Seasons of Change

No matter how old or young we are or what baggage we may carry, God continually guides us toward a perfect relationship with him. He doesn’t begin this process after we have abandoned sin. This is a process that began early in our lives.

God never condones sin, nor will he judge the sinner until the time is right.

  1 Timothy 5:22 Do not be in a hurry in the laying on of hands [giving the sanction of the church too hastily in reinstating expelled offenders or in ordination in questionable cases], nor share or participate in another man’s sins; keep yourself pure. Jesus never joined in sin but easily spoke to the sinner without hesitation because of his/her sin.

Our goal should be to seek out his will. If we take our eyes off the natural (using our five senses) and look to God who created all things, we begin to clearly perceive a pattern of the seasons of change in our lives. 

Daniel 2:21 He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.

Strongholds brought on by carelessly disregarding God’s will may hide dormant for years or worse, they may increase and imprison us until we come to the point of total submission. When we begin to trust God, and trust in God, rather than in our feelings, our circumstances, or our five senses we shed the veil that has been obscuring our vision. It’s this very veil that can keep us in bondage to strongholds for the rest of our lives. Some may call it denial, but in effect, we may have become comfortable with what should be given over to a season of change.

Since God is drawing us to him from an early age, the enemy is also trying to take control. How can we take control back and go through the seasons of change in our lives without becoming bound by a demonic stronghold?

5 Biblical ways to advance through the seasons of change in our lives.
1. Realize and embrace the fact that our walk with God does come in seasons. Seek to advance toward God during these times.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-22 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

2. Seek out the wisdom of God. It's so easy to turn away from God when we have a crisis or a change in our lives that we didn’t expect and we can’t explain. This is a season of change and an opportunity to better understand the love of God.

Daniel 2:21 He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding!

3. Do not dictate to God. Give God His right to keep some things about your season of change to Himself. His will for you is perfect after all and in the end, you will see the good he has done.

Acts 1:7 He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we are looking in a mirror that gives only a dim (blurred) reflection [of reality as in a riddle or enigma], but then [when perfection comes] we shall see in reality and face to face! Now I know in part (imperfectly), but then I shall know and understand fully and clearly, even in the same manner as I have been fully and clearly known and understood [by God]

4. Don’t doubt God during your season of change. Continue to trust in and rely on him.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.

Romans 8:28 We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.

5. Keep focused on doing right and on God’s words. Meditate on God’s words day and night.

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers. ² Rather, he delights in the teachings of the Lord and reflects on his teachings day and night. ³ He is like a tree planted beside streams—a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither. He succeeds in everything he does.

Written by Christian author, Pola Muzyka.

Stronghold of Generational Disease

Four Generations of Cotters! (Photo credit: cacaye)
Have you ever wondered why certain sicknesses run in families? Have we accepted this phenomenon as a fact of life? What does God say about these things? A generational disease is simply put, a curse on our bodies.

Luke 13:16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day? Notice that this verse says, “Satan has kept in bondage.”

The major qualifications for a disease could at times be imprinted into our DNA, but more than likely this imprinting does not necessarily have to result in disease. What are diseases and why do we seem to inherit them from our ancestors?

Disease is an abnormal condition that affects the body of an organism. Most disease is not a prerequisite. But a disease can come on us because of sin. Sin that has turned into a habit and eventual stronghold may, in fact, cause our bodies to invite sickness. Habits are learned behavior that can be passed down for decades. With these inherited habits come the sins that cause deterioration and disease.

Some of these habits are, temper flare-ups, overindulging in food or drink, smoking, blame, unforgiveness, laziness, and the list goes on. In other words, we learn the habits that become strongholds that cause what appears to be a generational disease.

What can be done about this stronghold of generational disease and how can we rid ourselves of it, even though it appears to have been passed down for generations?

5 Biblical tips on overcoming generational disease:

1. Seek out the main cause once you recognize an illness that appears to be passed down to you. High blood pressure, for example, may be caused by improper eating habits, lack of exercise, or something simple like not drinking enough water. Things you learned from others in your family.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you [the priestly nation] have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you that you shall be no priest to Me; seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

2. Ask God in prayer for the strength you need to overcome a habit that has been taught to you and may potentially lead to sickness and even early death.

Numbers 14:18  ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’

3. Ask for the healing Jesus has already provided. Jesus has overcome the sins of the world. Receive his sacrifice if you haven’t already.

John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.

John 16:24 Up to this time you have not asked a [single] thing in My Name [as presenting all that I Am]; but now ask and keep on asking and you will receive, so that your joy (gladness, delight) may be full and complete.

