding to me.  The wicked including believers (Matt 7:21-23) who practice iniquity are in the fire wailing and gnashing their teeth because of all the thousands of sins in their life that are being brought into remembrance at the same time.  They are being flooded with thousands of these thoughts at the same time continuously without any relief.  These words “Why did I do things and why did I not listen” rang from their mouths.  The remembrances of these sins are pounding them over and over and they will be in torment for eternity.  

My prayer is that we look at ourselves and determine what is in need of improvement in our lives.   I pray that we all make every effort to reach out to others and spread the Gospel so that they can be saved from the fiery furnace . 

Matthew 13:37-43 (NKJV) He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.  The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.  Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.  The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Blessings,

Word of God

Word of God

My wife and I were watching a program and she asked why there is not any shame in the world.  My comment was this:  We don’t have shame anymore because we have become desensitized (1. Make less sensitive. 2. Make (someone) less likely to feel shock or distress at scenes of nudity, cruelty, violence, or suffering by overexposure to such things or images).  Over exposure to movies (R rated), TV (nightly series, soap operas, reality shows, talk shows, etc.), video games, books, magazines, social networks, and the internet have molded and defined our society.  These things have become our bible and I am sad to say that many Christians have bought into this antichrist society.  We are compromising the Word of God by trusting what man has created in our society.  Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says the LORD: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.

Recently, I was invited to visit a rather large church that is growing at a phenomenal rate.  They have two campuses with a Sunday combined attendance in excess of 4,000.  The majority of the people were in their twenties and thirties and it was an awesome sight to see all these people coming to worship God.  Unfortunately, most of these people walking into the sanctuary did not have the Word of God in their possession and the few that had a Bible could not read their Bible because the lighting was so poor.  The message was very good, but without the Word of God we will not have the knowledge to overcome the evil in this world.  Isaiah 5:13 says “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge….  And Hosea 4:6 says” My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

So whether it is no knowledge or lack of knowledge, bad things can happen to good, wonderful people who love God and have walked closely with Him in their lives.  Why?  God’s people don’t know every precept from Genesis to Revelation.  We don’t know all that is important to our life or the lives of our families.  We could have missed a few or many of these precepts along the way, opening the door to our problems. 

Knowing God and knowing His Word will not guarantee our freedom.  The church is full of people who can quote scripture forwards and backwards, but the Scriptures are not bearing fruit in our lives.  We have been taught to be intellectually and spiritually superior, but we have not been taught how to defeat our enemy.

The Word is Jesus Christ, a living being, but the defeat of your enemy with the Word can only be fruitful if we believe and make it part of our life in faith.  It is not fruitful if we believe God because of works (Ephesians 2”8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast).   We have to become one with God.  His nature and our nature have to become one in that area of our life.  To become one with the Word is to know what the living being, Jesus Christ, has said as revealed in the Scriptures and believe it.

When His thoughts become our thoughts, we are spiritually changed.  When His ways become our ways, we are spiritually changed.  Only then will we be able to weed out the antichrist society that is dominating this world.

Jeremiah 39:18 For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,” says the LORD.’”

It is my prayer that you make a commitment to read the Word of God every day which will allow His Word to speak to you and change your life.

AMEN

Can You Compete With Sin?

Greetings Brothers and Sisters,

I stopped bloging earlier in the year becasue I had a distribution list that I used in its place.  I just signed in and I was very surprised that there have been so many views of past blogs.

One of the reasons for not using blog was becasue of the difficutly in posting blogs from my document draft.

I pray that you take a few minutes to read the below piece I put together last week after many revisions.  My wife thought that the original draft may have been a little harsh.  I took her counsel and changed it and I believe the article is better because of the revisions.  I usually keep these to one page, as many will not read if it is too long.  This was an exception.  I hope you enjoy.

Can You Compete With Sin?

We live in a world constantly in competition whether it is sports, video games, positions, finances, credentials, accomplishments, recognition, appearance, etc.  We even compete for the love and acceptance of our parents, siblings, spouses, girlfriend/boyfriends, and church. Men are especially competitive, but women are catching up.  We can say that we are competitive to a fault in this day and age.

Today, we will talk about a competition that we can’t be competitive with no matter how hard we try.  The competition I am talking about is SIN!  Sin in ourselves and sin in others.  God.  Our thoughts, emotions, bodies, actions, and time are in competition with sin.  Sin even affects our heart (Matthew 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts).

