Spiritual warfare.

The difference between deliverance and spiritual warfare is that deliverance is dealing with demonic bondages, and getting a person set free, whereas spiritual warfare is resisting, overcoming and defeating the enemy's lies (in the form of deception, temptations and accusations) that he sends our way. Deliverance involves the breaking up of legal grounds, the tearing down of strongholds (offensive spiritual warfare), and the casting out of demons. Spiritual warfare on the other hand, is dealing with three key things the enemy sends at us: temptations, deception and accusations.

Offensive vs. defensive warfare

Spiritual warfare comes in two ways: offensive and defensive. Offensive warfare is tearing down the strongholds the enemy has formed in your mind through deception and accusations, and defensive warfare is guarding yourself against the tactics or schemes of the devil.

The enemy's three primary weapons

There are three things that we can expect from the devil. The Bible tells us that we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against demonic forces. Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." The three primary things we struggle against include:

#1 Deception: To deceive somebody means to make another person believe a lie or something that is not true. When the enemy sends deception your way, it is an attempt to deceive you into believing something that is not true, so you will fall into error. Strongholds are built through deception. A stronghold is formed when deception takes hold in a person's mind. A stronghold is an incorrect thinking pattern that stems from believing something that is not true.From the very beginning, Satan deceived Eve into believing that God's Word was not true. In Genesis 3:4, the devil told her that she will not surely die as God said she would in Genesis 2:17.

#2 Temptation: Temptation often follows deception. First the enemy tells us, "You won't surely die!", then he makes the fruit on the forbidden tree look good to us. Since Eve accepted Satan's deception (his lie), now the tree that she was not supposed to touch looked good to her. She was tempted (enticed) to sin, because she allowed herself to first be deceived. Temptation is when we are enticed or encouraged to sin in one way or another.In Matthew 4, Jesus was led out in the desert to be tempted by the devil. The devil tried to convince Jesus that it would be harmless to jump off a building. Often people will be so drawn to sex with their boyfriend/girlfriend when the enemy tries to convince them that it is all harmless and fun, when it's not harmless at all, but an open door to the devil. Jesus saw through Satan's deception, and resisted the temptation by speaking God's Word. King David said in Psalms 119:11, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee."When the enemy tempts you, he's showing you the worm... but behind that worm is a hook. The Word of God helps you see the hook behind the worm.

#3 Accusations: The devil is known as the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10). He is known to take a believer who has done an embarrassing or gross sin in their past, and continue to rub it in their faces and beat them down with guilt and condemnation over their past.

Raising Kids God's Way - Passing on Your Faith to Your Children

Where is that instruction manual on raising kids? You know, the one the hospital gives you just before you leave with your new baby?What do you mean, there isn't one? Raising a child is such an important, seriously sobering task, it should at least come with a manual, don't you think?What do you suppose this instruction manual would look like? Can't you just see it? It would contain some great categories like, "How to Stop the Whining," and "How to Get Your Kids to Listen When You Talk."Christian parents face just as many obstacles as non-Christians in raising kids. When you add all the distractions and the pressures in today's world, Christian parenting becomes even more than a challenge.A huge part of that challenge is passing on your faith to kids whose priorities are more focused on video games, sporting events, and the latest trends in clothes. And let's not forget to mention peer pressure and media pressure that offers temptations to kids to do drugs, drink alcohol and get involved sexually. Today's kids face an overall absence of godly examples and moral living in a society that is moving toward "freedom from religion" instead of "freedom of religion."But the good news is that there are things you can do to raise godly kids and even share your faith with them along the way.

Living Your Faith

First, as a parent you must live out your faith in your own life. It is impossible to give away something you don't have. Kids can spot a phony from a mile away. They're looking for the real deal from their parents.Living your faith can start with simple things, like showing love, kindness, and generosity. If your kids see you finding ways to "be a blessing," it will become a natural and normal way of life for them too.

Sharing Your Faith

Second, start sharing your faith early in the lives of your kids. Being a part of an active Christian church shows your kids that you think spending time with God is important. Make it a point to let them hear you talk about the great things happening in the church. Let them hear how much you've been helped by being in the midst of people with similar beliefs who pray for you and you for them.Sharing your faith also means reading the Bible with your children in a way that causes it to come alive for them. Find age appropriate Bible resources and lessons to incorporate into your family-fun times, as well as your child's education. Make family devotions and Bible reading a priority in your weekly schedule.Also, incorporate Christian entertainment,videos, books, games and movies into your child's life. Instead of feeling deprived of fun, let them discover and enjoy quality and inspiring forms of amusement that will also encourage them to develop spiritually.Another great way to share your faith with your children is to allow them the opportunity to make and develop Christian friendships. Their faith will be strengthened if they can share the same values with their friends. Make sure your church offers a children's program and youth group that your kids will want to be involved in.