4. Have faith that his sacrifice was sufficient for you to overcome what you believe is a generational curse.

Galatians 3:13 Christ paid the price to free us from the curse that the laws in Moses’ Teachings bring by becoming cursed instead of us. Scripture says, “Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed.”

5. Turn from anything that may be causing you to harbor bad habits leading to sickness.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of decent people turns away from evil. Whoever watches his way preserves his own life.

Written by Christian author, Pola Muzyka.

Related articles

• Free from the Strongholds of Curses
• Free from the Stronghold of Darkness

Be Sociable, Share!

Free from the Stronghold of Imaginings

Before we can destroy or remove a stronghold from our lives we must recognize what the stronghold is. In this case, imaginings are ideas, stories, and thoughts held in your mind but that are not true or real. Things you imagined may take place or that may have taken place may or may not be real.

So how do imaginings become a stronghold? We know that when we create in any way, we need to imagine the project first. The bible talks about visions as the first step in a calling or mission, as in:

Habakkuk 2:2-3 “Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. ³ The vision will still happen at the appointed time. It hurries toward its goal. It won’t be a lie. If it’s delayed, wait for it. It will certainly happen. It won’t be late.

NYC – Metropolitan Museum of Art – The Vision of Saint John 

 So, how can imaginings be so bad and how can they become a stronghold?

The truth is that they aren’t bad when the imaginings are used to inspire, encourage, create, or otherwise glorify God with good. When do we recognize how this gift of imagination has turned into a stronghold against God’s will? The bible talks about vain, dark, empty-headed, vengeful, and evil imaginings.

Farmer plowing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Of course we are human, but we don’t fight like humans. ⁴ The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments ⁵ and all their intellectual arrogance that oppose the knowledge of God. We take every thought captive so that it is obedient to Christ.

What can be done to avoid a stronghold of imaginings from entering our lives?

5 Biblical tips to overcome a stronghold of imaginings.
1. Be aware of your drifting thoughts? Are they pulling you closer to God and his will or further away? Do they glorify God? Or do they dishonor God?

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do super-abundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]—To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

2. Resist and rid yourself of any hateful, evil, vain, or hurtful thoughts which are the beginning of imaginings against God’s will.

James 4:7 So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.

3. Replace any influence that may be encouraging your dark imaginings with positive, affirmative, joyful, loving, and godly influences available.

2 Timothy 2:21 So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.

4. Be diligent in the things of God. When God has given you a mission or a vision, set your heart and life on it immediately. You know it comes from God if you have the peace of God and if it lines up with his word.

Proverbs 11:27 He who diligently seeks good seeks [God’s] favor, but he who searches after evil, it shall come upon him.

5. Refuse to spend any more wasted time on vain imaginings.

Romans 1:21 Because when they knew and recognized Him as God, they did not honor and glorify Him as God or give Him thanks. But instead they became futile and ^[a]godless in their thinking [with vain imaginings, foolish reasoning, and stupid speculations] and their senseless minds were darkened.

Written by Christian author, Pola Muzyka.

Related articles

• Stronghold Smashers – Free from the Stronghold of Complacency
• Free from the Stronghold of Vindictiveness
• Free from the Stronghold of Lust

Be Sociable, Share!

Free from the Stronghold of Rivalry

Rivalry and jealousy walk hand in hand. We see a competitor succeeding and we begin to have thoughts of anguish in one way or another. Some of these thoughts of anguish are jealousy thoughts, some are fearful thoughts, some are greed thoughts, and much more. When a spirit of rivalry comes into our thoughts, our thought-life gets complicated.

The Exhortation to the Apostles (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If these thoughts are not checked immediately they can and will lead to a stronghold that will bring us down completely. We can lose more than our businesses when we give ourselves over to the stronghold of rivalry.

Rivalry is a thief. When we become obsessed with its dominion we are headed down a path to destruction. A spirit of rivalry will take our peace, it will kill our ambition, and it will destroy our relationships. This spirit or stronghold will steal our future.

We will always have competitors–people trying to get an advantage over us, over the market or anything in life. Competition is good if it doesn't become an obsession. When we compete we strive to perfect our work. However, if we spend time obsessing about our competitors we will invite a spirit of rivalry into our minds that can become a habit that may have dominion over us forever.

Definition: A rival is a person or thing that tries to defeat or be more successful than

English: Sacrifice of Cain and Abel (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

another, one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess, or one striving for competitive advantage.

When a spirit of rivalry enters our lives we may set ourselves up against the word of God. So how can we defeat this stronghold and get right with God, since God does not accept rivals and inviting a spirit of rivalry becomes a rival itself between us and God’s blessings?

