Warrior Seeds for Obstacles...

Proverbs 10:22
The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Isaiah 58:2
Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah

Psalm 61:8
So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.

Proverbs 3:5-7

⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Matthew 17:19-21

¹⁹Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?

²⁰And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

²¹Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Obstacles: How Do You Know When To Give Thanks or Gear Up Your Faith?

Hello again.  The Warrior's Table is set once again after a brief delay.  It may be another few weeks for another posting, but, for now, let's dig in. 

In April 1989, my parents and I visited the campus of Huston-Tillotson University (it was College back then) and figured it was the next step in my educational path after I graduated from Brookhaven that May with my Associate's Degree.  But then my parents ran into some challenges when it came to how this was going to be possible financially.  I remember my mother coming to me on Sunday, August 6, 1989, sad to tell me that I might not be able to go to HTC in the Fall, but in the Spring.  But Gregory Forster, Jr. was not going to take this lying down, not if Matthew 17:20-21
had anything to do with it.  I went to fasting and praying from that point, believing God was going to work it out.  Monday, no new news; Tuesaday, no new news; Wednesday, no new news.  I still was determined to go to Austin, Texas and have this new experience.  Thursday came, with no new news, but that Friday, August 11,here comes my mother to tell me to pack!  We leave for Austin in the morning!

Let's fast-forward 20 years to see this same individual about to graduate with his Master of Arts in Teaching from Dallas Baptist University.  He had plans to teach some aspiring 5th graders who needed to master English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) in their educational pursuits.  I felt like I built good rapport with this age group and this would be my entry into the same educational arena from which his grandparents and aunt.  Besides having to find an internship at a school somewhere to complete certification, all I had to do was to pass the practice test with an 85% or better, both in the ELAR arena and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) area.  I passed the PPR without a problem, but thatr ELAR test kept defying me.  The highest score I was able to get was 74%, and that was at the 4th atrtempt.  My score was MUCH lower on the 5th and last try.  I fasted and prayed like I did in 1989 to move that mountain out of my way, but then it came to me:  you REALLY DO NOT have the proper countenance for these type of kids.  You get easily irritated with the way most behave as 10 or 11 or 12-year-olds, you know, natural tendencies.  Uh, no, sir.  You have the ability to teach others, yes, but not 4-8 ELAR.  God showed His faithfulness to me (Proverbs 3:5) by making me "fail" the practice test for ELAR so as to avoid making myself and those boys and girls miserable, possibly making the school focus on me at the next round of layoffs. 

Take a look and see if there have been many challenges in your life that either caused you to lean on The LORD and grow or that might hav come about because you continue to fight for something that GOD doesn't want you to have.  Either way, folks, He gets ALL the glory because of His goodness.  He wants us to go down the right paths that benefit you and your family, even your own company.  Look at what Proverbs 16:9 says, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." And if we say we trust Him, we need to know what is happening in our day-to-day lives.  That is why we need to be in His face EVER' day so that we hear His voice (Psalm 61:8, Psalm 68:19, Isaiah 58:2) and know that, uh, yeah; He knows what IS best for us.  I ever will go as far as to say that He even will put us in a situation so that Satan know who truly does have a relationship with Him and will not renounce their faith in Him, no matter what, just like in Job 1.  And when we do make it to the other side, we give Him praise... and the devil a black eye.

So take assessment, ladies and gentlemen, and really look at things.  What things are sharpening your faith in Him?  Then look at the things that "aren't working".  If you really think about it, filtering the "obstacle" through Proverbs 10:22, how does it play out?  Would their be too many things sacrificed or taken away that adversely affect you and the family?  How would it affect your health, especially your spiritual health?  If you hear that Holy Ghost "No." or "Not yet", don't fight it.  Accept it, then let Him take you doen the right path

Stop Trying To Measure Up and Start Looking Up

Spring is approaching in a few weeks, and if you love the season like I do, you are anticipating all the new flower blossoms, the littering of Blue Bonnets all over our city and the feel and fragrant winds that announces new beginnings are, uh, beginning.  I think about this and I say to myself, "Every year, this event has always taken place.  Treee and flowers and grasses do this every dawining of Spring without thought or podering.  I wouldn't believe that they wonder if they will truly be the best blossom or the longest branch or the tallest tree or flower.  It's God's will to have these things done these things at the appropriate time and accordance to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

So, why don't we take a lesson from the flora and fauna that surrounds us, shall we?  What do we know about the flowers, the trees, the shrubs and other plants?  First thing, the were made in their unique design as God designated them to have, they were created to not only show God's glory but to also continually lift themselves up to give God His due praise and worship, they maintain their beauty in the midst of any storm and were meant to be shared so that others can experience and appreciate their beauty.  This requires sacrificing what would be considered familiar surroundings or "habitat", if you will, being cut off of the familiar and transporting to an unfamiliar land to serve a higher purpose. 

