Spiritual Warfare: Unknowingly Fighting for the Wrong Side

In my distress I cried to the LORD and He heard me.  –Psalm 120:1

Sometimes losing a battle can actually bring victory for our spirit because we are fighting for the wrong side.  I was recently involved in a spiritual battle and unknowingly I was fighting against God.  I was battling to understand His ways and I was battling for Him to react in certain ways that I thought He should react… But guess what? God did not respond in the ways that I thought He should.  This angered me and threw me into a battle of my own pride and self-will against God.  I became angry with God and told Him that if He was allowing things to happen this way then He must not even be there.  The problem is I was lying to myself.  My heart knows God in a personal way.  He has walked with me since I was a young boy.  I cannot deny His presence in my life.  But does that mean I know He is there in an intellectual way?  Not exactly.  I couldn’t prove God to you and this was my battle—I had set out to prove God to myself.  I was testing God and telling Him what I thought He should be doing.

The issue is I was going through these terrible uncontrollable mood swings.  I would get thrown into these deep depression spells that seemed to have no trigger.  They started months ago and had become increasingly more consistent to the point that it was happening multiple times a week, for a day or two at a time.  I almost considered going to see a psychologist.    Looking back at how uncontrollable this was I seriously think it may have been demonic influences and dark forces trying to steal my joy in Christ.  The problem I had with defeating this battle is instead of trusting in God’s word to get me through it, I turned it against Him and blamed Him, doubting His word.

At the point of writing this I have not had one of these depression spells in almost a month and I really believe I was cured and delivered by God.  How did it happen?  By giving up.  I gave up on the complex of having to intellectually understand how God works.  I gave up on trying to prove God’s existence to myself.   I was driving and heard a song on the radio that said “What do I stand for? Some nights I don’t know.”  I said to myself, “I don’t know and that’s ok.”  I was referring to knowing intellectually if God exists or not.  Suddenly a wave of peace and calming swept over me.  I felt a load of weight released from my shoulders.  It was the first time I felt the Holy Spirit in quite some time and it came from admitting my own intellectual doubt of God’s existence.

It’s ok to say “I don’t know.”  It’s ok to be honest with yourself and your doubts.  It’s ok to be you.  We believe by faith and not sight.  My heart is much further along in my faith than my intellect and God knows this.  I am finite and He is infinite.  I am not God and neither are you…  It’s ok. He understands this and loves you far more than you will ever understand.  Take a deep breath in and exhale slowly.  Whisper His name for He is near!  Hope lives and His name is Jesus!

I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word. -Psalm 119:147

The Double-Minded Man

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. –James 1:5-8

I have been on a search lately striving for a stronger faith, but the problem is faith cannot be forced.  We cannot wake up one day and say, “today I have strong faith.”  It’s not so much a choice I’ve found but a gift from God that usually comes as the outcome of my experiences.  Of course there are those that say to be weary of basing your faith all on experiences, but if we can’t experience God then what is the Bible about?  It is an entire book of experiences.  We believers long for these experiences—these little tastes of heaven.  Just a brush of God’s fingers across my back can rejuvenate me and fill me up to be ready to face to the world.

The problem is when I go through these spiritual dry spells, lacking experiences, the doubting and “big questions” start to take me over.  My brain flips on it’s God given, instinctual philosophical thinking.  I begin to analyze everything and postmodernism begins to eat at my faith.   “One’s perception of truth is all subjective” they say…   Well, by definition there can only be one truth to our existence and every person by nature has to have a worldview on the way they perceive life.  I suppose postmodernism is just being honest with ourselves, admitting that we can never be absolutely sure that our worldview is correct.    Whatever our worldview is—whether theism or atheism, creationism or evolution, Buddhist or nihilist—we all place a certain amount of faith into our perception of truth.

