The King Has One More Move

The painting hung in an obscure corner of the old museum. Most people passed it by with just a glance and then moved on to better-known works or to something more esthetic, like landscapes or portraits. 

The unusual painting depicts two people with a chess board set up between them. Playing pieces were lined up:  The king, queen, pawn, bishops,  knights, and rook. Legend has it that one person represents the devil and the other a young man, who is obviously not doing well in the game. With a smirk on his face, the devil believes he has the man cornered.  The painting is entitled “Checkmate” because the young man seemingly has no moves left. The game is over, and the devil is waiting for an admission of defeat.

One day, an international chess champion visited the art museum, stood in front of the painting, and studied it thoughtfully for a long time. Finally, he called the museum curator over and said to him, “Sir, you need to contact the artist of this painting immediately!”

“Why?  Whatever for?” questioned the curator. 

“Because the title of the painting is incorrect. It isn’t checkmate, because the king has one more move!”

Are you facing what seems to be a checkmate in life? If so, then this book did not find its way into your hands by accident. God wants you to know that things are not as dark as they seem. It isn’t over. You are not defeated, because the King has one more move!

Life is filled with what appears to be checkmate situations. At least, that is what Satan wants you to think!

-You may have been told that you have an incurable illness. Doctors have said that there is no hope and no medical recourse. Your days are numbered. 

-You may be holding legal papers in your hands that spell out the terms of your divorce. As you read through the tears, you  are feeling that life as you knew it is over.

-Your heart may be broken by a wayward son or daughter or an unsaved spouse or parent. Their eyes are blinded to the truth of the Gospel and they are drifting farther and farther away from you.

-You may be suffering financial ruin. Through calamity, your security and standard of living have been suddenly swept away.

-You may be reading this in prison. Perhaps you are serving life without parole or you are on death row. You are wondering if there is any purpose remaining for your life, any hope of a meaningful future.

-Perhaps you can’t seem to get free from the abuse you have suffered. You have wrestled for years with rejection, bitterness, or unforgiveness. Perhaps you are struggling with guilt and shame over things you did in the past.

-If you have recently lost a loved one through death, you are facing the ultimate checkmate. Right now, you may feel like life isn’t worth living.

These are all examples of checkmate situations, difficult circumstances which erect a seemingly impenetrable barrier. These are the stop signs of life. 

If you are like most people, you will not experience a checkmate just once in your lifetime. You will repeatedly come up against situations where it seems like all is lost and the enemy has won.

That is when you must remember that it isn’t over yet.  You must visualize the classic painting called "Checkmate" and realize that the King has one more move.  In fact, the entire Word of God is a record of moves by our King. God always has on more move!

Proverbs 3:5-10 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."

 

He Is Good!

How you perceive God has a tremendous impact on your finances.  It will affect how you view material blessings, how you give to God and others, and how you perceive the rich and the poor. You must decide the answer to this question personally:  How do you perceive God in terms of His generosity?

The Bible reveals that God is an extravagant giver. Everything we know about Him reflects a lavish, divine generosity. Examples of His giving surround us in creation, redemption, in the gifts of our family and friends, our personal abilities, and our world. 

Jesus said in Matthew 7:11, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" Jesus reminded people that God was their Father and, like all fathers, He loves to bless His children with gifts. Then Jesus pointed out that, unlike human fathers, God will not promise and then fail to deliver. God’s generosity to His children is far greater than that of your natural parents or even yourself as a parent.

The Bible describes God in two major areas which illustrate His amazing generosity. It identifies Him as Creator and as Redeemer. God is the One Who gives both material life and  spiritual life. 

These titles reveal the essence of God, and throughout the Bible He is worshiped in both of these roles. In Revelation 4:11, the elders sang, "Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." 

In Revelation 5:9, they sang, "Thou are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nations ..." 

The Bible repeatedly celebrates God’s twin gifts of creation and redemption, which are His material and spiritual giving:  

1 Corinthians1:12-20 "Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the  inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and  hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: In whom we have redemption  through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the  firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and  that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or  principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before  all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who  is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the  preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having  made peace through  the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

Verse 16 praises God because "by him all things were created" and verse 20 for " having made peace through the blood of his cross."  These are His  twin gifts of creation and redemption.

