The Spirit versus the Flesh
In this world a battle is being waged for the spirits of each andevery man and woman. The battle is between Jesus and Satan, good andevil. As Christians, we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior.In doing this we receive the Holy Spirit in order to help us to walkin the way of Christ. Even with this, Christ seldom forces us tobehave a certain way. Jesus gives us a choice to choose good orevil.In Galatians 5:16 û 26 the behavioral aspects of this battle arediscussed. We shouldn't lust after the flesh (Galatians 5:15).When we lust after the flesh we are pursuing an evil way. Thispassage points out that the flesh and the Spirit are pursuingopposite goals (Galatians 5:17).What are behaviors of the flesh? In Galatians 5:19 û 22 we seeseveral fleshly behaviors. It starts with adultery. Adultery simplyis a married person engaging in any sexual activity outside of themarriage relationship. A non-adulterous relationship must be amarriage to the opposite sex. It cannot be a same sex commitment,not in the eyes of God. A non-adulterous relationship requires amonogamous commitment to your married partner of the opposite sex.In addition, the passage talks about fornication. Fornication isany sexual relationship between non-married people. This is truewhether the relationship is consensual or not. Fleshly living doesnot just entail sexual conduct; however this type of conduct causesmany people to stumble.Idolatry is a form of fleshly living. Idolatry consists ofworshipping idols. Idolatry consists of worshipping anyone oranything other than God. This can mean worshipping someone as aGod. Also, this can mean placing money, cars, magazines or whateverelse in the place of God. Some of the other fleshly behaviorsmentioned:Sorcery: Engaging in witchcraft, fortune telling, devil worshipetc. Saul (not the one who became Paul) died because he angered Godby consulting a seer (fortune teller).Envy: A resentment of the possessions, qualities, abilities, etc.that someone else has.Drunkenness: Intoxicated with alcohol or other drugs for that matter.In addition to these, other behaviors are mentioned in this passage.What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, longsuffering,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control(Galatians 5:22 & 23)These are the behaviors that should be produced and or practiced byChristians. Each of us should evaluate our own actions, anddetermine whether we are spending our time engaging in fleshlybehaviors or are we producing the fruit of the Spirit.As a Christian, if you find yourself engaged in fleshly behaviorsthen:1. Admit your fleshly behavior to God.2. Ask God for forgiveness, and stop the behavior.3. Get closer to God by praying, reading the Bible, studying theBible, and attending church services.As you do these things, you will consciously and unconsciously beginto produce fruit of the Spirit.Copyright 2003, Stanley T. Crawford, is the editor of, "People ofthe Bible," and webmaster of http://www.peopleofthebible.com.All Rights Reserved. mailto:scrawford@...
Things Not to Believe
Things Not to Believe ~Let babies cry. It is good for their lungs.When crying is the only means of communication by which an infantcan express that they have a need, emotional abandonment is not aresponse of love.Children are to be seen and not heard.If it annoyed God to hear from us, we'd be up a creek without apaddle.'Sparing the rod' means the child will be spoiled.Thy rod and thy staff shall comfort thee. Spare the comfort andthe child will spoil.Kids get over it.How many childhood hurts do you remember, wherein the responsewasn't love?This hurts me more than it does you.Yea, right!An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.Punishing or accusing a child, in advance of being tempted,eliminates motive for doing right.Ministering to adults is more important than to children.Train up a child to love God and the church and, when he is old,he will love the church.Children are the future leaders of tomorrow.If children aren't aloud to serve today, they won't be leadingtomorrow.Don't cause children to suffer by telling them they can't serveJesus.If you weren't guilty this time, count it for the time you wereguilty and didn't get caught.Not even our law judges a person before they have had a chance tospeak for themselves.If you get into trouble at school, you should also get intotrouble at home.God doesn't punish twice for the same crime and double jeopardyis against the law when done to adults.It isn't punishment. It's discipline.Punishment, by any other name, is still the same.Obedience to teachings of men will win you favor with God.If any lack wisdom, ask God yourself.We do things to our children that God doesn't even do to us.Child Abuse was once legal, in the name of the Lord.Who are we listening to now?Isn't it about time we use the brain God gave us,let God be our example and become spiritual ministers toward ourchildren, instead of waiting for others to do it?® by Joyce C. Lock.................................................................About the Author:Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, and columnist.In addition, she founded and maintains the email ministries"Heavenly Inspirations"http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HeavenlyInspirations/ and"Share a Smile" http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smilesharing/ .Joyce's writings encourage us in our relationship with God andeach other.