Anger – When someone is in a state of anger/rage, we have great difficulty reaching this person.  Although we may think we can compete with their anger, we do so with great risk of conflict.  The anger in them does not allow them to see or hear reasoning.  There is a veil over them and they have turned away from the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away).

Broken heart/hopelessness/depression/rejection – Ever try to reach someone who is depressed?  Whatever you have to say will not bring comfort to them. Proverbs 12:25 Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression…..  Anxiety is fear and fear is one of the spiritual roots of depression.

Pride – Ever try to convince someone that what he is saying or doing is wrong?  Jeremiah 17:23 But they did not obey nor incline their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.  Or been around an arrogant person and find it difficult to be in the same room with them?  Proverbs 21:4 A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin.

Fear – What society has labeled stress and anxiety is really worry/fear (Matthew 6:34 do not worry).  Fear will cause great destruction in our spiritual and to our physical (immune system).  Fear cause high blood pressure, headaches, itching, depression, phobias to name a few.  We can’t compete with our fear or the fear of others. Fear (sin) will manifest in us and will hinder God from manifesting in us. John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”  We will fear even when we think we aren’t in fear because fear has become a part of our existence in our mind, body, and soul.

Addictions – Addictions are defined as: to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively.  Allow me to list a few addictions:  Alcohol, Drugs, cigarettes, shopping, perfectionism, caffeine, video games, TV, sports, exercise, food, sex, gossiping, and many others.  We can’t compete with our addiction and the addictions of other people.  Addiction can become our gods.  Our God in Heaven will not compete with other gods (Exodus 20:5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous god….)

Definition of Conscious: the sense or consciousness of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good

Definition of Subconscious: the mental activities just below the threshold of consciousness

One example often used to explain the subconscious mind is the process of car driving. Initially when you are learning to drive, you have full concentration on the road, gear, clutch, etc. You are concentration on the process of driving; you look at every pothole, every bump, and every obstacle. As you get trained on driving, the act goes into your subconscious mind and you tend to drive without making a conscious effort to drive. You automatically avoid the obstacles, you automatically change gears when required while you could be doing umpteen other things at the same time like talking to your companion sitting beside you, listening to the music and observing the countryside.  As you practice driving again and again, you make decisions automatically and you drive naturally. Driving decisions and actions go out of the conscious mind to the subconscious mind.

It is important to know how the conscious and the subconscious mind operate when exposed to sin.  Sin is an acquired trait that will compromise our conscious (knowing right from wrong) and enters our subconscious. Sin now becomes a way of life for us and it is hard for us to distinguish right from wrong because we think sin is normal when it is not.  Even when we know it is wrong, we are powerless to change in most cases.  We can’t compete with sin.

When you are in your sin, it is an object of focus in your life.  Sometimes you are actually thinking about it.  Other times it is there beyond the realm of conscious thought.  You are susceptible to sinful thoughts.  You are susceptible to be programed by sin and that is why your mind needs renewing. 

So what is the answer to this dilemma?  We can say to do this and to do that.  We can say to surrender to God and repent.  We can receive counseling for the same sin over and over again and nothing changes.  I am not suggesting that some of these things don’t work but, in reality, it is very difficult to turn from our sin without help directly from God.

Again, we need help from God?  First, we call on the Holy Spirit to help us (John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things…).  Second, two paragraphs ago we discussed that our mind needs renewing.  How do we renew our mind?  We do this by immersing ourselves in the Word of God. His Word is a direct link to God because the Word has been there from the beginning and the Word is God. (John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God). His Word will give us understanding, wisdom, knowledge, revelation, discernment, instruction, guidance and His love.  We read and we read and we continue to read His Word until His Word becomes etched in our hearts. (Hebrews 8:10 ….says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people).  His Word becomes our conscious and subconscious. His Word becomes the essence of our being.  His Word and our sin will not coexist.  Lastly, we are to operate in the Spirit in everything we do. (Isaiah 11:2  The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD).  

The majority of believers do not read the Bible on a consistent basis. How can we truly know God if we don’t read His Word?  How can we know about His promises of deliverance from sin?  Read His Word and He will teach us how to face our enemy, take authority over the dark kingdom, and come out from the bondages of sin so that we can have the special relationship that God the Father wants with us.

God hates sin because it separates us from Him. (Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities (sin) have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear).  Therefore, we are to hate sin as well and not to compete with sin.  We have to make the choice to take authority over sin in the name of Jesus.