Pentecostalism

Pentecostalism or Classical Pentecostalism is a renewal movement[1] within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism with the Holy Spirit. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the second chapter of the Book of Acts.

Like other forms of evangelical Protestantism, Pentecostalism adheres to the inerrancy of scripture and the necessity of accepting Christ as personal lord and savior. It is distinguished by belief in the baptism with the Holy Spirit as an experience separate from conversion that enables a Christian to live a Holy Spirit filled and empowered life. This empowerment includes the use of spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues and divine healing–two other defining characteristics of Pentecostalism. Because of their commitment to biblical authority, spiritual gifts, and the miraculous, Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power and teachings that were found in the Apostolic Age of the early church. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term Apostolic or full gospel to describe their movement.

The first Pentecostals were radical adherents of the Holiness Movement. These early 20th century Christians were energized by revivalism and expectation for the imminent Second Coming of Christ. Believing that they were living in the end times, these evangelicals expected God to spiritually renew the Christian Church thereby bringing to pass the restoration of spiritual gifts and the evangelization of the world. In 1900, Charles Parham, an American evangelist and faith healer, began teaching that speaking in tongues was the Bible evidence of Spirit baptism. The three-year-long Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California, resulted in the spread of Pentecostalism throughout the United States and the rest of the world as visitors carried the Pentecostal experience back to their home churches or felt called to the mission field. While virtually all Pentecostal denominations trace their origins to Azusa Street, the movement has experienced a variety of divisions and controversies. An early dispute centered around challenges to the doctrine of the Trinity. As a result, the Pentecostal Movement is divided between trinitarian and non-trinitarian branches. Comprising over 700 denominations and a large amount of independent churches, there is no central authority governing Pentecostalism; however, many denominations are affiliated with the Pentecostal World Fellowship.

There are over 279 million Pentecostals worldwide, and the movement is growing in many parts of the world, especially the global South. Since the 1960s, Pentecostalism has increasingly gained acceptance from other Christian traditions, and Pentecostal beliefs concerning Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts have been embraced by non-Pentecostal Christians in Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox churches through the Charismatic Movement. Together, Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity numbers over 500 million adherents.

What is a carnal Christian ?

Answer: Can a true Christian be carnal? In answering this question, let’s first define the term “carnal.” The word “carnal” is translated from the Greek word sarkikos, which literally means “fleshly.” This descriptive word is seen in the context of Christians in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3. In this passage, the apostle Paul is addressing the readers as “brethren,” a term he uses almost exclusively to refer to other Christians; he then goes on to describe them as “carnal.” Therefore, we can conclude that Christians can be carnal. The Bible is absolutely clear that no one is sinless (1 John 1:8). Every time we sin, we are acting carnally.

The key thing to understand is that while a Christian can be, for a time, carnal, a true Christian will not remain carnal for a lifetime. Some have abused the idea of a “carnal Christian” by saying that it is possible for people to come to faith in Christ and then proceed to live the rest of their lives in a completely carnal manner, with no evidence of being born again or a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Such a concept is completely unbiblical. James 2 makes it abundantly clear that genuine faith will always result in good works. Ephesians 2:8-10 declares that while we are saved by grace alone through faith alone, that salvation will result in works. Can a Christian, in a time of failure and/or rebellion, appear to be carnal? Yes. Will a true Christian remain carnal? No.

Since eternal security is a fact of Scripture, even the carnal Christian is still saved. Salvation cannot be lost, because salvation is a gift of God that He will not take away (see John 10:28; Romans 8:37-39; 1 John 5:13). Even in 1 Corinthians 3:15, the carnal Christian is assured of salvation: “If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.” The question is not whether a person who claims to be a Christian but lives carnally has lost his salvation, but whether that person was truly saved in the first place (1 John 2:19).

Christians who become carnal in their behavior can expect God to lovingly discipline them (Hebrews 12:5-11) so they can be restored to close fellowship with Him and be trained to obey Him. God’s desire in saving us is that we would progressively grow closer to the image of Christ (Romans 12:1-2), becoming increasingly spiritual and decreasingly carnal, a process known as sanctification. Until we are delivered from our sinful flesh, there will be outbreaks of carnality. For a genuine believer in Christ, though, these outbreaks of carnality will be the exception, not the rule.