Deuteronomy 7:12, 13 "Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do  them,  that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware  unto thy fathers:  And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also  bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine  oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware  unto  thy fathers to give thee."  

Does this sound like a God who wants His people to live in poverty?  No!  It is God’s plan for you to have sufficiency in every area of your life, and that includes your finances.   Sufficiency doesn't necessary mean wealth--although God blesses some people in this way.  But it does mean that your personal and ministry needs will be met.

 

One Last Thought On Rejection

Internal rejection is basically emotional abuse in it's most simple form. It wounds your spirit, sometimes slightly, and at other times those wounds can be deep and very painful. Remember, those wounds must be healed.

The one thing that you absolutely cannot overlook is correcting your identity. You need to start seeing yourself for who you are in Christ, and the person that God has really formed within you. Your identity must come from Him and what His Word says about you. Printing out lists of Bible verses which speak of who you are in Christ are incredible tools to help renew your mind and tear down these strongholds. In the healing process of rejection, many times strongholds need to be torn down.

The Holy Spirit has shown us that whenever we feel the hurt and pain from rejection, it's because our identity depends upon what that person thinks of us. If our identity didn't depend on what others think of us, we would be virtually immune from the damage of rejection. That is why our identity must be based upon the Word of God, and what God has to say about us. That is the unshakable rock to which we need to build our house upon.

The wounds of rejection can open a person up to spirits such as abandonment, rejection, and worthlessness. Those who have ongoing struggles with rejection should seek the power of God to have those spirits removed.  Rejection is an open door to a wide variety of bondages. Lack of love as a child, for example, can cause that child to turn to pornography and lust to fulfill their need to be loved, and now we have unloving spirits, lust, and pornography to deal with. As with abuse, it's not so much the rejection that opens us up to unclean spirits, but rather our reaction to the rejection. As I said, true rejection is just an emotional form of abuse.

How is your heart towards those who have rejected you? Do you love them as God has commanded you? Forgiving people who have rejected us is a vital step in the process of overcoming rejection. If we want God's help in this healing process, then forgiveness is not an option. Sometimes we even have to forgive God in cases of perceived rejection towards our lives. Many struggle with unforgiveness against God because they think He is just too hard to please, as a result of a religious bondage. Religion, as with so many other things, can also tie in with rejection bondages.

Church is wonderful and necessary for us as believers, but my identity is found in Christ and not my denomination. Don't get so caught up in a building, piece of property, or creed that you forget who healed and transformed you. Let your wounds heal through the power of the blood of Jesus. Know beyond a shadow of a doubt, He will never reject you!

Overcoming Sexual Sins

Sexual sins have a stranglehold on people. Why are they so powerful to grip and hold a person in guilt and shame? It seems they are among the all-time, best-selling weapons that Satan uses against countless individuals around the world today.

Guilt and shame are known to tear a person to pieces spiritually. They make you feel guilty, separated from God, they rob you of your faith and rips you to pieces. They break God's children down piece by piece, robbing them of their joy, peace, confidence and pure conscience. They are also valuable tools that demonic spirits use against a person in the forms of mental torment and harassment.

Furthermore, it seems that those caught in this trap find it hard to open up and talk about their struggle or failure with others. Almost everybody finds it hard to even admit that they are struggling in the area of sexuality, even when it seems almost everybody else struggles with it.

The key question is, why are sex-related sins so embarrassing? This intense embarrassment is not a fleshly nature, but rather the workings of unclean spirits. "Who told you that you were naked?" God asked Adam and Eve, thus giving us a clear indication that Satan or one of his unclean spirits were telling Adam and Eve that they were naked, and thus should be ashamed of themselves! Shame did not enter the world until this moment.

Genesis 3:11, "And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked?"

They were so ashamed, that they not only covered themselves, but also hid in the garden from God!

Genesis 3:10, "And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."

Notice how shame brought a dreaded fear of God! Before that moment, there was no fear of God, at least not the type of fear where a person is scared and wants to distance themselves from God! This is exactly what happens when people are fearful of having committed in their hearts an unpardonable sin-they become afraid of God and feel that He is out to punish them.