Hebrews 10:21-23 (NLT) And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him.  For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 

Blessings to you all,

 Tony Sanchez

They Just Don’t Get It

I received understanding a few months ago or should I say the Lord smack me across the head regarding a subject that most of us are not aware of.  As believers, we go through life interacting with family, friends, and coworkers.  We get to know them, their personalities and what their beliefs are.  How many times have we seen believers and nonbelievers make the same mistakes over and over again?  How many times have we counseled believers/nonbelievers and they don’t or won’t listen?  We warn them over and over again to no avail.   Matter of fact, they get tired of us nagging them, and especially our children.  After a history of people turning a deaf ear we get frustrated and angry and we throw up our hands and say “They Just Don’t Get It?”

Let us break down what has occurred when we say “They Just Don’t Get It.”

• We have pronounced a curse on them.  We have no cause and it is underserved.  Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Many instances of curses are in the Bible.

• We have criticized them.  Have you ever been around a person who has a critical spirit?  Someone who is critical is forever finding faults and pointing them out.  Most of the time they don’t know it because it has become part of them.  This sin has manifested in them rather than the person manifesting themselves to God.  John 14:21  He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

• We have judged them.  We have formed a negative opinion.  Psalm 50:6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Isaiah 11:3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears. Matthew 7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged.  Luke 6:37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.  We are to let God’s Word judge, not us.

• We have accused them.  God does not like accusers because even if we are 95% correct, we are not 100% correct.  Therefore, what we say is a lie if it is not 100% correct.  If we choose to accuse we are of the devil.  Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.  Psalm 109:29 Let my accusers be clothed with shame, And let them cover themselves with their own disgrace as with a mantle. Complain is another word that goes along with accused.  Complain means to make formal accusation or charge.  Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing.

• We slander or defame them. Defame means to harm their reputation.   Psalm 101:5 Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure.  Psalm 140:11  Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.” Proverbs 10:18 Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, And whoever spreads slander is a fool.  You can never restore a person’s reputation once you have slandered them.

• We are gossiping when we say to anyone “They Just Don’t Get It.”  1 Timothy 5:13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not.

“They Just Don’t Get It.” Such a small phrase that has huge repercussions. One small phrase that has resulted in at least six sins that is unknown to the person who has uttered these words.  When we do not recognize sin, we go to bed with un-confessed sin.  This is an open door for Satan to work his evil and he will come after you.  Without realizing it, we have been blindsided by Satan.  He comes after you at a young age.  He is very patient and his goal is to break you down little by little until he destroys you.  He never changes either.

The next progression from this simple but damaging phrase is we get irritated or offended resulting in bitterness.  Bitterness and un-forgiveness can compromise our auto-immune system resulting in cancer and arthritis.  Bitterness leads to un-forgiveness, resentment, retaliation, anger/wrath, hatred, violence and murder.  Murder you say? Killing of Christians are occurring around the world because they don’t follow the religion in that particular country.  Are they saying the same thing?  “They Just Don’t Get It.” 

Some will say that this is extreme.  It is not extreme to God who knows how an innocent sinful phrase can wreak havoc in a believer’s life as evident in the Scriptures.  One simple thought turns into an action (phrase) and before you know it, you are in bondage to the action.  “They Just Don’t Get It” phrase is an action. 

Jesus fought the same battle as we do today trying to bring people to the Kingdom of God.  Jesus knew their shortcomings and had compassion for them.  So much that He asked His Father to forgive them.  Luke 23:34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  We are to have the same compassion and love for our brothers and sisters as Jesus did.  We are to understand that at times they “do not know what they do” and to ask God to forgive them.  We need to ask God to forgive us for thinking we are so wise as to say “They Don’t Get It.”  1 Corinthians 3:18-20  Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, “He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.” And again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.”

AMEN!

Blessings to you,

Intercession - What Is Our Responsibility?

Intercession


Our pastor was sharing with us about another church that put out a prayer meeting invitation to their congregation. The day arrived for the prayer meeting and only a couple of people showed up. His question to our pastor was “Why do so many attend your prayer meeting?”

Perhaps, the answer is to teach and greatly emphasize the importance of intercession. Do we truly know how important intercessory prayer is? If we did, we would have packed prayer meetings.

What is intercessory prayer? Quite simply, intercessory prayer is the act of praying on behalf of others. Intercession is not new to us. The Bible has many cases of people standing up for others before God.