I have felt quite unstable lately.  I have become “the double-minded man.”  Christianity teaches honesty but when I am honest with myself about my doubts I have trouble conforming all my beliefs to Western Christianity.  I have prayed to God to help me through it.  I have cried out to hear back from Him but I have not been getting anything in reply.  I wish I could turn off my mind and just enjoy the simple things of life but I have become obsessed with the unseen.  Socrates said “the unexamined life is not worth living” but I’m not so sure I agree with him.  I think I would side more with whoever first said, “Ignorance is bliss.” When I was a child I didn’t think so philosophically and I just enjoyed things for what they were.   Perhaps that ‘s what Jesus meant when he said “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”  By striving to find meaning in life do we completely miss it?

God is Bigger Than That

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. –Matthew 5:5

I’ve realized that sometimes I pack God into a box, a little box that fits with my way of thinking and understanding.  The problem is God is bigger than that box and He’s bigger than the box you put Him in as well.  It’s a tiring pattern—trying to understand God and then continuously not understanding why things happen the way they do.  I say, “Wait God, this isn’t what the instructions on my box said.”  I read a blog about a man who walked away from the faith because of a bad church planting project…  We are such selfish creatures.  We expect our faith to be a “get out of jail free card” or “insurance against the world’s problems.”  We have a bad day and suddenly it’s God’s fault for not fixing whatever the issue was.  I’m throwing away my box because God is bigger than that—much bigger!  Although there are a lot of things I don’t understand about God, here are a few things I do:

God is more intelligent than I am

God is more loving than I am

God is more compassionate than I am

God is more caring than I am

God is more just than I am

God is more merciful than I am

God is more righteous than I am

God is bigger than I am

Digging Trenches (Finding Hope In Depression)

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”
-Psalm 29:11

Two weeks ago I started a new part time seasonal job with a termite and pest control company.  The bug season hit early this year and they needed extra help because of the amount of business that was coming in.  After the first day on the job I realized I was basically hired to be a trench digger.  To treat a house for termites a trench is dug around the perimeter, we fill the trench with a chemical and then fill the trench back up with dirt.   Now this is some hard work and the weather we’ve been having in GA does not make it any easier.  Before I get off track, my point of writing this is not to complain to you about how physically exhausting my job is, my point is to relate what the Lord taught me through the process.

First day on the job about 2 hours in the first scripture comes to mind:

 “In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground.”
-Genesis 3:19

The Holy Spirit couldn’t help but rub this one in as I sat there drenched in sweat…  I got a chuckle out of this and it gave me some joy to keep diggin.  Soon after the next scripture popped in my head:

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
-1 Thessalonians 5:18

“Ok, I can be thankful here” I said.  I really was thankful that the Lord had provided a new employment opportunity for me.  This job works perfect with my schedule and brings in some much needed extra money with just recently moving to GA a few months ago.   So I kept digging with a thankful attitude praising God for the work He had provided.

Day two on the job comes and we are on our second termite job of the day.  This is by far the hottest it’s been yet and the hardest house to trench.  I’m underneath a crawl space surrounded by cob webs and dust trying to trench around the foundation pillars.  On top of that the ground at this house is not soft at all.  The third scripture pops in my head:

“Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men.”
-Colossians 3:23

“Really Lord?  I’m digging trenches.  I’m supposed to have the attitude that I’m doing this for You?”  “Yes” He replies and so, I keep digging.

Now I thought about writing this post over a week ago and just leaving it at that, but I sensed—though these verses do give a good message together—that the Lord had not finished speaking.  So I waited…

I waited a week and in that next week rather than hearing the Lord I stopped hearing Him.  Rather than feeling His presence I started feeling alone.  Rather than hearing His voice I started hearing a different voice—the voice of one who says, “You are all alone.”  “You do not know what you’re doing.”  “You are lost and there is no hope because God does not exist.”  Oh my heart sank.  What was happening to me?  I was past this I thought.  How did I ever get so uncontrollably tossed back in to the pit?  The voice told me “You have dug your own trench and now you will lie in it in misery alone.”

I was around other believers but never asked for help.  That’s the scary thing about depression is that the loneliness makes you think that there is no help.  It makes you think that it’s your fault you are depressed and that no one can help.

Lies, lies, LIES!

I mustered up the last ounce of spiritual strength I had and cried out:

“AWAY FROM ME SATAN!  Come Lord and rescue me from the pit!  Help me Father please!”