When you are "thrown" into certain things in life, especially if a promotion, marriage, becoming a new parent, or even a new job comes through, you need to remember to look up and say, "Thank you, Lord," just like it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.  I know it sounds crazy or even idiotic to do so, especially if thins ain't going too good, but guess what that does?  It allows The Lord room to come in and help you (Proverbs 3:5), it confuses the devil (Ephesians 4:26-27) and it makes it possible for you to be encourgaed and empowered to make it through (Psalm 71:20-22).  Apparently, God has turned the "heat" up a little so as to develop more of Him in you and to bring you closer to that victory you have been seeking Him for (1 Corinthians 3:13-15; James 1:2-4).  So, like the flowers and trees which need rain to grow,  give God thanks.

You need to remember who and what you are in God.  You were made in His image (Gen 1:26-27), He took great care in your own unique design (Psalm 139:14), and already knew not just what you would look like, but the things you would go through (Isaiah 46:9-10, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Jeremiah 29:11).  You may have just gotten married recently or a new bundle of joy has entered your world, or maybe you have had a burden put upon your heart to begin a ministry or to do something to enhance the one in which you are participating.  It is natural to feel a little inadequate at first if you are even properly equipped or qualified for those or other tasks.  But check it out:  "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness, and If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him, and Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." 

It's real simple, folks.  You don't have it within yourself to do any task of any kind.  It's only by God's grace that gets the job done, the things that come without thinking as well as the things that drive you to your knees to ask the LORD, "How am I supposed to do this?"  Just like the new flowers and tree blossoms, you need to get rooted and grounded in Christ (Colossians 2:7) so that you are steadfast and unmovable, especially in a storm (1 Cor. 15:58) and still come up beautiful and radiant (Job 23:10).  So when you have that aroma of Spring come across your nose, remember to smile and say, "I'm not going to worry about measuring up.  I'm just going to look up."

Stop Trying To Measure Up - Wisdom Seeds

Romans 8:28



²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

¹⁸In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you

Proverbs 3:5

⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Ephesians 4:26-27

²⁶Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

²⁷Neither give place to the devil

Psalm 71:20-21

²⁰Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

²¹Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

1 Corinthians 3:13-15

¹³Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

¹⁴If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

¹⁵If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

James 1:2-4

²My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

³Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

⁴But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Gen 1:26-27

²⁶And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Psalm 139:14

¹⁴I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Isaiah 46:9-10

⁹Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

¹⁰Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

 Ecclesiastes 3:14

¹⁴I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

 Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Colossians 2:7

¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

1 Cor. 15:58

⁵⁸Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Job 23:10

¹⁰But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Humility: The Greatest Offense

The rumors about the disappearance of "The Warrior's Table"are greatly exaggerated.  But the delay of this post somewhat plays into this posting TODAY, the day before the 3rd Anniversary of my wife and I (I love you, baby).  First off, The Word of God is a living book, folks, plain and simple.  It is more than just a string of words in chapter and verse form.  Jesus told us the words that He spoke were spirit and life (John 6:63) and if you truly study this Word daily, it will add life to your, uh, life.  Since I met my wife almost 7 years ago, I learned that the biggest problem I had was pride.  I always thought myself to be better than everyone, lived on a higher plane of existance and because of who I was, I was the man to which you should genuflect.  But she loved me enough to tell me, uh, bring it down, bruh.  It's not that serious.   I had two choices to make:  either I hold on to my pride and continue to think myself a legend in my own mind, or I step back, take a good look at myself and say, "huh.  I guess she's right.  I do need to bring it down, and more than just 1 notch".

So, then, let's really take a look at what that state of mind had brought me:  No close friends, the people of whom I thought I was better actually went on to realize great success in their choice of career, not just working a job, and I had nothing that I said I would have by now.  Putting fear to the side for a minute, this is the fruit of pride, ladies and gentlemen (Psalm 59:12-13, Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 16:18).  It accomplishes nothing, it is fruitless, it requires too much energy to operate through pride, folks.  And, above all else, it keeps God out of your life (1 Samuel 2:2-4, Psalm 12:3, Psalm 138:6, Proverbs 6:16-17).  It causes family arguments, marriages to break up, friendships to be destroyed, and people who were prominent at a point of time to be vanquished.  Look at King Nebbekinezzer, Moses, John The Baptist, Hitler, Stalin, Al Capone, just to name a few.