The Children of Israel cried out to God so they could be released from the bondages of Egypt. Exodus 2:23… Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

Abraham took the initiative to intercede before God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah. He cared enough to do it, even though he knew how wicked Sodom and Gomorrah was. Then the men turned away from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the Lord Genesis 18:22. Unfortunately, there were not any righteous men and all perished except for Lot, and his two daughters.

Moses also stepped in and prostrated (Deuteronomy 9:25) himself before the Lord, forty days and forty nights so that God would not destroy the nation of Israel because they were a “stiff neck people” and God wanted to destroy them. (Deuteronomy 9:13-14).

• Deuteronomy 9:25 “Thus I prostrated myself before the Lord; forty days and forty nights I kept prostrating myself, because the Lord had said He would destroy you.


• Deuteronomy 9:13-14 “Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people. Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’

Jesus Christ, the greatest intercessor who died for our sins and rose for our justification, now lives to intercede for us before God. The greatest example of intercessory prayer in the Bible is in John 17, where the Lord poured out His heart for His disciples. “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours (John 17:9). But that was not all! “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (John 17:20). And that's us! We are included!

All in authority - Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Ministers (Preaching in Philippians 19) - For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, Philippians 1:19

The Church - Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you, Psalms 122:6

Fellow Countrymen - Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved, Romans 10:1

The Sick - 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, James 5:14

Enemies - And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace, Jeremiah 29:7.

Those Who Persecute Us - But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, Matthew 5:44.

There is an erroneous idea in contemporary Christianity that those who offer up intercessory prayers are a special class of “super-Christians,” called by God to a specific ministry of intercession. The Bible is clear that all Christians are called to be intercessors. All Christians have the Holy Spirit in their hearts and, just as He intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will, we are to intercede for one another. (Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27). This is not a privilege limited to an exclusive Christian elite; this is the command to all. In fact, not to intercede for others is sin. “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23).

Nowhere in any biblical request for intercession is there any indication that only a certain group of people could intercede. On the contrary, those who seek others to intercede for them can use all the help they can get! The idea that intercession is the privilege and calling of only some Christians is without biblical basis. Worse, it is destructive.

As you can see from the list below, we are a hurting and suffering Church and we have many that are in need of intercessory prayer.

 Rejection - Un-forgiveness - Addictions - Unsaved Family - Disease - Illness - Jealousy

Hatred - Living In Sin - Unloving Spirit - Anger Widows - Condemnation - Gossip

Abandonment - Violence - Lust - Pride - Shame - Idols - Passive - Slanderers - Broken Heart

Backbiting - Confusion - Rebellion - Depression - Slumberous - Bitterness - Fear

Pride - Despair - Curses - Covet - Stubbornness

God calls all Christians to be intercessors. It is God’s desire that every believer be active in intercessory prayer. What a wonderful and exalted privilege we have in being able to come boldly before the throne of Almighty God with our prayers and requests!

There is a great spiritual battle being waged on the earth today as has been in the past. The enemy is using his entire arsenal with the single intent of destroying us all. It is our responsibility to ask God to give us strength to intercede on behalf of the needy. I would think that this would include everyone, as I have not met anyone who doesn’t need someone to intercede on their behalf.

My question to you this day is this: What sacrifice are you willing to make to pray for your family, your friends, and others so that you can take back the ground that Satan has taken from them? God expects us to intercede as others did in the Bible. Are you willing to pray morning, noon, and night? Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and join a weekly prayer group to intercede? Are you willing to make a difference for those people in need or will you choose to ignore what God calls us to do? It is your choice! …“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight…John 18:56.

When you combine intercessory prayer with the spoken (Rhema) Word of God, His Word shall not return void. So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11.

Amen.

The Book of Judges

Greetings to all, 

Three people come to mind as I finished the Book of Judges.  Deborah, who was a prophetess and rose in ancient Israel as a female judge, whose multiple leadership functions demonstrate the possibilities for any women who will allow God’s Spirit to fill and form her life.  The other two are Gideon and Sampson who are more recognizable.

The Book of Judges illustrates the disastrous consequences of breaking fellowship with God through idolatrous worship.  Sin separates us from God.  The Lord requires commitment from His people.  When we commit sin, the Lord in His love chastises us until we come to full repentance.  When we cry out to Him, the Lord faithfully responds to us.  He forgives us, brings deliverance to us, and restores fellowship with us.