I got enough strength to pull out my phone and pulled up my Bible app.  I was led to Psalm 29 which I read and the last passage was so simple but really stood out to me:

“The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”

Reading this scripture I cried out, “Lord I am not feeling your peace right now.  Please hear me and bless me with this peace your word promises!”

I didn’t feel better.  The voice came in again saying “these are lies, there is no peace” but I held on to the scripture and kept going back to it.  That evening I did find some strength.  It was not total healing strength but it was strength to talk.  I told my wife how I had been feeling.  Now my wife is no scholar with a doctorate of theology, she is a woman of simple faith which I admire so much.  I’m always caught up in my intellectual thoughts as if I’m actually going to come up with any answers to life’s big questions in my own finite brain.  She doesn’t over analyze things.  She believes because Jesus has touched her heart and that is it.  She told me the simple words, “We live by faith.”   Simple words, but powerful words! 

 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
-Romans 1:17

I was not completely out of the pit yet but I was feeling much better.  Just being open and honest with my feelings took a huge burden off my chest.  I wasn’t alone anymore.  And so I went to bed still confused but starting to look on the bright side of things.

The next morning (yesterday) I felt so much better—almost normal.  I then had strength to reach out for prayer and help from another woman of faith in my life—my mother.  Now my mom is what you might call a “prayer warrior.”  She would never boast in herself but I will boast about my mom.  She is a woman of God!  If there is anyone I know that is close to God’s heart it is my mother.  I am very grateful for her and she prayed for me on the phone with the Spirit of God providing the exact words I needed to hear.  I was encouraged again! Faith was rising and the peace that surpasses understanding was settling back in to my heart.  I wept and prayed and felt Psalm 29:11 coming to life. 

To top it off I go in to church this morning and our Pastor informs us we are going to do things a little different.  He tells us the Lord has put it on his heart to do a different service and that the family of our church needed to be strengthened in the Lord.  “Yes!” I thought, “God is so faithful!” The service was amazing.  Instead of two services we did one long continuous service intermixing prayer, scripture, people sharing testimony, teaching, and worship.  The presence of God was among us!  He strengthened His people today!  He blessed His people with peace!  Amen and thank you Lord Jesus for you are so good to us!  I love you Lord, I love you Veronica, I love you Mom, I love you Pastor Josh and Calvary Chapel Northwest.

The moral of the story: ask for help!  When you’re feeling down go to God’s word and ask for help from other believers.  Through the power of God light will always prevail over darkness!  To whomever the Lord is speaking to now know that Christ is with you and He loves you.  The Lord will give strength to His people.  The Lord will bless His people with peace!  Hallelujah!

“Where are you Lord?”

And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. –Deuteronomy 8:2-3

Have you been going through a time of struggle and hardship in your walk with God?  Has your faith been tested leaving you in trial and temptation so that you cry out, “Where are you Lord? I need you!”  If so, this is probably exactly where God wants you.  

Immediately after Jesus was baptized the Holy Spirit drove Him into the wilderness where He was tempted for forty days.  What’s significant about this is that Jesus had to go through this process before He could start His ministry.  This was not an easy time for Him.  He was tempted, hungry, humbled, and completely dependent on the word of God to overcome Satan.

Matthew 4:3-4 says:

Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

He quoted the words that Moses had said about God teaching the Israelites while in the wilderness to be dependent on Him.

If you are in a time of wilderness in your walk with God then rejoice in your trial because God is teaching you something.  He is preparing you so that you might be useful for a greater purpose.   So embrace this trial and run the race with endurance, looking unto Jesus!  Give God all the glory through this process because it’s not about you. Perhaps that’s what God is teaching you.  John the Baptist said it best, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Becoming Aware of His Presence

I don’t know how to put into words the presence of God. I don’t know how to explain it to someone. It’s something that one must find on their own, or in other words become aware of. I know other people who I assume have sensed what I have sensed. We find ourselves meeting and talking about the presence but neither can really explain it well. The best description I could give is an overwhelming sense of what is ultimately good and right to our entire existence. This presence is what my inner being longs for. When I am connected and in His presence I feel at home.

