BRANDON J. SUTTON
  • Home
  • About Brandon
  • Professional Experience
  • Redemption Blog
  • A Gate Called Beautiful
  • Contact

When They Go

2/15/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Surely, they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. – Isaiah 49:15 NKJV

Getting arrested was probably the lowest point of my life, and I became obsessed over what people were saying and thinking about me because of it. That obsession turned into anger, disappointment, and depression once I discovered some of the things that people were saying and believing about me - things that caused them to dissociate themselves from me. I allowed the actions of others to affect me negatively because we often give people outsized influence over our feelings and thoughts in an attempt to feel liked and accepted.

People have the right to leave us and form whatever opinions about us they want. However, we have the responsibility to not allow what others do and say affect our mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being. So, to quote Mya Angelou, “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” Do not try to convince or stop someone from walking away from you. When they go, let them go. 

Let Them Go 

On two separate occasions we witness Jesus feeding his followers. In Mark 6, Jesus feeds 4,000 men (not including women and children) and at the beginning of John 6, Jesus feeds 5,000 men (not including women and children). So, we can assume that at any given time, Jesus had anywhere between 4,000 to 10,000 people (if you include women and children) following Him. But by the time we get to the end of John 6, Jesus has lost thousands of followers.

On hearing [Jesus’s teachings], many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” … From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. – John 6:60 & 66 NIV

Not even Jesus, at the height of his popularity, was immune from people leaving Him. When He was healing, performing miracles, and feeding the masses, they cheered Him on, followed Him, and spread good news about Him but when His directives became too difficult for them, they left.  

When some people think they know how your story is going to end, they leave. When some people feel as if you have nothing more to offer them, they leave. When some people can no longer manipulate or abuse you, they leave. Do not hold on to people who choose to leave. You should not only let them go, but you should also help them go by blocking, deleting, and ignoring.  

Jesus gave His followers a choice. They could leave or they could stay, and thousands decided to leave. Jesus did not run after those who chose to leave Him, and neither should you. Instead, He turned his attention to those who truly loved and supported Him.  

True Friends

Instead of stressing over who left you, learn to appreciate those who chose to stay with you.

You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” – John 6:66-68 NIV


Not everyone left Jesus, the twelve disciples, including Judas, stayed. And after four years of hurt, frustration, doubt, and unemployment not everyone left me. The ones who mean the most to me stayed and through them I experienced God’s goodness, grace, love, and mercy.

We often give too much of our time and focus to those who hurt and abandoned us, instead of to those who are currently supporting us. So, take a moment, look around, and see who stayed. Place your energy on those who want the best for you - those who uplift and care for you. Love those who love you. Pour into those who pour into you. Cherish those who cherish you. Encourage those who encourage you.  

0 Comments

New Year, Same Devil

1/2/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Commit your works to the LORD [submit and trust them to Him], And your plans will succeed [if you respond to His will and guidance]. – Proverbs 16:3 AMP
 
It is a new year, but the same devil is still prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour, manipulate, deceive, and destroy (1 Peter 5:8). While the calendar, your mindset, and attitude may be changing, many of the same problems from last year will attempt to define you this year. To successfully overcome the old schemes of the enemy and transition into a new season of love, happiness, purpose, and overflow you are going to have to be disciplined, intentional, and fearless.
 
Discipline
 
No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it. - Hebrews 12:11 BSB
 
According to studies, 80 percent of New Year Resolutions fail by February. They fail because we make declarations and vision boards but do not follow through with action plans. Action plans are the steps we take to transform our visions into reality and that requires discipline, and discipline requires us to sacrifice short-term satisfaction for long-term gains.
 
Discipline takes the form of boundaries in our personal, spiritual, financial, and emotional lives. If you want to be the best version of yourself this year, you are going to have to create and enforce boundaries. That may mean changing some of your lifestyle habits (staying home instead of going out), altering how you think about yourself (you are more than a conqueror), and being more mindful of the people you are allowing into your life (everyone should not have access to you). The more boundaries you adhere to, the better off your life will be.
 
Intentional
 
Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you will never have enough. - Proverbs 21:5 GNT
 
We tend to be intentional about things that are inconsequential. We are more intentional about the clothes, shoes, and accessories we wear, cars we drive, and pictures we post on social media than we are about the people we associate with, things we consume, and feelings we express. In your next season, you are going to have to be more intentional about your relationships, emotions, health, and worship.
 
