Dear Fellow Believers,
From the time of creation, the Lord God gave mankind the freedom to choose. It is an essential concept of the Kingdom of God that we must understand. It is clear that the Lord God did not want mindless robots as His creation, only be capable of doing His Will with no other choice. He wants us to choose to obey Him, love Him and spend time in His presence. I can understand that! If you love someone, you would also want them to freely love you back. I want my adult children to freely seek me out; to want to spend time with me, not out of obligation. There is no joy in someone being forced to love you! There was Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, living in Heaven on earth, and the Lord God gave them only one “test” to obey or disobey Him. The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Genesis 2:15-17 You would think that is easy compared to all the choices we must make today. Yet, they make the wrong choice! We often hear “God is in control”, but the truth is that God gave mankind control when He gave us the freedom to choose. We must seek His help and ask for His intervention in a situation. We make a choice and pray about it. “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep His commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in His ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:15-19 Can you hear the Lord God’s heart for mankind? He wants us to choose Him. He wants us to want to worship Him and obey His commandments. But if we don’t, He clearly lays out the consequences: (Further reading Deuteronomy 28) Don't throw out the Old Testament. Remember that the Old Testament shows us God’s character. It shows us His “heart” toward mankind. When He sent Jesus, the Lord God’s character didn’t change. The Lord God doesn’t “make” you do anything. You have a choice. Satan can’t “make” you do anything either! You have a choice. Make your choices with that in mind. We’ve all heard the saying “the devil made me do it” but we know that is just a joke! If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 Our society today would like you to feel like a victim, rather than seeing the bad choices, errors in judgment, that have placed us in the midst of some bad consequences. Sometimes the only way out of a bad situation is to see our bad choices, repent and change what we are doing! Seed—time—and harvest doesn’t only refer to money or crops. It refers to every choice, every decision, every action we do. Seek out God’s Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in every decision. Jesus replied, “All who love Me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and We will come and make Our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn’t love Me will not obey Me. And remember, My words are not My own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent Me. 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 14:23-26 It is the Holy Spirit—our Governor—who will lead us to make good choices if we will only listen. Today, I am building a foundation, a solid foundation upon which you can stand. Every time you make a choice that is in line with God’s Constitution, your self-control fruit of the Spirit will grow. You will become stronger in the Kingdom and more able to withstand the attacks of our enemy, Satan. He wants to tempt you to make the wrong choice and separate you from the Lord God. It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore. Isaiah 59:2 NLT I don’t ever want my Father to turn away from me and not listen to me anymore! Here are more foundational “scripture bricks”: Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:15-23 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. John 10:27-28 NKJV Anyone who does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother!” Matthew 12:50 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent His own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all.) Romans 8:1-9 But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:15 Kingdom citizens are well able, with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit working in them and through them, to make choices that line up with God’s Word. The more you do this, the stronger you will become. In our present world, we need that strength! The Lord is close to all who call on Him, yes, to all who call on Him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them. The Lord protects all those who love Him, but He destroys the wicked. Psalm 145:18-20 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 AMP A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Ephesians 6:10 Your heavenly Father loves you and gives you the freedom to choose to love and obey Him or reject Him. The choice is yours. Be ready, Deborah Luchie www.deborahluchie.org All scriptures are NLT unless otherwise noted. (Also published on kingdomcitizens.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.