And a side note: We say “He” denoting masculinity but God is above any male. Think about it… God created male and female so He is not either. In Biblical times it would have been demeaning to call God a “she” because of the role woman played in society at the time. So we refer to God as “He” and often capitalize it to give utmost respect, but understand that God is above both sexes.

You see even with trying to explain that God is neither male nor female I am obviously trying to explain Him in human terms and ways that we can understand. The fact is that we cannot understand God. He is on a level of thinking and understanding that our brains cannot even fathom (see Isaiah 55:8-9). This is why I can’t explain His presence. I can’t give you a good explanation of God. I don’t understand God. I don’t understand life, but knowing God brings a lot more comfort and light to the mystery of our existence than walking without Him did. He brings light and peace that surpasses understanding (see Phil 4:6-7).

I have always sensed a presence even when I was young. In fact thinking back I can remember times of really feeling the presence of God but I was not aware of what I was sensing. I think we as humans have to grow and mature to become aware of His presence. We have to open our hearts, or the more correct way would be to ask God to open our hearts for us. I do not know why God has setup His whole “system” like this, but the way it has worked for me and others I know is that after we have asked God and taken a step of faith—even when we’re not sure if He is there—this is when we get new revelations of Him. By walking in faith God is rewarding by giving us new revelations of His love.

I believe everyone has sensed God. I believe we are born with the ability to but I think many are blind to it or are just not aware of what they have felt. If you don’t think you have ever felt His presence I would like to ask you to go outside on a clear night and stare up into the stars—that inner humbling sense you get of how small we are and how amazing and infinite the universe is, but knowing that we are alive and ok—this is one way of seeing God’s glory. God speaks to us through the heavens and what He has made (see Romans 1:20). The beauty of our majestic planet is all the proof we need of God. We are not an accident. Something as beautiful as life itself doesn’t just happen.

I have had a few deep spiritual experiences with God’s presence and the touch of His love. When this happens it is an overwhelming emotional experience for me. I do not understand what’s going on but I know that He is there. I can’t help but cry and I really mean cry. This is what His Spirit does with us—it opens up parts of our inner soul that we cannot reach ourselves. God is love and God is truth. I pray that you would become aware of His presence and seek Him for the rest of your days. We don’t have to understand God and we never will, but to reject Him because of our finite human reasoning is a sad and poor excuse (see 1 Corinthians 1:20-21). Give yourself to the Lord for He loves you beyond measure and has already given Himself to you.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world…” –Psalm 19:1-4

-I Want To Believe In God [dot com]

Are all Christians narrow minded?

There is a common argument or jab that the agnostics and atheists like to throw out towards Christians and that is the statement that Christians are narrow minded.  Before I talk about my view on this let me give you a couple definitions:

Narrow minded: Lacking tolerance, breadth of view, or sympathy; petty.

Open minded: Receptive to new and different ideas or the opinions of others.

So are Christians narrow minded?  My answer would be that yes some of them are, but there are many open minded believers as well.  Just like with non-Christians—some are open minded and some are not.  The same could be said for the argument that Christians are unintelligent.  I would say that yeah some are but some are very intelligent.  Again, just like non-Christians. 

Lacking tolerance, breadth of view or sympathy—sadly that does describe some Christians but it describes many atheists and agnostics as well.  When I go on to a youtube video about anything to do with the existence of God the comments are slammed with people that are not tolerant at all to the theist view.  It’s their way or the highway.  This is not open mindedness, but they are the ones constantly saying that Christians are so narrow minded. 

With me I have viewed myself as being an open minded and optimistic person.  I believe that it was my open mindedness that led me to go on a spiritual search.  Being open minded and optimistic gave me the idea that there could be more than what this world has to offer.  God forbid I go on the spiritual search and actually find something.  Then once I have found something I get thrown into the narrow minded category?  It doesn’t make sense to me.   