Be more intentional about praying, attending church, and reading your Bible. Be more intentional about reaching out to friends, returning messages, and spending quality time with loved ones. Be more intentional about your health, the foods you eat, and exercising. Be more intentional about budgeting your money. Be more intentional about how you are living your life and watch as God reward you for your obedience.
 
Fearless
 
The LORD is for me, so I will have no fear. What can man do to me? – Psalm 118:6 NLT

To be great, you are going to have to be fearless. That means you must stop negotiating with negative thoughts, pessimistic people, and self-sabotaging behaviors over your future and instead trust that God, who orders your steps, will meet your every need.
 
Being fearless does not mean being careless, but it does mean being disciplined, intentional, and clear on the endeavors you pursue this year. So, take a chance and bet on yourself, not succumbing to your misgivings or criticism, but instead aggressively pursuing the things God has placed on your heart.  
 
I am so happy for the things God is about to do for you in this new year. Your business will thrive, a new relationship awaits you, your promotion is imminent, your health is improving, and your joy is returning. Embrace all that God has for you by being disciplined, intentional, and fearless. Do not allow the old tricks of the enemy to stop you from taking advantage of the new opportunities that await you this year. Yes, the devil is the same, but the blessings will be new!
 
0 Comments

Peace Be With You

12/12/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
May the Lord himself, who is our source of peace, give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with you all. - 2 Thessalonians 3:16 GNT
 
Peace is defined as a state of calm and harmony between your mind, body, and soul. The Greek word for peace is εἰρήνην (eiréné) which can be interpreted as “. . . the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing [apart] from God and content with its earthly [circumstances]. . .”
 
Before Christ is arrested and crucified, He takes the time to remind His disciples in John 14 that He is leaving them with peace. Now, Jesus did not have much time to waste, and you would think that He would have used what little time He had left to remind the disciples of the importance of love, forgiveness, or prayer, but instead he reminds them of His peace.
 
So, why does Jesus highlight peace before the cross? Because He knew that this world would try to substitute His peace with one that is contrary to His teachings.
 
The Peace the World Gives
 
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. - John 14:27 NIV
 
The peace the world gives are really problems designed to look like solutions. The peace of this world tells us that if we just get married that we will be happy, that if we get the job, we will be fulfilled, or that if we get more money, we will not have any more difficulties. All those things require you to work in-order to obtain peace, but Christ informed us that peace is a gift that He gives us, meaning it is something we accept and not work for.
 
The Peace That God Gives
 
The peace that God gives does not equate to the absence of problems; instead, it requires us to acknowledge His presence in our problems. God’s peace is the type of peace that will allow you to sleep in the middle of a storm (Matthew 8:24), that will give you the confidence to face your giants and allow you to declare; regardless of your situation and circumstances, that all things will work out for your good (Romans 8:28).
 
So, if you want peace in your life, do not look for it in people or things, instead accept it from God.  

0 Comments

When Trouble Knocks

10/24/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Trust in and rely confidently on the LORD with all your heart And do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, And He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way].  - Proverbs 3:5-6 AMP

On October 26, 2018, at 5 A.M. a knock at my front door startled me out of my sleep. The knock wasn’t from a friend or a neighbor, it was from the police. I was only a few hours away from boarding a plane, traveling to Costa Rica, and celebrating my 33rd birthday. Instead, I found myself in jail, in distress, and in pain. Trouble knocked at my door that morning, and I answered it. When I say I answered it, what I mean is I tried to resolve and make sense of what was happening to me without going to God first. 

What trouble has knocked at your door that you answered? Maybe it was a layoff you were not expecting, a disappointing medical report, collection notice, eviction, separation, or unexpected death. Oftentimes, when we find ourselves in a situation that we never imagined we would be in - we try to take care of it on our own. Instead of trusting God, we look for solutions in people, money, material goods, and self-sabotaging behaviors. 

There are some things that people, money, drugs, sex, etc. cannot fix or heal. For those things, you need God. I know I did. Money got me out of jail and got me a lawyer, but it could not give me my freedom - only God could do that. Freedom, not in the form of deliverance from my troubles, but in knowing that regardless of my situation and circumstances that God is fighting for me (Exodus 14:14). And if God is fighting for us, what troubles can stand against us (Romans 8:31)? 

