Spiritual Traps (blog by me)

October 29, 2020October 28, 2020 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

Since creation, men and women have been tempted to do wrong against God and others. James 1:13 tells us God does not tempt us to do evil, but we know the Enemy of our souls does tempt us. The first time we sin, we feel conviction. The second time, it is a little less. After the sin has become a habit, we no longer even think it is wrong.

Nearly everyone of us can identify with some spiritual trap. One is pursuing money as a main goal in life. Another is rebellion against authority and God. Yet another is sex outside of marriage or other forms of sexual perversion. Drunkenness and/or drug use is yet another spiritual trap. Dabbling in the occult, witchcraft (regardless of intent), and New Age practices are some others. Trusting in other religions is one more, and this is not an exhaustive list.

All of these spiritual traps lead us away from God. They are types of unfaithfulness. God has the power to deliver people from these traps if they call on Him. If you are stuck in one of these sins, confess your sin to God and call on the Name of Jesus Christ for deliverance. God is waiting for you to call on Him. Do it today!

Cleansing Stream

April 24, 2016May 27, 2017 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

Many of my poems are about my addictions, anxiety, and other manifestations of emotional pain in my life. I recently finished going through the Cleansing Stream program, and it has helped me a lot. Cleansing Stream is a series of classes accompanied by prayer that helps people overcome emotional pain. I really recommend it. If interested, click this link to learn more: https://www.cleansingstream.org/

*Draw Near exists to glorify God and help others draw near to Christ by providing forever free ebooks.

God’s Glory Through Healing

November 24, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

God displays His glory with healing in many ways. Sometimes He shows us His glory through doctors. After all, mankind is created in His image. Considering many medicines and even prescription drugs are made from natural materials (which is God’s creation), it is plain to see God’s glory through the use of medicine. In certain circumstances, Jesus even supernaturally intervenes to heal people and show His Father’s glory in a dramatic way. Regardless of how God heals, I think it is right to give Him the glory. That’s why I want to share this personal experience with you.

After my son was born, he started getting frequent ear infections just like I did as a kid. However, I realized he suffered from a more severe health issue that I knew nothing about. Our toddler had trouble breathing. Our pediatrician prescribed him inhalers. It was hard for me to know when our son needed to use the inhaler since he was so young, but it seemed like he needed it an awful lot. She eventually referred us to an allergist who diagnosed him with asthma.

With the help of his allergist, we made the tough decision to pursue immunotherapy (allergy shots) for his asthma. The prescribed treatment would require painful shots over the course of three years and did not guarantee results. Still, we wanted our son to be well and live a full life.

After a year of shots, our son’s breathing tests still showed no progress. The allergist even suggested stopping the treatment, but we decided to continue the shots in hopes there would be some improvement. At that time, I really began crying out to the Lord during that time and got others to pray for him also.

About six months later, there was a sudden and dramatic change in his breathing tests. His allergist said his test results were actually 101%! He recommended we stop all medication. We were overjoyed to learn his asthma was completely under control even after we stopped his medications. Now, my son occasionally uses his inhaler when he plays basketball, but other than that—he does not take any medicine at all. I believe God did a miracle in my son’s life.

Jesus performed lots of miracles in His life. The miracles brought His Father glory. They also displayed His authoritative power to forgive sins. We can trust in Jesus alone as our Savior because God’s Word tells us in Acts 4:12 “there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” I pray you will accept Him as Your Savior. If you have already accepted Him as Savior, I pray you give God the glory for all of the wonderful things He has done in your life. After all, He created you with such care and loves you very much.

Physical Healing

March 16, 2015June 10, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

God’s original plan for man in the Garden of Eden was a life without sickness or disease. Sin brought these things into the world. The Old Testament records several healings brought about by God. Additionally, Jesus spent a great deal of time healing the sick. It’s pretty clear that God desires for us to walk around in healthy bodies.

All Bible-believing Christians should agree God is capable of healing individuals. If you believe God wants you well, nothing should stand in your way! Consider the following tools:

Prayer: Begin praying for yourself. James 5:14 also tells us to call on others for pray for physical healing. Prayer chains can be extremely effective.

Scripture repetition: Some Christians say they were healed by repeating daily healing Scriptures like: “…by his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

Gift of healing: Healing is listed as a spiritual gift in 1Cor. 12:9. Some famous televangelists claim to have this gift, but they are not the only ones. Ask around.

