10/6/2019

Recently I had the opportunity to hear Brother Troy Slagle preach during one of his Revivals. While listening to him, the need to put it on the I.F.G.E.A. website was strong and there came to knowledge that it was going to bless you. He titled his sermon: IF I WERE YOUR ENEMY.

I did not record his message so this is what I received from him and the Lord. I pray you get a blessing and a sense of the danger we are in if we do not heed God’s warning that is in the Bible of what the devil is trying to do in our lives through those we love.

C.I. Wilson

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 1 Peter 5:8 KJV

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   Matthew 6:13 KJV

I will extol thee, O Lord ; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.   Psalm 30:1 KJV

I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me. You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. Psalm 30:1 NLT

The Lord wants us to be aware of how, the devil is trying to rob you of your victory, of your peace of mind, through these areas of your life. Remember that as a child of God the devil is your ENEMY. When you have an enemy, it is important to know of ways that he will try to destroy you and in this case your SOUL.

Your marriage . . . still hopelessly tense and broken.
Your child . . . still rebelling against all sound logic.
Your money . . . still not enough to feel like enough.

Your health . . . still as chronic or scary as ever.
Your addictions . . . still defeating you way too often.

Almost all of us have experienced times of attack on our salvation, our ministry and our personal peace of mind in these five areas. Some of us may not have understood what was happening. Some may have understood what was happening but not why. We cannot be the best person, doing our best work, being the example that God wants us to be when we are battling the devil in these areas.

We can be a better child of God when we recognize the work of the devil and not let it get to our peace that comes from God. When we know what we are battling then we are better prepared for the battle, we are better workers for God, we are a better witness of how God will see us through these battles. When we recognize the one causing what we are facing then we also recognize whom we need to turn to for help, GOD.

All five areas that are listed above have been, can be, will be and maybe being used now against us today to rob us of two main tools or weapons that God has given us; our Passion and our Focus.

When we first accept Jesus as our Savior, we receive the gift of passion. We want everyone to know how wonderful Jesus is, the peace that he gives and we are enthusiastic (passionate) about sharing what we have with everyone. Therefore, the devil wants to dim that passion and when it grows dim, we do not do our best for Jesus. We lose that hunger for God’s Word, for witnessing to others, attending church, reading the Bible, being around fellow Christians and if we keep losing our passion then one day we find ourselves lost and undone with a very happy devil throwing a party because he stole one of God’s children.

We keep our passion by being in a Bible believing, preaching, teaching church and being with fellow Christians. We need to be on the lookout for things that have a tendency to dim or rob our passion.

Another way for our enemy, Satan, to come against us is in our focus. He uses little distractions every day that slowly work on pulling us away from God. Our enemy will use camouflage to make his attacks look like the normal way of life, to make them look like helps and not hindrances. Some areas that our enemy has learned work very well is our spouse, our friends, our finances, church members, our family, television, the internet, our job and the list can go on for pages. Because we each have our own weakness, the enemy uses them to cause us to lose our focus.

We each need to know the ways our enemy uses to cause us to lose our passion and our focus. When solders lose their passion and their focus they can become a hindrance and therefore become a tool for the enemy. Let us all take the time to search our soul and ask God to shine His spotlight on the things that are making us lose our passion and our focus so that we can become the person that He wants us to be.

Heavenly Father, I ask that you help each one of us to see the little things that the devil uses in our lives that we might turn his work around and turn those little things into a witness for you. Help us become more diligent in our lives, in our work and become the light on the hill that you will use to draw men unto You, God. Amen.

9/29/2019

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (KJV)
¹  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
²  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
³  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
⁴  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
⁵  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
⁶  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
⁷  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
⁸  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

The BOLD is mine.

I was rereading some emails that I have received over the years and found one from March 21, 2016. Brother Thom S. Rainer (https://thomrainer.com/2016/03/ten-commandments-for-pastors-politics-and-social-media/) about ten commandments that we all need to add to the ones that God gave Moses on the Mountain.

God gave us a list of things that is important for each of us that want to make Heaven our home for eternity. Then Jesus summed it up in Matthew 22:37-40. I really like what Jesus states in verse 40 “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

However, it seems that modern “man” needs some encouragement on how we should live. If you have a “facebook” account you can read things that are funny, educational, gross, and even some that invade your privacy. There are things, which we need to have control over in all of our communications. What is more important? The things you post on the internet should show the person you are and Christ shining through you. Brother Rainer’s 10 Commandments talk about this area of our lives.