Five biblical tips to help us overcome a stronghold of rivalry:

1. Don’t allow your thoughts to drift long enough to compare yourself or your business to others.
 Thinking about your competitors or ‘rivals’ will disconnect you from the will of God. Any thought you allow to linger that sets itself up against God or the word of God will hurt you in one way or another.

Jeremiah 17:9 “The human mind is the most deceitful of all things. It is incurable.  No one can understand how deceitful it is.

2. Take advice only from the word of God–not from the world. Worldly advice can create jealousy and rivalry.

James 3:15-17 That kind of wisdom doesn’t come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic. ¹⁶ Wherever there is jealousy and rivalry, there is disorder and every kind of evil. ¹⁷ However, the wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure. Then it is peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good deeds, impartial, and sincere.

3. Become familiar with the words of Jesus Christ. When you know his will and his word you can distinguish thoughts that are not from him, particularly when you learn of someone in your own situation or when someone is doing something you strive to achieve.

John 10:10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.

4. Choose the life of a servant. A leader is always expected to do more, give more, accomplish more, and be a servant to those he/she leads.

Mark 9:33-35 While Jesus was at home, he asked the disciples, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴ They were silent. On the road they had argued about who was the greatest. ³⁵ He sat down and called the twelve apostles. He told them, “Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else.”

5. Pray for God to take a corrupt nature from you so that you can see clearly what God’s will (God who gave you life) is for your life.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, ²⁰ idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. I’ve told you in the past and I’m telling you again that people who do these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Written by Christian author, Pola Muzyka.

 Be sociable, share!

• Strongholds Part 2 – The stronghold of Deceit
• Free from the Stronghold of Defensiveness
• Free from the Stronghold of Envy
• Free from the Stronghold of Jealousy

Free from the Stronghold of Sarcasm

Sarcasm and laziness walk hand in hand before a stronghold of sarcasm is established. One of the easiest ways to hurt an offender is to stab out with our words. However, we take comfort in thinking that there are little or limited physical consequences of using sarcasm, and as a result, we use this weapon over and over again until it becomes a habit leading to a stronghold.

When we use our mouths to tear down or destroy someone, we are blocking ourselves from the steps it might take to tackle a problem with the right actions and words.

Proverbs 26:16 A lazy person thinks he is wiser than seven people who give a sensible answer.

So how does this stronghold take root in our hearts and minds? To understand this, we first need to know what sarcasm is and how it can be destructive.

Unusual sarcasm notice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the dictionary, we see that sarcasm is the use of remarks that clearly mean the opposite of what they say, made in order to hurt someone’s feelings or to criticize something in a humorous way. 

Sarcasm can be brought on by anger, frustration, abuse, hate, bitterness, and many other strongholds. In effect sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter gibe or taunt.” The word, sarcasm, comes from the Greek σαρκασμός (sarkasmos) which is taken from σαρκάζειν meaning “to tear flesh, bite the lip in rage, sneer”.

When sarcasm digs in and becomes a stronghold, as with any other verbal abuse, it will destroy in some way–either the host or the victim-target or both. How can we recognize when our words are sarcastic and set us up against the word of God?

5 Biblical tips to overcome the stronghold of sarcasm:

1. Check your motives. Will, what you are about to say build up or tear down?

Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who plan evil, but joy belongs to those who advise peace.

Matthew 12:37 By your words you will be declared innocent, or by your words you will be declared guilty.”

2. Trust God and his word for your battles.

Isaiah 55:11 My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow.  It will not  come back to me without results. It will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do.”

2 Corinthians 10:4 The weapons we use in our fight are not made by humans. Rather, they are powerful weapons from God. With them we destroy people’s defenses, that is, their arguments…

3. Use your words carefully. Any careless word will be wasted.

Matthew 5:37 Simply say yes or no. Anything more than that comes from the evil one.

Ephesians 5:4 It’s not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks to God.

Matthew 12:36 I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say.

4. Search your heart. Are you speaking life or death into existence?

Ephesians 4:29 Don’t say anything that would hurt another person. Instead, speak only what is good so that you can give help wherever it is needed. That way, what you say will help those who hear you.

Ephesians 4:15 Instead, as we lovingly speak the truth, we will grow up completely in our relationship to Christ, who is the head.

Proverbs 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of those who plan evil, but joy belongs to those who advise peace.

5. Remember the law of sowing and reaping. What you sow (even with your words) is what you will reap in this life.

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love to talk will have to eat their own words.

Written by Christian author, Pola Muzyka.