Have you taken a look around at the things that have been happening in our world, in our country, in our city?  I would truly be afraid to live this life without God having my back.  So I had to learn that the best way to stay under God and His protection is to humble myself before Him.  If I am going to win the fight, I need to "lose it" by giving it and ME over to the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-6).  I am sure that you would agree that if our carnal nature wasn't something with which we need to contend (Romans 8:6-7, Romans 7:5-6) it would be an easy thing to do, yes.  But check this out:  you don't need to rely on your own strength to humble yourself (Matthew 19:26).  I think that is the coolest thing around.  The Lord God that created the universe wants to help us through the Holy Spirit to humble ourselves before Him.  The thing He wants us to do by choice gets propmted in us by that which is not carnal.  That's awesome!

OK, so what does this have to do with humility being the greatest offense?  Well, think about it:
can a contentious person continue to be so if you remain humble and do not raise your voice?  Does it make you a reliable employee when you always show a positive willingness to take on every task you're asked to assume?  Aren't disagreements settled faster when one decides to stop trying to "win"?  and what room does the devil have when you choose to do things in humility?  Proverbs 17 pretty much says it all because humility is a misunderstood form of love.  What does love, patience, and humility do? It forgives (Proverbs 10:12, 17:9), it endures hardship (2 Thessalonians 1:3-5), it brings about promotion and great reward (Job 22:28-30, Proverbs 29:23, Matthew 23:11-12), it bows out of a fight gracefully and let's God fight the battles (Isaiah 54:17-18, 2 Chronicles 20:15, 1 Corinthians 6:7), knows who they are, no matter what words of hate and lies are thrown (Ezekiel 2:5-7, Galatians 3:26-27) and it gives room for God to get and stay involved (2 Chronicles 7:14-15, Psalm 10:17, Isaiah 57:15, Colossians 3:12-13).  If you stay on your knees and cry out to God, how can you lose?

It is the man who refuses to bend that gets knocked down first.  It is the stiff-standing one that the stiff wind can topple.  It is the one who tries to rise above everyone by standing on their heads that has no where else to go but down.  But if you bow down and stay down, you keep yourself on steady and sturdy ground, with your enemies tripping over you and each other.  Why not?  Isn't God bigger that everything life can throw at you anyway? 

Warriors Seeds - Humility: The Greatest Offense

Proverbs 13:9-11

King James Version (KJV)

⁹The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
¹⁰Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
¹¹Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

 

2 Kings 22:18-20

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁸But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;
¹⁹Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.
²⁰Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 12:7
And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

Psalm 9:11-13

King James Version (KJV)

¹¹Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
¹²When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
¹³Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

Proverbs 29:22-23

King James Version (KJV)

²²An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
²³A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

James 4:10-11

King James Version (KJV)

 
¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
¹¹Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge

"Remember To Love Yourself"

Sunday Morning, February 12, 2012, I had the distinct honor and privilege to share a testimony with the congregants of Lifepointe Church in Crowley, TX.  Pastor Guy Earle, the Pastor of Counseling of my home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, invited me to Lifepointe's Recovery Sunday as a way to launch thier new Recovery Ministry for their churchgoers.  I received so much love from Senior Pastor Chuck, Elder Brother Bob and all the people who came to both the early and 2nd service.  After sharing my testimony on how God set me free from things that had me bound and Pastor Earle bringing the sermon about aligning yourself with God and what that brings, brought more love to both of us from those who either knew they needed to be set free, who were on their way to their victory or who were now in "maintenance mode" after being set free and delivered.  God is so awesome, folks.  Do you know the love that our Creator has for you and me?  We sang "Friend of God" this morning and we all just opened up in praise and thanks to Him because He is our BEST FRIEND!  Think about that for a minute.  You are rolling with the One who said, "Let there be..." and made the universe what it is in all its splendor.  But I digress.

I made mention about Tuesday being Valentine's Day and encouraged everyone, as they go on their love missions for that day, that they remember to love themselves.  In this context, I was trying to convey that they need to look at themselves as people of worth, of significance, of one of God's loveliest creations.  One of the best ways to show love to yourself is by taking care of yourself, especially if you have something within yourself that you are struggling with and need to be set free from it.  Look at Proverbs 13:2-3 and Ezekiel 2:5-6 for a second.  A lot of us have grown up with people who didn't love themselves so they said many hurtful things to us, about us and others.  If the latter Scripture was something that was instilled in us while under the barrage of piercing words, perhaps we wouldn't be saying the negative things we say to ourselves when it's just you and the four walls.  Proverbs 13:2-3 tells us that we will live out the words we say duing those times.  It accounts for those of us that are overweight, have an addiction or hangup, have difficulty relating to people, and keeping relationships together.  Take a moment and reflect on that for a moment before going on to the next paragraph.  You might surprise yourself.