Set-up by God

So, when trouble knocks at your door, let God answer it. You should let God answer it because He is the one who invited it. If you do not believe God invites trouble, just look at the story of Job:

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil… One day the angels came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came with them. The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job?” - Job 1:1, 6-8 NIV

God asked Satan “where have you come from?” and Satan answered from roaming the earth. We know from 1 Peter 5:8, that the devil roams the earth like a roaring lion, looking for someone to attack. Now God, being completely unprovoked, offers Job to Satan for him to attack. Why would God invite Satan to attack Job, a good man who was blameless, honest, and upright? Because God uses our trials to strengthen, purify, and sanctify us.  

God knows what He put within you and what you can withstand. He knows that though you may stumble, you will not be overwhelmed, because He is holding your hand (Psalm 37:24). Therefore, do not try to fix every problem, respond to every situation, or lose sleep worrying about how you are going to survive the attack of the enemy. Instead, place your faith in God, seek Him vigorously, hold on to His unchanging hand, and watch as He deliberately makes everything beautiful at the right time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

0 Comments

I Still Believe

10/10/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
“The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But it does not sink deep into them; they believe only for a while but when the time of testing comes, they fall away.” – Luke 8:13 GNT
 
Our faith must be constantly renewed, protected, and managed. If not, we run the risk of losing it - the one thing that can help us navigate the darkness that surrounds us during times of uncertainty, anxiety, and lonesomeness. Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). But it becomes difficult for us to remain faith filled when all we can see are setbacks and sorrow around us. 

There have been many times in my life where I felt like abandoning my faith. Times when I did not see the value in trusting God, as my world was crumbling around me. Maybe that is where you are today - feeling that as time goes on, the hope you once had for a marriage, child, job, healing, recovery, or breakthrough is waning. We are often taught that faith is asking God for something and waiting patiently until He provides it to us. But I learned that faith is believing that God can do it even if He doesn’t do it.

For three years I asked God to have the criminal charge against me dismissed and I am now going on year four without any resolution, but I still believe that God can do it. For three years I prayed for a job and haven’t received one, but I still believe that God can provide. My family prayed for my uncle to be healed from COVID and he died, yet I still trust God as a healer.

Do not define your faith by a setback, poor result, or an unanswered prayer. Faith isn’t about receiving something from God; it is declaring like Martha did after the death of her brother when she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (John 11:21-22). Martha asked Jesus to save her brother, her brother died, yet she still believed and had faith in God’s supreme authority.

Your faith, then, does not rest on human wisdom but on God's power.
- 1 Corinthians 2:5 GNT

The Grace To Go On
God does not always give us what we ask for. Sometimes the sickness ends in death, the womb remains barren, the relationship dissolves, the job lays you off, and the rent isn’t paid. That doesn’t mean that God has forgotten about you, that He doesn’t love you, or hasn’t heard your prayers - it means that He is going to provide you with the grace to withstand your disappointment.

When we don’t receive what we have been asking God for, the enemy uses our disillusionment to separate us from God. He wants to rob us of our faith because he knows that it is impossible for us to please God without it (Hebrews 11:6). So, he encourages us to place our faith in people, money, material goods, and things that make us feel good, but ultimately, leaves us hopeless. Remember, there is no relief in the words of the devil.

When the time of your testing comes, do not fall away. You may be disappointed, afraid, and apprehensive, but still believe that even now God can save, heal, deliver, and redeem you. Your situation and circumstances are in God’s hands. Trust and believe in Him and He will renew you.   

0 Comments

Dry Brooks

9/12/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
God makes a home for the lonely; He leads the prisoners into prosperity, Only the stubborn and rebellious dwell in a parched land. - Psalm 68:6 AMP

We do not have an issue asking God to provide for us. When we want a job, we pray for it. When we want a spouse, we pray for him or her. When we want healing, money, or a breakthrough, we ask God for it. There is nothing wrong with trusting God to provide for us - scripture tells us that He will supply every need of ours (Philippians 4:19) and withhold no good things from us (Psalm 84:11). Thank God when He provides but remember that the same God who gives also takes away (Job 1:21). 

What do you do when God takes away? What do you do when the job you thought you would retire from lays you off? What do you do when the person you thought you would spend the rest of your life with is gone? What do you do when your health fails, car is repossessed, and house is foreclosed on? What do you do when the things you were depending on in one season of your life, are now unavailable in the next? 

Dry No More

A prophet named Elijah, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to King Ahab, “In the name of the Lord, the living God of Israel, whom I serve, I tell you that there will be no dew or rain for the next two or three years until I say so.”