Laying on of hands: Having a stranger lay hands on you may feel strange, but Jesus did it and brought about healing (see Mark 6:5). Christians who want healing should invite God to heal through the hands of other Christians.

Listening to praise/worship music: Hospitalized people have credited praise and worship music for bringing healing to their bodies.

This list of ways God can bring about healing should not take the place of medical care. Doctors are not gods, but God can choose to heal you through a doctor’s care! Remember God loves you and wants to give you a healthy body.

Lord, I pray for the physical healing of Your people. Thank You that You want us to have life and have it to the fullest. We praise You that You are the Great Physician. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

Increase your faith in physical healing by reading amazing testimonies of how God has already healed His people. Read the six healing testimonies in Never Forsaken: A Testimony Collection for free right now by clicking the below link:

https://drawneartochrist.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/never-forsaken-a-testimony-collection.pdf

Draw Near exists to glorify God and help others draw near to Christ by providing free resources. Click here to learn more about God and here to access free Christian ebooks. Thanks for visiting. Stay blessed!

Burdens & Forgiveness

March 13, 2015June 16, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

So you have been carrying around those burdens for a long time. By now, you are emotionally exhausted and ready to lay them down, right? Let’s do it together. Today we will forgive someone, let go of negative feelings, and ask forgiveness from another.

Ephesians 4:32 states: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Since we have a perfect Father in heaven and a Friend that sticks closer than a brother, we can let go of the idealistic expectations we have placed on our parents, friends, and spouse. We can forgive all the ways they have let us down, rejected us, and failed to meet our needs since their mistakes only pointed us to the cross. Sit back in your chair, relax, and ask God: Lord, who do I need to forgive?

When you have the person in mind you need to forgive, pray this prayer of forgiveness with us: Lord, thank You for forgiving our sin debt in full. We know we would never have been able to repay our sin debt without Your Son’s death on the cross. Since Your Son did this for us, we forgive every person that has wronged us. We give up the right to collect from those who wronged us. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

That felt great, didn’t it? Ready to let go of some negative feelings? Hold your hand up to your Father in heaven as if you were giving Him your heart and say: Lord, I give You my anger, resentment, unforgiveness, bitterness, pain, doubt, spiritual pride… Thank You that You love us and guide us to let go of these emotions so we can live in freedom and joy. In Christ’s Name, Amen. (By holding your hand up to heaven, you are doing in the physical what you are doing in the soul. Alternately, you can envision yourself handing your heart to the Lord and think the words.) This practical advice can be used any time a thought or feeling rises up in you that you do not want.

Starting to feel lighter and more joyful, aren’t you? Let’s keep at this pace as we turn around and ask for forgiveness from someone we have wronged. Sit back in your chair again, relax and ask God: Lord, who do I need to ask for forgiveness from? It might be your spouse for an argument you had yesterday. It might be someone from high school that you track down on Facebook or Twitter. It could be something simple like a text or message stating: I am sorry. Please forgive me.

Doing this simple task could bring healing to their life and open up a door for Christ in their lives as well. After all, you welcomed the light of Christ inside of you the day you first believed. Put your light on a stand for all to see (Matt. 5:15). I am asking the Lord to give you courage to ask forgiveness to the person the Lord brings to your mind. Do not delay in communicating your regret about your past actions.

You may actually feel physically lighter after you have forgiven others, let go of negative feelings, and ask forgiveness from those you have wronged. All of those negative feelings and unforgiveness were coming in between you and the Lord. You have now drawn nearer to the Lord. As He promises in the Holy Bible, when you draw near to the Lord then He will draw nearer to you (James 4:8).

Needtobreathe’s song called “Lay ‘Em Down” invites us to lay down our burdens and troubles. Begin your journey to a clean heart by clicking here to listen to this inspirational song.

God Is For You

March 11, 2015June 10, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

Christians sometimes go through periods of loss or tragedy. In that time, some of us might ask “Why, God?” or start to think God has turned against us and is causing these terrible things to happen to us. Then, we become angry at God. With anger between us and the Lord, we will begin to feel distant and wonder how we can draw near to Christ. We can get closer to God by remembering the truth of God’s Word.