Folks, Jesus tell us to love one another, the way that people will know you are his disciples.  Why can't this principle be turned inwardly?  Why can't we do right by ourselves in the same way we show love to other people?  Why can't you tell yourself how special you are?  Why can you not tell yourself you are worth taking care of yourself health-wise?  Why not be honest with yourself and God that you have things in your heart that need to be purged, hangups that need to be hung up permanently, addictions that need to be conquered?  If you are mad at God, tell Him that.  Believe it or not, He wants us to be honest and raw with Him (not Eddie Murphy or Richard Pryor raw); that's why He told us to cast all of our care on Him (1 Peter 5:7) so that He gets the room He needs to help set us free.  We are not to suffer alone, folks.  Hiding yourself away from people does nothing but allow Satan to play the mind games, the blame game, the shame game, and every other game he can to keep you bound.  We can't go out like that.

If the words of Leviticus 19:17-18 do not abide in your heart, tell God first, then seek someone like a counselor or a pastor to confess it so as to be free from it.  If you don't feel God's love around you and in you, tell Him and that same person.  You can't make yourself stand in faith in God's Word?  Speak it out.  Things are not like they were in the 1970s or 1980s when saying you had a problem in the church labels you a heretic, a reprobate, and one who isn't truly walking with God, despite the "church folks" who may say otherwise.  There is freedom to be had and lived day by day.  There IS life to be lived in happiness, joy, and peace.You have to choose to discover it for yourself and DO it for yourself.  Others around you will be blessed when you do because what you do or DON'T do DOES affect other lives besides your own.  Remember that.  Show love to your significant other on Valentine's Day, but starting TODAY, take the time to love yourself and continue therein day by day.

The Warrior's Table - Warrior Seeds "Remember To Love Yourself"

Leviticus 19:17-18

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

¹⁸Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:33-34

King James Version (KJV)

³³And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

³⁴But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 7:8
But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 7:9

⁹Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Proverbs 13:2-3

²A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

³He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Proverbs 15:32

³²He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.


John 13:34-35

³⁴A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

³⁵By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

"Integrity. What Is It Worth?"

In the movie "Courageous", a man named Javier was up for a promotion as a Claims and Inventory Manager at a textile company.  He was to work a practice shift where 17 pieces of inventory were expected to come in.  When they came in, the Owner of the company wanted him to do one simple thing:  only take inventory of 16 of them and set the 17th unit to the side for "something special".  Immediately you see a perplexed expression come over Javier's face, something that the Owner notices and that prompts him to encourage Javier to go home, think about it and give his decision by 10:00AM the next day.

He goes home to discus it with his wife, Carmen,  who tells him how much money the promotion would bring to the family.  They just bounced back from being behind on their bills and from Javier having lost his previous job as a construction worker.  Carmen did want to go back to that existance again.  But Javier did not want to compromise his principles nor his dedication to the truth because of his walk with The Lord.  Carmen didn't want Javier to be without work because of what he was going to tell the Owner the next morning, but if that happened, she knew God would make a way.  Javier goes in the next day at 10:00AM to apologize to the Owner that he could not take the position if it meant falsifying reports.  But, instead of firing Javier, the Owner stood up to shake his hand and congratulate him for giving the RIGHT answer and securing the Manager's position.  Before Javier left to give Carmen the good news, the Owner says, "Thanks for your integrity.  It's rare."

Isn't it amazing how such a simple thing like integrity can be the hardest thing to practice and/or uphold?  To tell the truth always, no matter what, is actually frowned upon.  Case in point: while out buying Christmas presents for the family, we got all the way home with our "treasures" to discover that there was an item in the bag we had forgotten to pay for.  Immediately, I am sure, many of you reading this are saying to yourself, "Why not just keep it?  You already brought it home and didn't set off the alarm.  Why worry about it?"  But we did worry about it because that meant we stole it.  We went back the next day, 'fessed up to our mistake and paid for it.  The cahsier thanked us for our honesty and for coming back to take care of it. 