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Leave this place and go east and hide yourself near Cherith Brook, east of the Jordan. The brook will supply you with water to drink, and I have commanded ravens to bring you food there.”

Elijah obeyed the Lord's command and went and stayed by Cherith Brook. He drank water from the brook, and ravens brought him bread and meat every morning and every evening. After a while the brook dried up because of the lack of rain.

Then the Lord said to Elijah, “Now go to the town of Zarephath, near Sidon, and stay there. I have commanded a widow who lives there to feed you.” - 1 Kings 17:1-9 GNT


During a period of drought, God provided for Elijah. He supplied Elijah with everything he needed to survive during that season of his life, but when that season was over, God took away the very thing he provided to Elijah. Now, the text does not say that the ravens stop bringing food to Elijah, all it says is that the brook dried up. That would have been a problem if Elijah did not have the power to make it rain, but he proclaimed earlier, “there will be no rain… until I say so.” Elijah could have indeed survived by the dry brook, but why just survive when God wants you to thrive? 

Elijah had a choice to make; he could stay where God was or move to where God is. He chose to obey God’s commands and trust that where God was taking him was better than what God had taken away from him. Our problem is we stay at the dry brook and like Jonah we complain when God tries to move us into something better by taking away the things and people we were depending on (Jonah 4:8). So, we stay on the dry job, we stay in the dry relationship, and continue making dry decisions when God wants to move us into something better. 

God removes people and things from our lives when He wants to make room for the overflow. Leave your dry brooks behind and trust and believe that God will provide for you as He guides you. 

0 Comments

What If...

8/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Whenever I am anxious and worried, you comfort me and make me glad. - Psalm 94:19 AMP

I am the type of person who always jumps to the worst possible conclusion. Having that type of disposition turns everyday occurrences into cataclysmic events.  If I am having a stomachache, I ask myself, what if it is cancer? If I call someone and they do not answer, I wonder, what if something is wrong? Every time I am paying for something at a store or restaurant, I am like, what if my card is declined (don’t act like you never had that fear)? To put it simply, I worry entirely too much.

Are you a worrier too? Do you often find yourself playing the what if game, asking yourself: “What if I fail?”, “What if I do not get married?”, “What if I do not get the job?”, “What if I do not come up with the money”, or “what if I am sick?”. Worrying is dangerous because it affects us both physically and spiritually. If we worry too much, we risk suppressing our immune system which opens us up to sickness, disease, and possible heart failure. Worrying also affects us spiritually because when we are worrying, what we are really doing is doubting God’s ability to comfort us in times of mourning, provide for us in times of need, and do exceedingly above and beyond what we can ask of Him.  

Limitless

And He did not do many miracles there [in Nazareth] because of their unbelief.  - Matthew 13:58 AMP

When Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, He received a less than stellar reception. Many who heard Him, were offended by the things He was saying and authority He claimed. Because of this, He did not perform many miracles there. The people’s unbelief put a limit on what God could do in their lives.

The only limits to God’s power are the ones we place on Him through our unbelief. When our worry leads to doubt, we like the people in Nazareth, place limits on a limitless God. This scripture does not say He did not perform any miracles, it says “He did not do many miracles,” which lets us know that there were some there who had the faith to believe that God can and will do what He said, and they were the ones who received the healings, breakthroughs, and blessings. Instead of worrying about the wrong things, they put their faith in the right thing.

Those who were blessed in Nazareth asked a different “what if” question. They asked, “What if God is who He said He is?” And then they lived like they believed it. You are going to have to do the same thing too. Ask “What if I get the job?”, “What if my business succeeds?”, “What if I am healed?”, “What if I find the love of my life?” and “What if it all works out for my good?” Then live like you believe it. Live like something good is going to happen to and for you. 

Jesus tells us not to worry because our Father in Heaven knows exactly what we need (Matthew 6:32). The unbelievers in Nazareth did not have their needs met because of their unbelief - so they went on living a life of apprehension, worry, and doubt when God wanted to give them peace. Do not let unbelief keep you from getting your needs met. Eliminate worry and doubt from your life and by doing so, you will be removing the limits to what God can and will do for you.