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![]() Dear Fellow Believers, Last night I had a dream, barely more than a snapshot burned in mind. So I am sharing it with you. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you. I was standing on the rooftop of the tallest building in a city. I could see a body of water off in the far distance. But at eye level, far away from where I was standing, I saw a man who looked like a jester. He was in midair, above the city as if he were standing on a glass floor. He was in a frenzy, dancing and laughing; running around chaotically. He was giddy with delight, even jumping up and clicking his heels together. He never advanced toward me and didn't even appear to notice me. I just stood watching him. He was drunk with happiness over what was going on below him. That is Satan right now over this world. If it seems he has "kicked it into high gear", he has. He is a master of misdirection. He wants to keep God's people distracted. He knows the power that works within God's people, even if they don't. This is a short message. We, God's born-again Believers, must rise above all the horror, chaos and insanity of this world to walk and speak under the power of the Holy Spirit within us! We must focus on the eternal and rise above the temporal. Focus your spiritual eyes. Pray in the Spirit, Walk in the Spirit, Speak in the Spirit, Live in the Spirit. Rise up! You are no longer of this world, but a joint heir with Jesus. Satan may have been laughing in my dream but when we wake up and understand that he is under our feet; that he has no more power than we allow him to have--he won't be laughing anymore. Everything that has been unleashed on this world is a distraction from the real battle, real enemy, and real goal. Remember, God's Word says that Satan prowls around LIKE a roaring lion, not that he actually is one! So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:6-8 NLT And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. Romans 16:20a “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it! If you love Me, obey My commandments. 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." John 14:12-17 NLT 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 NLT Be ready, Deborah www.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 ![]() Dear Fellow Believers, It has always been important to see our lives and interactions from a spiritual focus, but in this season it is imperative to see life with our spiritual eyes! When our minds are filled with the world, we will be unable to see in the spirit what is happening in our lives. It takes a Kingdom mind (full of God's Word and tuned in to the guidance of the Holy Spirit) to view life in a spiritual focus. Our world is in a state of upheaval and unrest. This is especially true in America now. It is so easy in times of turmoil to get distracted and lose focus. Our minds get filled with the problems of the world and we tune out the Holy Spirit at times. I can say this has been true in my life recently. But last week, the Holy Spirit kept reminding me of a book I had bought several years ago, when I worked in my church's bookstore. I kept feeling urged to read it. The book is These Are the Days of Elijah by R.T. Kendall. I had read several chapters back when I bought it. It was so good I highlighted most of what I was reading! But, as I do with most books, I put my bookmark in it, put it in the bookcase and moved on to something else. I used to feel guilty about doing that, but I've learned that if there's something I need to see, the Holy Spirit will lead me back to it in God's timing! So, after several days of quiet "nudging" I took the book off the shelf to see what I was supposed to see in there. I sat down and asked the Lord where I should start. I didn't want to start from the beginning again and I didn't want to read the whole book if there was just a chapter, or passage to see now. I looked over the chapters and saw clearly that I should go to chapter 17, Evil, Justice and Mercy. I will quote the most important parts the Holy Spirit showed me. Focus your spiritual eyes and you will see why He led me there "for such a time as this". 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. John 14:17 NLT Ahab coveted a vineyard that was located nearby. It belonged to Naboth of Jezreel. The king wanted to buy it or trade for it, as it was a convenient spot for a vegetable garden. The vineyard, however was Naboth's family inheritance, and he did not want to give it up. This caused Ahab to sulk. Then God sent Elijah back to Ahab and Jezebel one more time to give them a message. He didn't send him there to get vengeance for himself, even though Jezebel had vowed to kill him, a prophet! God was sending him because of the cruel injustice Jezebel and Ahab did by getting Naboth killed and stealing his inheritance. . . .God was judging Ahab's wife not for vowing to kill Elijah but for masterminding Naboth's cruel and unjust death. When a person as evil as Jezebel is around, it is only a matter of time until wickedness is compounded and, finally, God steps in. Give him this message: ‘This is what the Lord says: Wasn’t it enough that you killed Naboth? Must you rob him, too? Because you have done this, dogs will lick your blood at the very place where they licked the blood of Naboth!’”