God bless you
Evang. Johnny Mendoza

Struggle for threshing.

At times we become to attached with our problems and what's going on around us. We tend to blame God, and call everything we do an accident or a mistake. Like of instance the accident that accrued at nacon's threshing floor when the troops tried recovering the ark of the covenant (the presence of God) uzza reached out his hand to sustain the ark when he was killed. God will permit us to go through a process at a certain place to completely die so that he can begin the separation process in our lives. The place where the accident accrued was a place where they processed wheat and separated it from the chaff.
God will permit you to go through this process to remove from you the chaff, the unusable part from the wheat the usable part.

Proof God needs you, and he will use you. To God be the glory.

Question: "What does the Bible say about loneliness?"

Answer: Being alone and being lonely are two different things. One can
be alone without being lonely, and one can be lonely in a crowded
room. Loneliness is, therefore, a state of mind, an emotion brought on
by feelings of separation from other human beings. The sense of
isolation is very deeply felt by those who are lonely. The Hebrew word
translated “desolate” or “lonely” in the Old Testament means “one
alone, only; one who is solitary, forsaken, wretched.” There is no
deeper sadness that ever comes over the mind than the idea that we are
alone in the world, that we do not have a friend, that no one cares
for us, that no one is concerned about anything that might happen to
us, that no one would care if we were to die or shed a tear over our
grave.

No one felt loneliness more keenly than David. In a series of earnest,
heartfelt appeals to God, David cried out in his loneliness and
despair. His own son was risen up against him, the men of Israel went
after him, and he was forced to flee from the city, and leave his
house and family. Lonely and afflicted (Psalm 25:16), his only
recourse was to turn to God and plead for mercy and God’s intervention
(Psalm 25:21) because his only hope was in God. It is interesting to
note that the word “lonely” is never used in the New Testament to
describe people. In the New Testament, the word “lonely” only occurs
twice and both times refers to desolate places (Mark 1:45; Luke 5:16),
where Jesus moved off into the wilderness to be alone.

Whatever the cause of loneliness, for the Christian the cure is always
the same—the comforting fellowship of Christ. That loving relationship
with our Master has reassured and encouraged countless thousands who
languished in prisons and even went to their deaths for His sake. He
is the friend who “sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24), who
lays down His life for His friends (John 15:13-15), and who has
promised never to leave us or forsake us but to be with us until the
end of the age (Matthew 28:20). We can take comfort in the words of
the old hymn that says it best: “Friends may fail me, foes assail me,
He is with me to the end. Hallelujah, what a Savior!”

Evangelist.Johnny Mendoza

Dealing with the death of a loved one

The death of a loved one is an event that all of us is likely to experience during our lifetimes, often on numerous occasions. Whilst lives are often transformed by such loss, it does not necessarily need to be for the worse in the long term. Dealing effectively and positively with grief caused by such a loss is central to your recovery process and your ability to continue with and fulfill your own life for the better.

What is Grief? Am i Grieving?... I am Grieving.
You’ll grieve in your own unique way,and a general pattern will emerge as you do so. Those around you may be full of ideas about how you’re supposed to grieve, and how not. You may be told that grief comes in clear-cut stages and you may even be given a name for the stage you’re supposedly going through. You may hear advice like "Be strong!" or "Cheer up!" or "Get on with your life!" rather than be encouraged to allow your grief to run its natural course. It’s important for you to be clear that this is your grief, not theirs. You’ll grieve in no one’s way but your own.

Not knowing.

What is heaven? Is it a figment of our imagination or is it a place of eternal dwelling. How sure are you of your salvation. What makes you so sure that this life that you are living will mean something in our fathers kingdom. Remember our fathers kingdom is holy and only those of pure heart will inherit it. Just because you have a name on earth does not gain you a get out of jail free card. Yes God love everyone but, the question is do we love God? Think about your life and how straight is the line that you are walking. Remember God allows Uturns. So analyze your life and it's purpose, to live and to live abundantly.

God bless you.

Words that do not edify.

Every word that comes out of the mouth shall be judged. We do not understand that our mouth is a fountain sometimes flowing rivers of love ,and also of hate. What ever you sow you shall reap.  Ppl let us sow words of love into our lives and into our familes.