0 Comments

The Cost of Comparison

8/16/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Do not desire to possess anything that belongs to another person - not a house, a wife, a husband, or anything else. - Exodus 20:17 CEV

A few weeks ago, I was scrolling on social media and came across a post by Sarah Jakes Roberts that was celebrating her recent achievement of selling 100,000 copies of her latest book. Upon seeing that post I immediately started to feel bad because my book hadn’t sold 100,000 copies. Forget the fact that my goal for this year was to have 1,000 sales/downloads and to date I have nearly tripled that goal. Comparison causes us to diminish our own accomplishments.

Now, you are probably thinking that it is silly of me to be comparing myself to a world-renowned minister and best-selling author and you would be correct. However, it is no sillier than when we compare ourselves to our relatives, friends, co-workers, or random people we meet and see.

It has been said that comparison is the thief of joy, and when comparison leads to feelings of envy, resentment, anger, or causes you to devalue yourself then it becomes easy to see how it can rob you of your happiness, purpose, and wellbeing. 

What Others Have 

Then all the leaders of Israel met together, went to Samuel in Ramah, and said to him… 
“… appoint a king to rule over us, so that we will have a king, as other countries have.” - 1 Samuel 8:4-5 GNT


The Israelites were God’s chosen people and yet, they were comparing themselves to others and willing to relinquish God’s protection and provision to pursue what others had. That is what comparison does to us - it makes us envy other people and things at the expense of our own peace and happiness.

Even when God, through Samuel, warned them of everything they would lose by having a king they ignored him and responded by saying:

“No! We want a king, so that we will be like other nations…”  - 1 Samuel 8:19-20 GNT

Do not ask for another person’s blessings if you don’t want their burdens. Do not ask for another person’s relationship or marriage, family, job, success, or influence because you don’t know what they had to endure to obtain those things. You were made by God, and when He made you, He put within you everything you would need to survive the trials you would face, but when you covet and pursue what someone else has you are opening yourself up to an attack that you were not made to handle.

Under Valued

As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands. “Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David. - 1 Samuel 18:7-9 NIV


God chose Saul to be the King of Israel until his direct disobedience led him to fall out of favor with God. Following Saul’s defiance, God then anoints David king. Saul became upset and began to compare himself with David. He grew angry because David was being credited with killing tens of thousands and him, “only thousands.” 

Have you, like Saul, ever undervalued your own accomplishments with an “only?” Maybe you have said things like I am only a mother, I am only an assistant, I am only part-time, I only had 10 sales, or I only have a high school education. It says, [Saul] thought, meaning - comparison caused him to create a false narrative in his head that what he had accomplished was insignificant, and an “only” led him to grow spiteful, depressed, and fearful.

In the end, Saul commits suicide and that is ultimately the cost of comparison - the death of your future. Instead of comparing yourself to the image that others want you to see and creating a false narrative in your head - learn to be your authentic self and live the best life God has blessed you with to the fullest. 

0 Comments

Giving From the Bottom

8/1/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly. And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause. 
– 2 Corinthians 9:7-8 GNT

There are few things more important in life than giving. Those who are generous, have been found to live happier and healthier lives than those who are not. Also, generous individuals are more socially connected to their communities and inspire others to give. Giving is also biblical; God provided us with life and hope by giving us Jesus, who reminded us that, “it is better to give than receive” (Acts 20:35). Our problem is, we often conflate giving with money, but there are things (time, love, compassion, etc.) more valuable than money that you can give. 

One of the greatest givers I had the pleasure of knowing was my Uncle Anthony. He was not a man of great means, but that never stopped him from giving. He didn’t just give money, he gave his time, counsel, empathy, and kindness to others. When giving, he liked to say, “I know it’s not much, but it’s something.” If what you are giving comes from a place of love, then it does not matter how much it is. What you give is not as important as where you are giving it from.

The Widow’s Offering

As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had—she gave all she had to live on.” – Mark 12:41-44 GNT

God is more concerned with the quality, rather than the quantity of a thing. Jesus proves this by not being moved by what the rich men were giving but instead was moved by the widow’s offering. This widow gave from the bottom – she did not have much to give but it was something and it was done with the right motives. The others gave from their wealth, but she gave from her commitment and faith. 

Motives 

When giving, always do it with the right motives. Do not give money hoping to get it back. Do not help others just to make yourself look good. Do not give your time just because you have nothing else to do. Your kind words, deeds, and gestures should come from your heart not from your ego. 