But then it happend again a few days later, this time before we got into the car, and this time I actually hesitated.  This hesitation was fueled more from wanting to to just go home because I was tired and it was a long day for us.  But then I figured that was not a good enough reason to "steal again" so I went back in to do the same thing like last time.  But this cashier reaacted to my confession as if I was the strangest thing that landed on planet Earth.  It was obvious that she was asking those questions mentioned above but allowed me to pay for the item and go home, feeling better about the situation.  The mentioning of these two scenarios was not to throw flowers at myself or to make look like such a "good person".  The hesitation I experienced is proof that I am not such a "good person" (Romans 3:10-12) and that I truly need to lean on Christ and spend quality time with Him if I am to walk in doing good (Romans 8:2-9).

No, we are not perfect people and there is no one on Earth who doesn't make mistakes.  However, spending time with God and meditating & studying God's Word is what can help us make more right than wrong decisions so that maintaining integrity is not such a challenge (Galatians 6:8-10).  Over the last 10 years we have seen companies collapse, jobs lost, families destroyed, pastors losing their flocks, people falling into depression and/or committing suicide or even murder/suicides and governments fall.  The more that lies and deceptions were covered up, the more that the truth wanted to be heard. 

God truly wanted us to live more simple and uncomplicated lives.  Psalm 15 tells us what happens when we do what's pleasing to God.  Operating in truth is what gives God room to work in us and help us in difficult situations and trials, espeically when dealing with our enemies.  Psalm 84:11
says it better when it talks about what The Lord becomes to us when we walk in truth and integrity.  When you are tempted to not tell the truth or do the right thing, you need to remember that God backs up those who willingly obey His will.  It maky seem like you're on the losing side if a job or friend is lost or and opportunity is taken away from you, but the Word said God follows through with His promises (2 Peter 3:9) and rewards those who are imitators of Him and Christ (Romans 8:17). 

The Warrior's Seeds - "Integrity. What Is It Worth?"

Proverbs 22:1

¹A GOOD name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Ecclesiastes 7:1(a)

¹A good name is better than precious ointment;


Exodus 34:6

⁶And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

1 Samuel 12:24

²⁴Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

Psalm 15:1-3

King James Version (KJV)

Psalm 15:1-3

¹Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
²He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
³He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.


Philippians 2:4-8

⁴Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

“If You Fell Down, If You Failed, Get Back Up”

Congratulations, Mighty Warrior of God!  You have made it through your first month of making your goals and objectives a reality.  This word also goes out to those who may have had a good start but have also run into some snags or failures along the way.  If it was today, shake it off and get back to the program.  If it was last week, shake it off and get back with the program.  If you had one or two days of success out of the 31 in January, I still admonish you to get back on the program. 

I admonish every one of you to make a change in your vocabulary, you normal mode of speech in 2012, especially when you have had “one of those days/weeks.”  I promise you it will confuse the devil, keep you in a somewhat positive state of mind and give God praise and room to work in your life.  Instead of saying that you had a bad day, even if it just might be the truth, say that you had a good day although it had some unfavorable events to take place.  Is that a PC way to say the same thing?  I don’t think so.  Call it a way to keep yourself protected from the devil who is waiting to jump on someone at a vulnerable point in life (1 Peter 5:8).  No, this is not the power of positive thinking nor is this a way to psych yourself out.  Think about it for a second.  What does Philippians 4:8 talk about?  It is a good day when you can get up in the morning, have all your faculties about you and are able to go to work and come home again.  Isn’t that true?  Unfavorable things can happen in a given day, given month or given year, which is talking about things honestly but it’s still a good day.  If you leave home on time, you clock in on time.  If you leave late, you clock in late.  If you keep your cool with irate people, you just might make then calm down.  If you lose your cool, you could escalate the situation and make things get heated.  That sounds just, right?  What’s pure is God’s grace and mercy which is new every morning and He is right there to comfort you and get you “back in the game”.  Your life is lovely, YOU are lovely, God and His Word are lovely, praise and worship is lovely; the list goes on and on.  And finally, saying that you had a good day although it had some unfavorable events to take place is a good report because you can think about the day, see where you could’ve done things better.  See how it works?

The other thing I admonish you to do is to not be too hard on yourself if you don’t do things perfectly one day.  The day that I am composing this post, I spilled hot chocolate on the sweater I had put on to be with my mother and dad at a Sunday brunch to celebrate her birthday.  It was not a dark color so a spill like that is very obvious.  I was devastated at first, but I knew where I could work the stain out which was the foaming soup in a OCBF restroom and, miraculously, the stain was worked out and didn’t have any attention drawn to myself after that.  This could be a principle to live by when it comes to mistakes we can make along the way.  Go to the One who can get you back on track and back on course.  If you are trying to eat more nutritiously this year and know that you might have overindulged this weekend (which can also happen at a brunch), get back with it on the next meal.  Take what Job tells us and say to yourself that you are back on it (Job 4:3-4) and remember you have someone you can truly rely on to get things back right again (Psalm 37:33-35) and that a bump in the road is just for a moment (Proverbs 24:16).