“So, my enemy, you have found me!” Ahab exclaimed to Elijah. “Yes,” Elijah answered, “I have come because you have sold yourself to what is evil in the Lord’s sight. So now the Lord says, ‘I will bring disaster on you and consume you. I will destroy every one of your male descendants, slave and free alike, anywhere in Israel! I am going to destroy your family as I did the family of Jeroboam son of Nebat and the family of Baasha son of Ahijah, for you have made me very angry and have led Israel into sin.’ “And regarding Jezebel, the Lord says, ‘Dogs will eat Jezebel’s body at the plot of land in Jezreel.’ “The members of Ahab’s family who die in the city will be eaten by dogs, and those who die in the field will be eaten by vultures.” (No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel. His worst outrage was worshiping idols just as the Amorites had done—the people whom the Lord had driven out from the land ahead of the Israelites.) 1 Kings 21:19-26 NLT Never think that evil goes unnoticed or unpunished. It's not important whether we see it or feel vindicated or avenged. Remember, God said, I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive, and their destiny will overtake them.’ Deuteronomy 32:35 NLT We usually think of the Jezebel spirit as a lustful, manipulative female because of being named after Queen Jezebel. Jezebel is a powerful demonic spirit, neither male nor female. Jezebel does not only operate in churches. People usually think of a woman in the church that insidiously destroys leadership, marriages, relationships and churches. But it also operates out in the world in businesses and in government. It seeks out leaders and those through whom they can do the most damage. THAT is the spirit we need to be praying against. That is what is operating today. I believe that if it is possible, the Jezebel spirit is gorging on the power, authority and control it has loosed on our earth. The world cannot see it and will laugh at the mere mention of that possibility. But my letter is to fellow Believers, who should be seeing with their spiritual eyes and the guidance of the Holy Spirit! Here are some characteristics of the Jezebel spirit. This is by no means a complete list, but a very good starting point. The Jezebel spirit is: Critical and loves to find fault Conniving. It whispers in ears to turn people against each other and to convince others to do what it wants done. Controlling. It dominates, takes charge and dismisses all contrary opinions. Competitive. It is prideful and needs to be seen as the most important person with the best opinions and ideas. Even if there is someone in authority over it, it must be seen as better than that person. No one dare "get the better" of the Jezebel spirit. Contagious. The Jezebel spirit spreads like a wildfire. Unless it is cut out at the root, it won't be stopped. It can destroy a church, business, family, government or organization if left unchecked. It must be recognized for what it is and removed. It's not like the movies. That's theatrics. See with spiritual eyes, recognize the spirit--not the person--call it by name and pray for it to be removed. Command it to go in Jesus' name. Remind it that it has no authority and must go. It only has the authority the people give it. The Holy Spirit will lead if you ask and listen. There is evil in our land on a level I have never experienced before. But remember what Jesus said: The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like [a flash of] lightning. Listen carefully: I have given you authority [that you now possess] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and [the ability to exercise authority] over all the power of the enemy (Satan); and nothing will [in any way] harm you. Luke 10:17-19 AMP If you get the opportunity, read R.T. Kendall's book These Are the Days of Elijah. The subtitle says it all: How God Uses Ordinary People to Do Extraordinary Things. These are surely days when we need ordinary people to do extraordinary things! Glory! Be ready, Deborah www.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 ![]() Dear Fellow Believers, In "Christianese" I often hear phrases like a move of God the next great move of God or waiting on God to move as if He's just sitting on His throne, chillin' and taking the week off. It is probably more accurate to say that He waits on us before He moves. God is moving every day. He has a purpose for each of us to fulfill every day. We just don't see it or hear from the Holy Spirit because we are so caught up in our own lives and distractions of this physical world. He moves through us! He is waiting for us to bow down and lay our pride, our earthy desires and our strong will at His feet. He is waiting for us to seek Him more than we seek the world He gave us, with all it's earthly pleasures and distractions. He is waiting for us to say "not my will but Yours". He is waiting for us to ask what He wants us to do today. We can't hold on to the things of this world and think God will move greatly in our lives. You don't have to live an impoverished life, only put Him first and let go of all that the world has to offer. Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33 The next great move of God begins with His people. If that is what you want more than anything, stop singing about it and get alone with Him in your prayer closet. Get full of His Word and tune in to what the Holy Spirit is saying. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 This verse is often quoted in reference to saving this world and the state of our nation. But take a moment and read that verse in context. God was speaking to King Solomon in reference to His people and His temple. I'm keeping my words brief and to the point because reading God's words in this passage says it so much better: So Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace. Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart. “As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’ “But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations. And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’ “And the answer will be, ‘Because His people abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why He has brought all these disasters on them.’” 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 NLT Waiting on a move of God? Let it all go and seek Him first! 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 ![]() 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 |
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