Dear Fellow Believer,
Recently, while communicating with a dear lady in New Zealand, the subject of consistency came up. Would you describe yourself as consistent?  Maybe only consistent in certain areas?  Is your sink always empty of dishes, but you rarely dust? (that would be me!)  What about spending consistent time in Gods' Word and in prayer?  One of the best ways to hear from the Holy Spirit is to be filled up with God's Word.  What do you think is the greatest hindrance to being consistent?  Being busy?  Being lazy?  Being overworked?  Being tired?  No!  It is making grand plans and declarations that are too big to actually follow through on that commitment!  It is "biting off more than you can chew"!  

​How many scriptures could your reasonably read daily?  Think for a moment about your worst day. How many scriptures could you read on that day? Three?  Only two?  Do you think that if you can't read a whole chapter you are wasting your time?  But by consistently reading just 3 scriptures a day you will have put 1095+ scriptures in your heart!  And that's almost 1100 more than you would have if you weren't consistent.  So commit for this coming year of 2020 to stop, grab your Bible, go to a quiet place, BREATHE, and read.  Then move on, knowing you have done what you committed to do, and that is an accomplishment!   Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.  Psalm 119:11 I love that scripture!  That Word is used by the Holy Spirit to guide you away from that sin and give you strength to resist the temptations of life.

The Holy Spirit wasn't sent to us to put on a show.  He is our guide and our helper.  He reminds us of God's Word in times of trouble and when we need answers and direction.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him, because He lives with you now and later will be in you...I am telling you these things now while I am still with you.  But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.  John 14:16-17, 25-26.

If you needed to dig a big hole, but only had the time and strength to dig one shovel full every day, you can still accomplish your goal by being consistent. So, no boasting or overwhelming commitments.  Just be consistent with a little goal and grow in His Word and assignments in your life.  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’  Matthew 25:23

Be ready,

Deborah
DeborahLuchie.org
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Dear Fellow Believers,
What would you do, if you saw your neighbor's cat walking through your living room?  Well, probably after you got him out of your home, you would look for the open door or window that he came through.  What if you saw a mouse running through the kitchen one night?  Besides setting traps of some sort, you'd be looking for a hole to plug to be sure your home is secure from vermin!  

The same is true in our spiritual life.  But when something "pops up" in our life that we know is not in line with God's Word our first thought usually isn't to look for those open places in us that has allowed it to come into our minds and emotions.  Tempted to some kind of sin?  There's an open place in your soul.  We too often ignore it, let it set there and eventually succumb to it; or label themselves a victim. No, it didn't "just happen". If you don't find that opening, it will continue to get worse.  You may wonder why "the devil is attacking" you.  You may pray for relief and deliverance. But as long as it has access, it will come back and bring friends!

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”  Luke 11:23-26 NLT  

If you find yourself often saying that the devil is really attacking you, no matter what your terminology may be, look within yourself for holes.  Stop blaming the devil and close your temple up tight!  Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Where are holes?  You may think it sounds too simple or even silly, but look at the holes in your physical body.   Your eyes (what you see); your ears (what you hear); your mouth (what you say or put into your mouth); and your "private parts" (what you do sexually).  These things are direct lines to our soul (mind, will and emotions).  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.  1 John 2:16-17  Guard those places!  Guard your soul--your mind, will and emotions!  Duct tape would be a little extreme, so be honest with yourself and stay on your guard.  Far too many Believers live with their heads in the sand.  They are in denial to what tempts them, what their weaknesses are.  Nothing "just happens".   Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.  1 Peter 5:8-9

Yes, fellow Believers in Jesus, I want to encourage you to move beyond elementary life in the Kingdom.  As long as you are in a defensive stance, trying to fight off the "attacks from the devil", you aren't advancing His Kingdom in your community.  As long as you stay distracted by your circumstances, you will never take the offense and do damage to Satan's kingdom here in the world.  I believe in football they say, "The best defense is a good offense!"  As a citizen in the Kingdom of God, never forget that!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Gospel so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.  Ephesians 6:10-18  

Be ready,

Deborah
DeborahLuchie.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you