February is a new month, folks.  Make it a new beginning.  Your failure or stumble was a lesson on what not to do next time.  It doesn’t define you, it propels you to get back up and do it over.  Give God praise, somebody!

Warrior Seeds For “If You Fell Down, If You Failed, Get Back Up”

1 Kings 8:56
Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

Job 4:3-4

³Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands. ⁴Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

Psalm 37:23-25

²³The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

²⁴Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.
²⁵I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Proverbs 24:16
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.

Psalm 138

¹I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.

²I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
³In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.
⁴All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth.
⁵Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.
⁶Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
⁸The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

"Know Who You Are, Know What You Know"

If you haven't had a chance to see "The King's Speech" with Colin Firth and Geoffery Rush (2010) then I suggest you do so as soon as possible and prepare for this movie to "preach" to you.  For those of you who have seen it, I am sure you are wondering how a secular piece of cinema could possibly deliver a spiritual message, especially when there is profane language laced within it?  Well it's quite simple, actually.  This movie brings out two, maybe three major spiritual lessons all of us who profess to be Christians need to learn:  standing on the authority you've been given, what happens when fear takes ahold of you and what happens when you remember who you are. 

Firth played The Duke of York, Prince Albert, the 2nd son of King Henry V, who had an incredible stuttering problem, making it impossible to speak.  Queen Elizabeth I, played by Helena Bonham Carter, out of love for her husband, sent out to seek help for Prince Albert's speech impediment.  She found such help from a man whose name plate in a building directory simply said "Lionel Logue - Speech Defects".  Not knowing who she was, Lionel (Geoffery Rush) pretty much laid down the rules immediately if he was to be used in a therapeutic way:  everything happens in his office and he makes no house calls.  Queen Elizabeth decides to "pull rank" on Lionel and mentions it was for The Duke of York.  He considers this for a moment, respectfully addresses her as "Your Majesty"...and repeats the same rules that would apply if therapy is to be garnered.  He knew who he was, where he was, and what made what he does happen without any hesitancy or intimidation.  He had authority and stood on it with boldness, clarity and confidence.

Prince Albert comes in and begins to address Lionel as "Dr. Logue", something that he dismisses.  Lionel makes the declaration that they will address each other on a first-name basis.  He was Lionel, his patient would be referred to as "Bertie".  Prince Albert insisted on "Your Majesty" but Lionel laid down the rules of HIS house again without wavering:  we are equals up in my camp if this is going to work and everything happens here.  The first speaking exercise, after going over the mechanics of speech and speaking, was to record "Bertie" reading Hamlet's famous "To Be or Not To Be" while classical music played in his ears. Bertie reads just a few lines before ripping the headphones off his head, calling the exercise rediculous and storms out of Lionel's office, but not before accepting Lionel's grammaphone recording of his reading.  He listens to himself read without a stammer, stutter, or jerky hesitation.  Lionel had bet Bertie a shilling that he could get him to read flawlessly...and he did.  Why?  He was made to take his mind off of himself, his poor view of himself and his fears and read flawlessly.

As the movie goes on, Lionel make the discovery that Bertie didn't have a speech impediment so much as he had an "esteem impediment" and continually tried to put Bertie in situations that would boost or even challenge his esteem. Every time that was done, he spoke with confidence, accuracy and strength.  But then there came a time when Prince Albert checked up on Lionel Logue and his practice to discover that Lionel was not a licensed doctor or any type of doctor, speech therapist or otherwise.  Once again, Lionel did not waver from who he was, even in the face of being identified as a failed actor who happened to have a gift for speech elocution and diction.  He goes on to tell Prince Albert that Austrailian soldiers who were shell-shocked and could barely speak as a result of fighting in World War II sought his help, and he cured many a man who developed a speech impediment.  His experience and results that came from his faith in his abilities qualified him to do what he does and he stands grounded on that fact.  He didn't suppose he was good at speech therapy, he KNEW that he was good, and Prince Albert (who later became King George VI due to his older brother refusing to not marry a divorced American woman, something that would dethrone him anyway) was not going to move him from that confidence.  He knew who he was and he knew what he knew.

