Lies Women Believe

I am currently reading "Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.  A dear friend of mine and I are reading it "together" and sharing our notes/thoughts via email.  It is such a gift to have another sweet sister in Christ's input as God helps me to uncover the lies that I believe.  God has been faithfully chipping away at some strongholds that I have allowed to take me captive.  I believe the process of addressing these specific issues began specifically last March.  It began with a painful but desperately needed conversation with my best friend and spiritual leader, my precious husband.  God used him to open my eyes to some serious spiritual struggles in my heart and thus began the exhausting, exhilarating, overwhelming, ongoing battle that I am fighting with the father of lies.

You can read some of the beginnings of this battle in previous blog entries.  Here are just a few from last year:
http://www.stilllearningtofollow.blogspot.com/2014/05/turn-up-truth.html
http://www.stilllearningtofollow.blogspot.com/2014/05/my-battle-with-father-of-lies.html
http://www.stilllearningtofollow.blogspot.com/2014/05/life.html
http://www.stilllearningtofollow.blogspot.com/2014/07/bondage.html

I am so grateful that God never gives up on me.  I am grateful that even though there are days I feel defeated, there are also days I feel victory.  More importantly, I know that ultimately I will have victory  Someday, this earth will pass away and my mortal body will go down to the grave, but I will be swept away to spend eternity with my Jesus.  No more pain.  No more disappointment.  No more hurt, or anger, or heartache, or failure, or shame.  No more lies!  Only Truth.  The One and only Truth!  Thank you, Jesus!

Here are a few of the notes from a recent time in the Word and in prayer over the issues of Lies and Strongholds:



Strongholds = Lies

(Definition #1 of the word stronghold – a fortified place or a fortress)

www.merriam-webster.com

 

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 

2 Cor. 10:3-5NIV

*My strongholds are lies that set themselves up against the knowledge of God (the Truth).

Arguments

(the philosophies, schemes, and reasonings of the world)

Pretensions

(anything proud, man-centered, self-confident)

http://www.gotquestions.org/spiritual-strongholds.html

Only God’s opinion matters.  I should look to God for the truth in response to these lies. (Not to my husband, friends, books, etc…)

(definition #2 of the word stronghold – a place of security or survival)

www.merriam-webster.com

The LORD is my stronghold – a refuge to run to when I break free from the strongholds oppressing me! (Psalm 43)

 

 

 

Demolishing Strongholds

"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."   Philippians 1:6 NIV

I have been feeling a tugging on my heart for the past several months to add this to my blog.  My plan here is to share what I'm learning as I study the Word, pray, think, fight, agonize, and rejoice in my efforts to grow as a follower of Christ.  I have many shortcomings, and I will be honest about them here.  I am nothing if not honest and transparent and I promise to continue to be so here.  I pray this will bless you, somehow.  Maybe you'll relate to some of my struggles or know someone who does.  Maybe you'll be inspired to be honest yourself, for the sake of someone else.  I do not claim to be a great Bible scholar or wise theologian.  I am neither of those.  I am however, a girl who loves Jesus and who is determined (by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit) to spend the rest of my days here on earth, following my Master.  I want to grow, to learn, and to bear fruit.  I want to shine brightly the love of Jesus to this lost and dying world.  I want to know my God better so I can be more like Him.  Life is hard.  It hurts a lot sometimes.  I trust my Jesus, though.  He has never let me down!  He is faithful.