Commitment and Faith 

Giving was not unfamiliar to this woman. The fact that she was at the temple to give proves her commitment because typically when we feel like we do not have much to give, we refrain from giving. Society honors those who selfishly hold onto what they have, but God honors those who selflessly gives from the treasures that He has placed within them. That is why He tells us that if we are giving gladly, from a place of commitment and faith that what we give will be given back to us in full - pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into our lap. The amount we give will determine the amount we get back (Luke 6:38). 

Therefore, give away what you want more of in your life. What you give should always be connected to a sacrifice. To give us life, Jesus had to sacrifice His life. So, if you want money, give money. If you want inspiration, inspire and uplift someone else. If you want love, give love. Learn to give not just what you have an abundance of, but what you want more of, and trust that God will provide for you and give you; in-return, everything you need. 

​
Picture
Dedicated to my Uncle Anthony Thompson 1952 - 2020
0 Comments

Free Indeed

6/20/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
"The Lord's Spirit has come to me, because he has chosen me to tell the good news to the poor. The Lord has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners, to give sight to the blind, to free everyone who suffers…” - Luke 4:18 CEV
 
As a believer, it is important to understand that freedom is more than deliverance from physical captivity or a repressive regime - it is liberty from destructive mindsets, negative words, and poor decisions. Christ’s proclamation to free the prisoners is not a promise to free you from imprisonment, (just ask John the Baptist) it is a promise to free you from yourself.  
 
Are you free or has the things of this world imprisoned you? Has the separation left you a prisoner to loneliness? Has the unemployment left you a prisoner to depression? Has the debt left you a prisoner to thievery? Has the death left you a prisoner to grief? Your prison may be emotional, mental, or physical but there is something holding you captive, something that is preventing you from reaching your full potential in Christ Jesus.
 
During times of trouble I called on the LORD. The LORD answered me [and] set me free [from all of them]. - Psalm 118:5 GWT
 
When Christ died, He guaranteed your freedom from shame, sin, desperation, depression, and anxiety. If you want to live free, you are going to have to declare your independence, fight for it, and constitute a new way of life.
 
Declaration
 
Freedom is what we have--Christ has set us free! Stand, then, as free people, and do not allow yourselves to become slaves again. - Galatians 5:1 GNT
 
There is a false quote attributed to Harriet Tubman in which she purportedly said, “I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves.” While the quote is inauthentic, its sentiments are true. You cannot be set free from that which enslaves you, if you do not first acknowledge that you are being held captive. You must first admit and recognize that you have a problem before you can address it and be set free from it.
 
Now, once the issue is recognized you must declare and believe that you are indeed free from it. That is easier said then done, because the enemy convicts us in our thinking. He is going to tell you that because of your shortcomings that God will never forgive or love you. He does this to hold your mind captive, to keep you from seeking and receiving God’s truth. Remember, a big lie withers in the face of a small truth. So, declare your freedom even if you do not feel free because with God, we believe first then we see.
 
Fight
 
And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God. - 1 John 5:5 NLT
 
The enemy is not going to let you go without a fight. He will make that in which you know is wrong feel right. You are going to have to fight back against urges to return to those things that once held you captive. You are going to have to fight back against the urge to lie, cheat and steal. You are going to have to fight back against anger, jealousy, and doubt. You are going to have to fight back against deception and manipulation. Do not let the length of your captivity discourage you from fighting against it. If you want to win the battle, you are going to have to show up to the fight.
 
Constitution
 
Then [the unclean spirit] says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. - Matthew 12:44-45 AMP
 
It is not enough to just declare and fight for your freedom - you are going to have to change your lifestyle and replace destructive behaviors with Christ centered ones, or you will find yourself back in bondage. You cannot say you are free from drugs, alcohol, or porn if you continue to consume it. You cannot say you are free from gossip if you continue to disparage others. You cannot say you are free from your negative thoughts if you continue to make decisions based off those thoughts. If you do not change the way you live, the unclean spirit you defeated will return to you and bring other spirits with him. It is not enough to declare your freedom, you must live like a free person, like a person who believes that those things that once had power over you no longer does.
 
Being free means you have been set free, and you are continuously being set free - meaning those things that once confined you no longer has power over you and the current attack of the enemy will not enslave you. So confidently declare your freedom, fight for, and preserve it.

0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    New blog posted every month.

    ​The views expressed in this blog are my own and does not represent the views of any organization.

    Personal photos are my own.

    ​I do not own the rights to additional images used and no copyright infringement is intended.

    Archives

    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    June 2018
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.