We all ask it. “Why, God?” The question sounds innocent enough (and sometimes we ask it with a pure heart). But if we really searched our hearts, we would find that most of the time we are really blaming God. By asking, we are insinuating it’s God’s fault for either making this horrible event happen (or letting it happen.)

Is God at fault? God’s way is perfect (Psalm 18:30) so He does not deserve our blame. God works everything that happens for our good. If you are in the regular habit of asking God why He allowed awful things to happen in your life, try to stop thinking “Why, God?” Instead, remind yourself that God is working everything together for your good.

Notice how God did not cause Job’s tragedies. Rather, Satan had launched a full-scale attack against Job! Christians must remember we are at war with evil forces. Satan and his demons still use a variety of tactics in modern day times. The enemy aims to discourage us, distance us from God, and turn some from Him completely.

Christians discuss the importance of faith in God all of the time. In the book of Job, we read about a time when God had faith in a man. In Job 1:8 God said of Job, “….There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” After Satan attacked, we read in Job 1:22 that “…Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.”

I think God has faith in you. In fact, I believe He has said something wonderful about you. He is probably proud of the way you handled tragedy and held onto your faith. Consider the reward you have in heaven for overcoming this difficult time while still maintaining a strong love for God.

If we have allowed ourselves to blame God, we might also feel some anger toward Him. Whether you acknowledge anger at God or not, the Lord knows it exists. He loves you and does not want it getting in between you and Him. Anger must be dealt with, and it cannot be managed until it is acknowledged. Take a moment now to think of what lingering anger you have aimed at God.

Confess it. Lord, I confess I am angry at you for _______.

Ask forgiveness for it. Lord, please forgive me for my unjustified anger. I know You only desire what’s best for me.

It may take some time for deep anger to be completely released, but you are on your way to healing from that unrighteous anger. Try to remember to deal with anger at God as soon as it rises up within you. Never hide it. God knows how you feel, and He is eager to listen and forgive.

Hang in there! God loves you.

Lord, Thank You that You love us so much. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for us and sending Your Spirit to us so that we maintain a supernatural strength in times of loss and tragedy. We praise Your awesome Name. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

Click here to watch Chris Tomlin’s “Our God.” It is a great reminder that God is for you.

Deliverance From Addiction

March 7, 2015June 11, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

We fool ourselves into thinking we only harm ourselves when we give into addiction. I’m not sure what your habit is, but evil tends to radiate and multiply. Crooked people are in the business of perpetuating addictions. By consuming porn, we drive the sex trafficking industry. When we pay for cigarettes, tobacco farmers use our dollars to hire pre-teen prostitutes on the other side of the world. Even the most innocent-sounding addictions ruin relationships with the people we love the most.

So now we have given the pain in our hearts to God for healing. We have chosen to chase negative thoughts away with the truth of God’s Word. Additionally, we chose healthier ways for us to fulfill our need for comfort, rest, adventure and escape as we draw nearer to God in our daily life. Now it’s time to wrestle against the addiction itself.

Every time we don’t give into an addiction, we are stronger for the next time we are tempted. In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus was tempted by the devil in the desert. Satan tried over and over again until Jesus had resisted every temptation. Then the devil left Jesus alone. When the devil realizes we are not giving in, he too will leave us.

We are prideful creatures. Some part of us is still sure we can give up on our own even though we have failed so many times. Somehow our soul must try until it is broken. Then it will cry out for God in some mysterious uttering, and God will rescue all those who need and want His rescuing. He is our Deliverer! So try your very hardest over and over again until God shows up. This may include signing up for porn blockers, joining support groups like Celebrate Recovery, or something else. Just don’t give up until you are delivered from your addiction. Earn your victor’s crown. God is right beside you.

I know the Lord as my Deliverer from my cigarette addiction. (If you are interested, the link to my testimony about God’s deliverance from smoking is on Christian Chat: http://christianchat.com/testimonies/66033-nonsmoking-please.html)

Thoughts for the Addicted

March 6, 2015June 11, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

Even if you no longer feel convicted about your addiction, in your heart you know it is hindering your relationship with God. You know it is ruining your joy. God wants to help you make changes so you will not be stuck in your addiction forever…or start other addictions. So let’s try something new!

When you think of resisting your addiction, do negative thoughts keep you from even trying? Your thought life could be a reason your addiction still has the power to overcome your desire to be free of it. Consciously stop the thought instead of letting it boss you around.