A truly open minded person in my opinion is a person who is honest enough with themselves to investigate each conflict of interest from both sides.  An open minded person tries to really get a feel for both sides of an argument before siding.  But… they still side eventually so does this make them narrow minded once they’ve sided?  Of course not!  Before becoming a believer of God I read science books and studied evolution.  I still like watching documentaries on the Big Bang theory and of different theories of our existence.  I have weighed out the evidence from both sides and in my honest opinion the evidence for the existence of God far outweighs the evidence against Him.  There are unanswered questions on both sides—the theist and atheist. But I do believe there are more unanswered questions on the disbelief in God side… and if we believe in God His word constantly reminds us that He sees the full picture and thinks on a level that we cannot even start to understand.  (Prov 3:5) (Isaiah 55:8-9) (Job 38) (1 Corinthians 3:18-19)

I guess what I’m trying to get at is that the whole narrow minded argument of an atheist or agnostic toward a Christian doesn’t work because by definition with their rejection of the Christian faith they are being just as narrow minded as the Christian would be in rejecting their views.  What it comes down to is we all have to share this world.  So lets try to be respectful of both views no matter what side you’re on.  I think one thing both sides can agree on is what Jesus said was the most important commandment of all—to love one another.

-I Want To Believe In God [dot com]

Reality is “what is” not “what if!”

Are you one of those types of people that while thinking you constantly put yourself in “what if” situations? For school I just took the Strengths Finder assessment test this week. This test asks a bunch of questions and from the answers it’s able to pin point your 5 greatest strengths or “themes” as they call it. With my results three of my themes were “learner”, “intellection” and “input.” Reading the descriptions of these themes they all have a lot to do with deep thinking so I was not surprised with these results. I’ve always been a deep thinker and have admitted before that at times this can seem more of a curse than a blessing. I think the key is learning to stay on the right train of thought and not allowing our minds to wonder into dark areas that stem depression or just negative thoughts in general. Our minds are so amazing we literally have to learn to tame them from trapping us into a mind state we don’t want to be in.

Ever since I was a young boy I have been an analytical thinker. My mom has told me stories of going shopping for a toy and not being able to make up my mind on which one I wanted. I would have to analyze every detail of each choice before finally making a decision. Often after coming home I would then get upset out of fear I had made the wrong choice. Do we do this with our faith? Do we choose what we believe or do our beliefs choose us?

On our road trip out to Georgia I obviously had a lot of time to think. I caught my mind pondering on the question: “What if I had been born into a predominantly Muslim country, would I have turned out to be a Muslim?” As I was thinking about this the Holy Spirit revealed something to me… I felt the presence of the Lord and He said, “Justin you’re not a Muslim. Stop focusing on the ‘what if’s’ and pay attention to ‘what is!'”

I quickly realized that all these “what if” questions are pointless, imaginary situations that only live in my head. This is not reality. Reality is the fact that I was not born into a Muslim family. Reality is that I am a Christian. Reality is “what is” not “what if!” We cannot waste our lives always pondering the “what if” questions. This would be living in make-believe land. I guess we do this to try and get a better understanding of the positions of others, but to be honest making up a situation in your head does not put you in someone else’s shoes. It’s still just a pretend situation that you’ve made up yourself, and if you have made this up yourself how can you possibly learn anything from it? I’m not saying it’s bad to try and see things from other people’s point of view but rather that we should stay focused on the reality that is our lives. Wondering where you’d be if you had made a different decision ten years ago or if you were born into a different family is really meaningless thinking. We need to focus on what we actually have going on in front of us and not hypothetical situations.

Reality is you’re here. Reality is we are alive. The miracle of our unexplainable existence is proof of something bigger. Reality is in my heart I know there is more to me than my flesh. There is something deep inside me, it’s my soul. My soul belongs to Him. What is, is God. God said to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM.” This is reality. Accept God or reject Him but good luck making any sense out of life without Him.

Without God I’m a crazy person left with my own self-righteous thoughts and digging my own grave. Without God my inner soul doesn’t exist. Without God there is no ultimate good to give us a moral law to stand by. Without God men might as well act like animals if that’s all we are. Without God I suppose the best thing in life would be pleasure of the flesh—which never brings fulfillment by the way. Without God I’m lost. Without God we will die and become nothing making our entire existence completely pointless, and with that questioning any reality at all. If we die and become nothing, then how is it possible that we are something? Without God life is meaningless and we’re all an accident. Do you see what I’m getting at here? Without God we don’t exist.