If you post anything on social media you might want to read Brother Rainer’s article and do some praying over what you read. I really, like what he writes under #10. “Make certain the words are worth the price that is paid.”

C.I. Wilson

9/24/2019

There are times in our lives, especially as we mature in Christ that we find ourselves in a place that seems hopeless. Maybe it is physical, in your family’s health or financial. The enemy knows our weaknesses and hits us broadsided in that area. Sometimes he hits us like a boxer, jabbing again and again. Remember Jesus is our referee; He will not let anymore happen that we cannot handle. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV) states:  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

My niece put out a song, “Tie a knot in the rope and hang on.” Don’t give up, don’t give in, God is working on your behalf. Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) states: Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

In Daniel 3 we read of three godly men who had a severe problem, they were to deny their faith, but they stood their ground. They said, Our God is able to deliver us; but, if not, we still trust him. The King threw them in the fiery furnace, which was heated seven times hotter than usual. The heat consumed even the guards. The devil stood there saying I got you and laughing at the three Hebrew children. I am sure he was confident that he had them. Then there was the fourth man in the fire, liken unto the Son of God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walked without even the smell of smoke. No, matter what you are going through, Romans 8:28 lets us know that God is in the background working for your good. In James 1:12 states: Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

Hold on and be at peace.

Submitted by:                        

Rev. Gennevieve Hebert        

9/19/2019

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unt thine own understanding.

Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for Your great love toward us. We trust You, Lord, with all our heart and we don’t Lean on our own understanding. In all our ways, we choose to acknowledge You. Thank You, Lord, that through Your grace and power we are able to face tomorrow and conquer every obstacle before us. We know You are a good God all of the time; therefore, we know that we can confidently follow Your leading wherever You choose to lead us. We declare in the name of Jesus that all forms of oppression we have embraced consciously or unconsciously are null and void. Father, thank You for Your Word because it is trustworthy and true; we have confidence in it. We stand upon the substance and substructure of Your Word, convinced that all You have promised has already been accomplished through the finished work of the cross of Christ. We take Your Word to heart-thank You for showing us how we should act on it. We place a demand today upon that finished work, fully expecting to see it manifested in every area of our life. In Jesus’s name I ask, Amen.

Submitted by:                        

Stirling Full Gospel Church   

Independence, Missouri         

                                 Matthew 25:36-I was in prison and ye came unto me.

     The letters that spell out the word “newsletter” are relevant to your relationship with the Lord. They are also letters that represent God’s everlasting love for humanity.

     The first letter in the word “n.e.w.s.l.e.t.t.e.r” is n. This letter is representing the word need. As human beings, we have a need for a Savior. In the Bible, it says that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:9-13). The first e in the word newsletter will represent the word enemy. As follower of Jesus Christ, we have an enemy who would love to destroy us as believers (I Peter 5:8). We don’t have to live a defeated life. Reading the Bible is one of the weapons for defeating your enemy; spending time with your God in prayer and attending a church (on a regular basis) are also tools for the defeating your enemy. The next letter is w which will be represented by the word watch. Be careful how you live your life now that you are a believer. Be careful of old friends you hang out with, things you watch on TV or any media device. God’s plan for our lives does not coincide with our plans. (Luke 21:36). The letter s is representing the word sanctify. The word sanctify means (for a believer) to be set apart or to be holy. In the book of Joshua, the people of God were asked to sanctify themselves (Joshua 3:5). We are also told to be holy in the book of first Peter (I Peter 1:16). The letter l is representing the word lack. Remember, it is important that you learn to read and mediate on God’s holy word. This will help you to understand God and His plan for your life as a believer or a follower of Jesus Christ. In the Bible (Hosea 4:6) God says my people are destroyed for “lack” of knowledge. The second e will be for the word establish. God established His covenant with Abraham which includes us as Gentile believers (Genesis 17:7). God took away the first covenant and establish a second covenant through Jesus Christ and the work He did on the cross (Hebrew 8:8-13/ Hebrew 10:9-10). The first t is representing a small three letter word called “too”. In Genesis 18:14, it says,” Is there anything “too” hard for the Lord”? The answer is clearly no. When your world or life becomes overwhelming, remember God’s holy word. The second t will be representing the word trust. Put all your trust in God with your whole heart and He will give you a better path of life (Proverbs 3:5-6/Jeremiah 29:11). The last e in the word newsletter is for the word esteem. The word esteem means to respect and have admiration for one another. The Bible says to esteem others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:3). And last but certainly not least, the letter r is representing the word rich. God has many blessings for us as children of God. The blessings of the Lord also make us rich (Proverbs 10:22).