The Lord is our Judge and our Deliverer.  He is able to do impossible things.  Just as He appointed deliverers and empowered them with His Spirit to do exploits, He is able to provide us with His Holy Spirit and to use us to bring deliverance to those who are bound in sin and despair.  He responds to the cry of a repentant heart.  The Lord is faithful and His love is constant.

The Book of Judges graphically portrays the character of the Lord in His dealings with the children of Israel.  In righteousness, the Lord punished them for their sin; but, in His love and mercy, He delivered them in response to their repentant cry.  Though the judges are called the deliverers or saviors of the people, God ultimately is their Savior.  “God is the Judge” (Psalm 75:7 But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another).  He is “a just God and a Savior” (Isaiah 45:21 Tell and bring forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me).

Humankind’s need of a divine deliverer or savior is emphasized in the Book of Judges.  Throughout history, God’s people have sinned.  God has always delivered His people from oppression when they repented and turned their hearts toward Him.  God in His love for us sent His Son Jesus Christ as our Deliverer and Savior to redeem us from the bondage of sin and death.

2 Timothy 4:8  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Acts 17:31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Blessings,

Tony

The Book of Joshua

Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 8:20 AM

Gang,

I thought I would share a tidbit as I go through each book of the Bible. I hope you enjoy. Joshua The Book of Joshua teaches that the fulfillment of God’s promises of blessing to Israel depend on their cooperation. The blessings of victory, inheritance, abundant provision, peace and rest all came to the people of God as they obeyed Him. Faithful meditation on His Word and faithful obedience to His commands are the key to blessing and abundance. Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Also, Joshua called the people to a life of obedience and faith. Joshua 22:5 But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Today, this abiding trust provides a clear foundation for our growth and blessing. As surely as blessing follows obedience, judgment follow disobedience. Achan’s sin reveals the principle that no man lives to himself (ch. 7) but the sin of one affects the lives of many including our children. Obey and He will bless our children. Proverbs 20:7 The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him. God hates sin and is just as faithful to punish the disobedient as He is to bless the steadfast. These principalities of blessings and cursing are object lessons for us on our pathway to maturity. Joshua’s life and leadership demonstrated that spiritual maturity is not independence from God, but responsive dependence on God. To be victorious, we must surrender to Him; to lead others, we must follow Him.

The Book of Joshua provides other valuable lessons: attitudes essential for God-given victory; principle of leadership; the fatal result of pride; the relevance of memorials; God’s faithfulness to His Word; examples of His miracle power.

Blessings to you,

Tony Sanchez

I Had a Dream

I hope you don’t mind if I share a dream I had Monday night regarding sin.

I will try to describe the dream as best that I can. We are born into sin and unfortunately there is a lot of sin we have inherited from our ancestors. As we get older, we allow more and more sin to come into our lives. We become covered with sin such as rejection unloving spirit, fear, un-forgiveness, envy, jealousy, anger, wrath, bitterness, slander, backbiting, depression, confusion, condemnation, pride, shame, accusation, judgment, criticism, resentment, disobedience, hatred, rebellion, Idolatry, guilt, stubbornness, false witness, control, lust, murder of the tongue, death, broken heart, and anguish to name a few. These are unclean spirits working in us because we have not recognized our sin. Un-confessed sin allows these spirits to continue to operate in us and progressively get worse. The goal of the enemy is to control us with sin. Compare a troubled family member when they were three years old without much sin and as an adult in bondage to sin. This is how the enemy works and we see it all around us.

In my dream, I saw this man standing in front of me covered with red ants. The ants are a representation of his sin. He is picking ants one at a time with his forefinger and thumb and not making any headway removing the ants. He looks so lost and I am yelling at him to confess his sins so that he can be set free from these red ants (sins). He says to me, “I don’t have any sin, I am just having a little problem with a few ants.”

Allow me to give you an illustration on how I explained this to my grandson a few months ago. I told him that we all sin throughout the day. If we don’t recognize and confess our sin, we go to bed with all this un-confessed sin. Let’s say that during a typical day we get angry, lie, covet, worry, or criticize. Five sins are listed and most of the time during the course of the day, we can sin more than once with each of these listed sins. So we have 5 sins per day. 35 sins per week. 1050 sins per month. 12,600 sins per year. Multiply this times your age and you can see how a person can be in great bondage if we don’t confess our sins throughout the day. So often, we don’t realize we are sinning. It has become our nature.

It is very important for us to recognize our sin as it happens so that we can confess our sins and repent immediately. Otherwise, we forget our sin and red ants will cover us.
Blessings to you,