CarrytheLightMinistries

Every one of us will inevitably experience times of spiritual warfare; therefore, we need to be equipped. Are you armed for battle? Do you know how to defend yourself if attacked? For anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ and has declared him Lord over their lives, you should also know that by doing so you have declared yourself an enemy of Satan. The warfare we become embroiled in can come at us in varying degrees of difficulty so we must understand that the battle is the Lord’s, but we are not left defenseless; God has equipped us with spiritual armor to withstand these spiritual attacks. Let us pray to God and thank him for the weapons against the enemy as we seek God’s Help During Times of Spiritual Warfare.

Mighty Men of Valor, WHERE ARE YOU? Men of faith, RISE UP! The time is short; the time is NOW! God is looking for a few good men! God is looking for praying men! God is looking for men committed to reading His word, to hearing His word, and in keeping His word, men who are determined to lead their families in the ways of the Lord, men who are morally upright, men who are not ashamed to stand up and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ! God is looking for bible packing, scripture cracking, Holy Ghost filled, praise dancing men of God!

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14 ESV)! Do you trust and have confidence in God’s timing? It’s no coincidence that the word wait is repeated in this verse. David genuinely understood the importance of waiting on the Lord. Overcoming his tribulations was made evident by his reliance on the Lord’s provision and his humble submission, which provided a valuable lesson to the generations that came after him. Is there something that you are currently waiting for? Perhaps you’re hoping for a new job, a financial breakthrough, physical healing, or a relationship to be restored. To us, it may appear as if he is slow in his response, and we don’t recognize what he is doing in the background. He is always in the details. When we offer God our thoughts and surrender our will for his, we are transformed. As we patiently wait, he gives us a profound sense of peace and courage to persevere.

The desire to become better at listening than talking has been a new and humbling skill set for me. I have learned the value of genuinely respecting others’ points of view as more important than my own, which, as it turns out, makes me a more effective ambassador for Jesus, one who extends genuine care and interest toward others.

"And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, 'If anyone comes after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.'" (Mark 8:34-35)

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:12-14).

In Exodus 3:9-12 Moses wrote of his commission from God, “And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt. But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” He said, “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

When you seek the Lord in prayer, are you confident that He hears you? And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)

2 Corinthians 1:3-4. Praise be to the God and Father our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

What benefits or advantages have you gained through God’s discipline in your life? Hebrews 12:11 “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20). God will allow difficult life events to strengthen us, in order to produce extraordinary outcomes. God is always orchestrating the details in the background. Although we don’t always understand his plan at the moment, it’s imperative that we trust him through the process.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This verse from John’s gospel is one of the most recognizable, and memorized verses of the Christian faith. It reveals the gospel message and the depth of God's love for us. God's very nature is love. He proved his unconditional love by sending his Son as the only way to reconcile us back to him.

“There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Proverbs 12:18). Negative speech pierces us like a sword. Research has concluded that it takes five positive words to overcome one negative word. Words cut deep, the hurt is immediate and their potential to condemn is great. Are you being mindful of the words coming from your lips?

Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9: 37-38). When Jesus exhorted his disciples to pray for the harvest, his heart was grieved over the condition of the hearts around them. They were helpless, lost, and unaware of their condition. The “harvest” Jesus referred to then is the exact condition of the people in our world today. There are people who have yet to hear the good news of Jesus and receive healing. There is so much work to be done while we are still here on earth.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 ESV ). Have you ever wondered if God is with you? Sometimes, it can feel like we are walking alone through life. It may seem like God isn’t present or has abandoned us. The nation of Israel experienced these feelings; amid the pain of their exile, they cried out to God. He responded to them through the prophets, who offered encouragement and hope because of God’s promises. We must always look to God’s promises, especially when we experience life's challenges. We serve a mighty God; no situation is too complicated for him. Just as God used Israel's adversity, for his greater purpose, he will use ours to strengthen our faith and for his glory. In his presence, we will find renewed strength and peace.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 17-18,21). One of humanity's most sought-after pursuits is discovering their identity. Their identity is what makes them unique and feel significant. People seek their identity in their careers, sexual orientation, on social media, or in their financial status. Many of us look to the world through temporary sources and the approval of others to justify our choices. By doing this, we will only encounter despair and discontentment. Anything we attempt to substitute in place of God will leave us empty and yearning. Apart from Christ, all hope is lost. But the good news is that Jesus came to bore our sins so that, through reconciliation, the wrongs we have done can be made right, before God. When we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, our identity ensures, a greater purpose and hope.

Luke 24:1-9 (ESV) As the women approached the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, they discovered that the stone was rolled away and Jesus’ body was not there. Before he was crucified, Jesus told his disciples that he would leave Earth and go to prepare a place for them. Did the disciples believe him? Or perhaps their minds could not comprehend how this would occur. After Jesus was crucified, they grieved that he was no longer physically with them. However, the disciples didn’t understand that Jesus’ departure was for our benefit. Jesus died in our place so that we could spend eternity with him. The resurrection is the center of the Gospel message and is a testament to God's immense power and sovereignty. Death had no power over him, and we can share the victory of death through him.

Exodus 14:13-14 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” How has the Lord fought on your behalf? Have you ever experienced a time in your life when situations left you feeling defeated? One of the privileges of being a believer is that we have Almighty God on our side. We don't have to walk this earth alone and rely on our own strength. We must submit to a position of faith and rely on His power and timing. He will fight our battles.

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. What do you do when you seek God but are uncertain about what to pray for? Have you ever experienced a time when you didn’t know what to pray or felt so broken you couldn’t articulate the words? This scripture brings great hope and encouragement to the believer. When we find ourselves in these circumstances, the Holy Spirit, our helper, intercedes on our behalf. We are never alone.

Philippians 2:3-5 (ESV) “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” How can you be of service to someone without expecting something in return? Jesus emphasized that the second greatest commandment is “to love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Fulfilling this command requires a humble heart. When we humble ourselves, it enables us to recognize the needs of others more clearly. Jesus was our example of humble servanthood. His life and death on the cross demonstrated a sacrificial selflessness that is difficult for many of us to comprehend. He gave his life so that we could have eternal life.

Our minds have tremendous power; our thoughts can weigh us down, or they can lift us. Countless ideas enter our minds throughout the day and are influenced by what we watch on watch on TV and social media, what we listen to, where we go, and who we associate ourselves with. As these thoughts enter our minds, we all have a choice to determine which will take root in our hearts. What we allow into our minds will shape our beliefs and actions; therefore, we must focus on God’s sovereignty and love for us. By pursuing a positive, God-honoring mindset, we will experience the promise of God's peace. Philippians 4:8-9

I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content, whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:10-13 NIV). Paul understood that it was his genuine faith that established his satisfaction, not his circumstances. Unlike Paul, many of us think that if things go right, we will be fulfilled; however, that is an unrealistic expectation. When we empty ourselves daily and have an eternal perspective, we will grasp this revelation; we will have peace and be complete. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing, but through him, we will have the strength to accomplish everything.

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27 ESV). Anger is a natural human response to conflict; it can be difficult to maintain self-control in the heat of the moment. We are to react in a manner that pleases God. When we respond in a way that does not honor God, it permits the devil an opportunity to exploit our emotions and lure us into sin. For this reason, the Apostle Paul urged us to forgive quickly. If we end our day in anger, we dwell on negative feelings unnecessarily. God's word encourages us to recognize that this verse is not a suggestion but a command.