Smart Stress Strategy: Flex Your Spiritual Muscles
Smart Stress Strategy: Flex Your Spiritual MusclesBy Michelle L. CastoIn his book, Stress Without Distress, Dr. Selye suggests that a personÆsinterpretation of stress is not dependent solely on an external event, butalso depends upon the perception of the event and the meaning he or sheassigns it. So, how you look at a situation determines if you will respond toit as threatening or challenging.It has been discovered that the mind is responsible for the problems we findin our bodies. It is our attitudes that cause our physical problems. Wecreate our own internal stress caused by our beliefs, attitudes, emotions, andreactions to ourselves and the world around us. Because of the way we chooseto perceive life, we decide whether we are going to add stress to our lives,or instead, to keep stress at a low level. If we maintain a harmoniousattitude and positive outlook, we eliminate much stress that would occur if wewere negative and resisted the flow of life.The Earth could be likened to the ultimate University, where we are here tolearn and grow. We add stress to our lives because we are learning. There isa lesson to be learned in every triumph as well as failure. Look for thelessons in your life. Listen to your inner wisdom and let your intuitionguide your decisions. The more you are willing to learn, the more stressfulyour life may become. However, the more willing you are to accept the helpthatÆs available to you, the more help you will receive. The more involvedyou are in your relationship with Spirit, the smoother and more peaceful willbe your journey. The more you can trust, the more you can let go, the moreyou let God take care of you, the more peace you feel.Bad things do happen to good people. It is your response to it thatmatters. In times of change, exercise your spiritual muscles: faith, love,and hope. Your ultimate life assignment is to treat the negative stuff inlife like it is a gift. Because the way you choose to see it and deal with itwill make it either a divine or disastrous experience. Each of your lifemoments leads to a way of being. But your life is one continuum and is notdefined by one chapter or experience. People who hold on to negative eventshold themselves back emotionally, physically, and spiritually. You must letgo, find the meaning in the experience, and evolve.Stress is a factor in everyoneÆs life. Each burden you carry is anopportunity for spiritual growth---carry yours with grace and dignity. Findthe meaning in the moment even in the uncomfortable times. Spend timereflecting alone to find the meaning. You alone have the task of assigningmeaning to your lifeÆs moments. While living on the physical plane, yourfaith and belief will be put to the test, especially under stressful situations.When we are stressed, we are disconnected from divine source. We havethoughts of "Why me?" "Why now?" Healing begins with letting go of the pastthat haunts us, forgiving those who have hurt us, and getting in touch withour higher selves. Feeling whole is when our spirit, mind, and body areintegrated. Being balanced is when we do and "be" the right amount everyday.Handle your emotional reactions. Remember that anger is of the past and fearis of the future. By choosing to let go of the past, we can sweep out all theashes that weigh us down and subtly affect every aspect of our health, ourrelationships, and our peace of mind. How great it feels to let go! Howenergizing! And the more we practice the art of letting go of all negativity,the better able we are to devote our thoughts, our time, and our energy toliving joyfully in the present, whatever age we happen to be. Your spiritualpath is meant to be light and free, not burdened by past memories of events orhurts.Someone once said, "A grateful mind will eventually attract every greatthing." Developing an attitude of gratitude for what your life is and how ithas helped you evolve and learn important lessons is crucial to increasingyour energy field. And it is a really easy way to feel good! Presence isbeing in the now. Develop the ability to accept whatever is before you. Havefaith that things will be o.k., no matter how bad it looks. Transform yourstress emotions (anger, fear, lack) into peace emotions (love, trust,abundance) by using the power of acceptance, forgiveness, compassion,understanding, and higherûlevel thinking.You can overcome any physical lack or limitation with spiritual solutions, ifyou but seek them out and bring them into your awareness.***This article is adapted from Get Smart! About Modern Stress Management:Your Personal Guide to Living a Balanced Life by Michelle L. CastoCopyright 2003Michelle L. Casto is Owner of Get Smart! and is a Whole Life Coach who residesin Corpus Christi, Texas. She is the author of the Get Smart! LearningBookSeries, books on romantic relationships, career development, and stressmanagement.Her coaching practice is Brightlight Coaching, she helps people come up withbright ideas for their lives and empowers them to freely shine their brightlight to the world. Visit virtually: www.getsmartseries.com andwww.brightlightcoach.com