Here’s one example of defeatist thinking. My parents were alcoholics so I am an alcoholic. It’s in my DNA. I was genetically prone to drinking. No one can change fate.

Once you have stopped the negative thought, think a positive thought. Focus on the deliverance God has already given you. Recite something like this:

We are children of God (Galatians 3:26)!
We are being transformed into the Lord’s likeness (2 Cor. 3:18).
God’s Spirit gives me freedom (2 Cor. 3:17).

Many scientists think our DNA can change. This aligns with what many pastors are preaching…that as adopted children we gain access to Jesus’ DNA and certainly His power over sin and the devil. We have been delivered, and we are tapping into that power right now.

Be sure to meditate on God’s Word so you know the truth. If you have turned your pain over to God and forgiven yourself and others with us in the last blog, then you have no more excuse to feel sorry for yourself. Take up your sword and fight!

Christian rapper Trip Lee performs an incredible song called “Robot” about how we all are born as robots controlled by our flesh and the devil but that our lives can change when we follow God. I hope the lyrics to this song are an inspiration to you:

**To my friends, who are still on lockdown
Still controlled by their passions, stop now
He can free everybody from the top down
If you’re freed up, say this with me right now…I am not a robot

**Trip Lee lyrics are property and copyright of their owners.

Healing for the Addicted

March 5, 2015June 11, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

An addiction could be your heart screaming, “Pay attention to me! I am hurt and wounded.” Yet you refuse to deal with the memories and emotions from the past because they seem too painful to handle. Good news! You don’t have to handle your emotions….just hand them over to our loving Father.

What memories have you buried? Take a second to ask God to remind you of pain you have hidden away from God and yourself. As He brings them to your mind, ask Him to take them for you. Ask Him to heal you of that pain. If necessary, ask God to forgive you or someone else.

This is a process. It may take several times, or the help of a family member, or even the services of a Christian counselor. The important thing is that you trust God with your pain and stop trying to bear the burden of it in your heart. Your heart cannot handle it and was never meant to carry that weight. That could be the reason your physical body constantly desires the soothing of something other than God…something that has now become an addiction.

When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water in Matt. 14:28 Peter said, “Tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus said, “Come.” And Peter went. Now it’s your turn. Make things right with your heart and the rest of your physical body will eventually realize it has been SET FREE.

Feel alone in your struggle? Your’e not! Click here to read a poem called “Just One More.”

Perseverance for the Addicted

March 4, 2015June 11, 2015 ~ drawneartochrist ~ Leave a comment

If you struggle with addiction, you have probably prayed several times for God to help you resist the urges and deliver you from your addiction. Yet you still find yourself addicted or have fallen back into addiction. You may be thinking…Why won’t God help me?.…I have failed so many times. Should I give up trying?…..Has God given up on me?

If you are Christian, then you have the Holy Spirit inside of you. God’s Spirit continually helps you to live a life that is increasingly marked by holiness and blamelessness. Even when you backslide into sin, God does not give up on you or abandon you.

In Mark 9:43, Jesus says, “If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.” If you are a Christian, there is no need for you to fear hell or cut off your sinning hands. (If you are not a Christian, still don’t cut off your hand! Just accept Jesus as Your Savior.) However when we read this verse, we realize how serious Christ was in His attitude against sin. Keep trying to fight against the addiction over and over again and try different ways to stop it. Don’t give up!

There is no formula for how God delivers, but sometimes you just need to keep trying to stop your addiction until your heart and soul are broken. In your tears and brokenness, He may deliver you then. God may be allowing your addiction to continue until you finally acknowledge deep hidden emotions that need healing. Together, we’ll investigate ways you can draw nearer to God’s deliverance from this addictive behavior in the next blog series.

Lord, I pray for the person reading this to know You as a God with the power to deliver. We trust in Your Word that You came to proclaim freedom for prisoners in Luke 4:18. We trust that You will do this for us even though we do not deserve Your mercy, we receive it. Thank You, Lord, for Your mercy and power. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

Click here to watch my poem video “Adored” about the life journey of someone who struggled with addiction but now has a wonderful relationship with God.

Need some encouragement to fight your own addictions? Click here to listen to Mandisa’s song called Overcomer.