But… we do exist.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)

Free Your Mind and Welcome Peace!

“I want to believe in God” is the name of this website and blog. I chose this name because it’s a very popular phrase that people often think. I have thought this to myself before. I think a lot of people in their lives and their search for life’s answers often think to themselves, “It would be nice to believe in God.” A very popular Google typed phrase is: “I want to believe in God but I can’t.” Most people who say this will tell you that their rational thinking or their mind keeps them from believing. Today I would like to focus on the mind and encourage you to “free your mind!” Jesus said: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Sometimes very rarely at church I will come across a sermon that speaks so personally to me it’s as if God himself had come down and was behind the pulpit having a one on one conversation with me. When this happens the entire church is blocked out of my mind. It’s just myself and the pastor—or I should say the Holy Spirit’s voice—communicating. The last time this happened to me was when Jon Courson had come to our church as a guest speaker. Jon is one of those anointed speakers and he often goes off of no notes and will speak on a different matter even from 1st service to 2nd service. He told us this is what he was doing today and the Spirit had led him to talk to our specific group on the subject of unbelief. The thing I remember the most from that sermon is the quote: “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”

This is the quote of a man who says this to Jesus in Mark chapter 9 of the Bible. The man has a demon possessed son and he has come to Jesus and his disciples in hopes that they will cast the demon out. First the disciples tried to cast out the evil spirit and they could not. After having no success with the disciples the man desperately turns to Jesus and says: “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:22-24)

Immediately after Jesus casts the spirit out and the boy is healed. I think we could all agree that the point the father was making by his statement is that he wants more faith and he was asking Jesus for help.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29)

From this story we realize the power of prayer and we see that Jesus can help us but you have to first ask for help. If you are like this father today and feel that you need help to overcome your unbelief and you need a stronger, truer faith then please ask Jesus for help. He is right there just waiting for you to do so.

I think the statement “Lord I believe, help my unbelief” is very similar to saying “I want to believe in God but I can’t.” The difference is one is looking at the situation with the glass half full and asking Jesus for help, while the other statement is looking with the glass half empty and giving up. By saying you want to believe in God I would go a step further and say that a part of you already does. There’s an old song by the Christian artist Carman that says: “your desire is the confirmation the destination’s there.” Your desire to believe in God and your desire to have faith means that in your heart you already do. It is your mind that has not yet accepted it. You must free your mind from the lies the enemy has instilled in you.

“He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

Here Jesus is talking about our biggest enemy—Satan. Evil does exist in this world and it is lead by Satan. He is a murderer and a liar and stands for nothing good. He wants nothing more than for you to suffer and to corrupt your mind into thinking it is impossible for God to exist. He is a deceiver and does not want you to know that he exists himself. The first question to ever appear in the Bible is when Satan disguised as a serpent asked Eve “has God said?” He has been influencing humans to question God from the very beginning. He will gladly rob you of your happiness and leave you with an unfulfilled life of misery that appears to have no purpose.

“But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)

There is meaning to life and you can have peace, joy and hope. You can have eternal life! God does exist and He loves you!

DO NOT LET YOURSELF BE ROBBED OF THIS!!

“Letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Phil 4:8)

Do not listen to Satan’s lies anymore. How can anyone see the stars or a beautiful sunset and say “there’s no God, that beautiful sunset is just a bunch of gases in the sky”? Knowing the science behind something does not explain its beauty and its creation—God does.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20)

If you want to believe in God then take a step of faith and say “Lord I believe, help my unbelief!” Cry this out to Jesus in prayer and believe that He will help you. Look at it with the glass half full today and with an expectance of God to fill up the rest because He will and it is His will to do so.

Jesus said: “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but He sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me!” (John 8:42-42)

Free your mind today and welcome in peace. Listen to the advocate and not the adversary. Listen to Jesus and not Satan. Listen to God because He is there and waiting to listen to you.

“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.” (John 8:36)

-I Want To Believe In God [dot com]