I laid out that "spoiler" to bring out this point: when it comes to us walking our spiritual walk in Christ Jesus, we have an enemy who wants us to forget who we are like we talked about in the posting “It’s Not Always About the Length of The Fight, but The Endurance of The Fighter” .  Bertie/Prince Albert/King George VI was gripped by a paralyzing fear and extreme low self-esteem which caused his terrible stuttering.  His strict father, the efforts to stop him from writing left-handed (which was considered sinister or evil in Europe) and painful therapy for knocked knees were the reason for the fear and low self-image.  Satan wants to always highlight and heighten our "deficiencies" and/or short-comings in our past, making our ability to speak the Word of God in our lives turn to "stuttering" due to a lack of confidence.  That is why it is IMPERATIVE to put your nose in that Holy Writ, and God promises that doing so will bring that confidence that we sometimes lack, what it says in

Proverbs 14:26-27.  In so doing, you give no room for the devil to attack us with guilt from not studying (Ephesians 4:27) and when you meditate on the things you read every day and night, that Word gets planted in your heart.  And when Satan tries to challenge that Word, you can stand on the  confidence that you are who you are and you know what you know.  You stand on the authority of God's Word (Hebrews 10:35).

When Lionel Logue witnessed King George VI deliver his first WWII speech to the nation of England, it was then that they were no longer equals, Bertie was now the king, and Lionel genuflected before him as his humble subject and servent, only because Lionel watched his king overcome his fear and lack of confidence as he spoke to his people.  Since Satan and his minoins must do that before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as it says in Romans 14:11, you need to realize that they will do the same to you when you have that strong, close relationship with Him.  Walking with Him in Hs Word, talking with Him through prayer, subjecting yourself to Him in surrendering you life and everything in it, and fasting, gives you the right to walk on the devil's head and make him subject unto you (Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 14:18-21, Luke 10:19)  You walk in the path of those with a bright future, a surety and confidence in yourself because of Christ and your relationship with Him.  So, when the devil tries to tell you how things arf and need to be done, especially when he steps into your house (in this case, your mind), do what Lionel Logue did in "The King's Speech":  stand on your authority in Christ, state the rules of the house boldly and refuse to waver or be moved.  Know who you are and know what you know!

The Warriors Table Warrior Seeds - "Know Who You Are, Know What You Know"

Deuteronomy 28:1-44

¹And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
²And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
³Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
⁴Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
⁵Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store.
⁶Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
⁷The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.
⁸The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses, and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
⁹The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself, as he hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in his ways.
¹⁰And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD; and they shall be afraid of thee.
¹¹And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
¹²The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.
¹³And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:
¹⁴And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
¹⁵But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee:
¹⁶Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.
¹⁷Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store.
¹⁸Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
¹⁹Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.
²⁰The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.
²¹The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.
²²The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.
²³And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.
²⁴The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust: from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
²⁵The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
²⁶And thy carcase shall be meat unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall fray them away.
²⁷The LORD will smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
²⁸The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart:
²⁹And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.
³⁰Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.
³¹Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof: thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.
³²Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand.
³³The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway:
³⁴So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
³⁵The LORD shall smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore botch that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.
³⁶The LORD shall bring thee, and thy king which thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
³⁷And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
³⁸Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it.
³⁹Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them.
⁴⁰Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit.
⁴¹Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity.
⁴²All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.
⁴³The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low.
⁴⁴He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail

Joshua 1:6-9

⁶Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
⁷Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest.
⁸This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
⁹Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Exodus 19:4-5

⁴Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
⁵Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

Job 36:5-15

⁵Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.
⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked: but giveth right to the poor.
⁷He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous: but with kings are they on the throne; yea, he doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.
⁸And if they be bound in fetters, and be holden in cords of affliction;
⁹Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
¹⁰He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
¹¹If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.
¹²But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.
¹³But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.
¹⁴They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.
¹⁵He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

Jeremiah 7:23

²³But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

Acts 5:26-42

²⁶Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
²⁸Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
²⁹Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
³¹Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
³²And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
³³When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
³⁴Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
³⁵And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
³⁶For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
³⁷After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
³⁸And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
³⁹But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
⁴⁰And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
⁴¹And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
⁴²And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ

Proverbs 14:26-27

²⁶In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge.
²⁷The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

“Are you The Just that live by Faith or a Man that lives by his faith?”

 Alright, folks.  We are now 3 weeks into the New Year, and it is my hope that the thing you said was going to happen in 2012 is truly in full swing.  This is usually when it’s at its easiest stage of progression.  But what happens when you start to see results 3 months down the line?  You are either encouraged and want to keep on keeping on or you start to doubt that you can keep up the momentum and decide it’s too much to continue.  Now that I think about it, that doubt thing is an attitude that isn’t just contained within the New Year’s Resolution realm.  Sometimes, in our walk with God, we adopt that same kind of “stinkin’ thinkin’.  Why is that, you ask?  2 things:  “For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:16) and “Why do ye not understand my speech even because ye cannot hear my word Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:43-44). 

Now, please make no mistake concerning the last Scripture reference.  No one is being accused of being a demon child by any stretch, but I am sure you know what I am referring to with the quoting of that Scripture.  In fact, both of them talk about the 2 greatest enemies of long-lasting success:  our flesh and the old sleuth foot, the devil.  Take a look at the first thing Jesus said:  “Why do ye not understand my speech even because ye cannot hear my word.”  And that is the goal of Satan, to make it impossible to hear His word.  I am sure you know the good reason why the devil NEEDS to do that, right? “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).  As long as we are unable to hear the truth of God’s Word, we won’t be able to hear the encouragement that comes from him through it.  When it comes to the 2012 goals we have set, The Word says to come up with the plan to achieve those goals (Habakkuk 2:2), set the course and stay on it (Ecclesiastes 9:11), remember you have a coach (Zech. 4:6) a partner who is with you all the way  (Deuteronomy 31:6-8), who knows that the going can get tough (Isaiah 40:29-31) and that you just might want to give up and quit because of the journey being “too hard” (Galatians 6:8-10; 2 Thessalonians 3:1) and reminds you that your follow-through and persistence will bring about the reward (Ruth 2:12, 1 Corinthians 3:8).

But then we go back to the other kind of man, the man who believes his own self-defeating thoughts and the lies and deceit of Satan.  I have always believed that the “flesh” (the carnal nature) tries to wrap you up in a “blanket” so that you do its bidding (Romans 8:5-6a).  Your carnal nature does not want to get up right at the time it needs to in the morning, it doesn’t want to go to bed on time, it wants to continually eat and drink the fattening stuff, it doesn’t want to exercise or drink water, it doesn’t want to get to that project you said you were going to begin this year, it doesn’t want to be nice to the person “you can’t stand”, the list goes on and on.  Guess what?    We just described the “man of faith”.  This is the kind of man who doesn’t believe he or she will never lose weight, never get that six-pack, never get promoted, or will never find that “perfect” person to spend the rest of their life with (Proverbs 23:7).  They are the kind of people who are negative, always give advice laced with bitterness, and don’t take care of themselves.  They walk around with a “doomed” expression and have nothing better to do than to spout “doom and gloom” (Matthew 12:34, Luke 6:45)  Believe it or not, that IS a person of faith who is the embodiment of the first part of Romans 10:17, that faith cometh by hearing.  If they had a lot of non-nurturing people in their lives who had nothing encouraging or uplifting to say to or about them, that might be the solidifier of many a pessimistic, fatalistic mind set.  But then here comes the rest of the Scripture, “…and hearing by THE WORD OF GOD”.  When you get into the Word, all those negative things said about you in the past should start to lose their grip.  The only problem is that many of us haven’t come to realize that we can break the bad habit of berating ourselves or downing other people (1Peter 3:10).  The devil would have us to believe that there is no other way to live but the lifeless, aimless, defeatist way of thinking.  What he doesn’t want you to know is the truth of the Word that says your mind can be changed (Romans 12:2), your heart can be changed (Ezekiel 11:19), your life can be changed (Job 33:28; Psalm 16:11; John 5:24).  Hey, even your health can be changed through God (Proverbs 3:7-9, 16:24; Jeremiah 30:16-18, 3 John 1:2) because Jesus DID SAY in John 10:10 that he came so we could have life and have it more abundantly, right?  Can you have abundant life in bad health with a bad attitude to boot?  But I digress.

Decide today and for the rest of 2012 that you are not going to fink out on yourself.  You are going to stay the course and make happen what you said you wanted to make happen, knowing it is going to take hard work to make it so.  Keep the end game in mind just like your LORD God already has (Isaiah 46:10).

THE WARRIOR’S TABLE - WARRIOR SEEDS - “Are you The Just that live by Faith or a Man that lives by his faith?”

I John 2:15-17

Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him. 

For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. 

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

John 8:43-44 

“Why do ye not understand my speech even because ye cannot hear my word

Ye are of your father the devil and the lusts of your father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of it.

2 Corinthians 5:6-9

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:

(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.