Adam was ashamed of his body, and didn't want his own creator to see him naked. It shouldn't surprise us when we see how the enemy tries today to make our sexuality shameful in the same way. Obviously, God has made sex beautiful, but Satan wants us to be ashamed of it, and when we partake in sexual sin, it becomes an open door for a heavy burden caused by guilt and shame to move in on us. The devil then uses this to his advantage to bring much bondage and torment to those who have fallen into his trap.

So why does the devil work so hard to keep a person locked up in their failure or struggle? He does not want them to open up and uncover the darkness in their soul in which guilt and shame have their strongest grip. God's Word is clear that confessing our faults to one another can bring about and promote healing in one's life:

James 5:16, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed..."

From experience, many will testify to a powerful healing concept of simply admitting to another believer what your faults have been. It seems to lift a heavy load when a person brings something that's kept them bound for years, out into the open. There's a tremendous release that many feel when they simply confess their struggle or failure to another.

So why are sexual sins so embarrassing? The unclean spirits who are taking advantage of the person through guilt and shame do not want them to open up about their failure, and expose the darkness by which guilt and shame are able to do their work.

Guilt and shame have their strongest grip when kept in the darkness of a person's soul, and when a person brings something out into the light, it brings light into the situation and things such as guilt and shame tend to lose their grip on that person. That is why the enemy works so diligently to keep a person from opening up about their sexual failures and struggles.

Embarrassment is simply a tool used by the devil who to keep a person from opening up and seeking freedom from their struggle or past failure. Don't fool yourself, just as the enemy can work to tempt us, he can also work to keep us from admitting our faults by making us feel embarrassed over what we've done. It's merely Satan's weapon of choice to keep our souls in darkness.

Let me ask you this, if you saw the same struggle that you're facing, in another brother or sister in Christ, would you make a big deal about it? Providing of course, that they have either turned from it, or are trying very hard to turn from it? Would you beat them up as much as you beat up on yourself? My guess is that you would probably think nothing of it.

Behind many sexual related struggles and failures, lies unclean spirits. They often enter through sexual defilement, and it is not uncommon to find them behind many sexual struggles. However, before these unclean spirits can be cast out, it is important to confess such failures and struggles to the Lord. Even if you have repented of those sins, there may be spirits lingering that must still be driven out. True repentance cleans up your heart and mind and keeps those spirits from returning to your vessel. You can overcome these types of failures in Jesus Name!

You Shall Know (part 4)

The old saying, "We're just forgiven sinners saved by grace" is so devastating because it actually denies the work that God has done in us. We are not forgiven sinners-God's Word tells us that we are new creatures in Christ, old things having passed away and all things have became new:

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior and believed upon Him, you became a new creation in Christ. God's Word tells us that this new man is created in righteousness and true holiness:

Ephesians 4:24, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."

We aren't just born again, but we have also become sons (and daughters) of God:

John 1:12-13, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

So what happened to the old-you? The old you was crucified with Christ. God didn't repair the old-you, He created a new-you in Christ, which is what the Bible refers to when talking about being born again:

John 3:5-7, "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."

Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

You Shall Know (Part 2)

You were purchased at a steep price!
The wages of your sin is death (see Romans 6:23), but Jesus paid that price for you. God's Word tells us that we were purchased by the precious Blood of the Lamb:

1 Corinthians 6:20, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Revelations 5:9, "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed (meaning purchased) us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;"

Why did Jesus purchase us with His own blood? Because of His deep love for us, and He deeply desires to have a loving relationship with you and I.

Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

-We are justified and declared innocent
If you have repented of your sins and accepted the gift of God, referring to the forgiveness of sins through the precious shed Blood of Christ, then God's Word tells us that we are justified:

Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."

The word justified in the above passage is derived from the Greek word dikaioo, which means, "to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: - free, justify (-ier), be righteous." If a person is justified, it means they are made innocent or made just as if they have never sinned!

-We are entitled to a clean conscience
Since our sins have been put away and removed from us, and we are justified, that is, made right with God, you and I are entitled to a clean and un-defiled conscience!

Hebrews 9:14, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

My friend, if you are still beating yourself up over your past failures which have been nailed to the cross, you are denying the work that Christ has done for you! A clean conscience before the Lord agrees with what Christ has done in removing their sin and declaring them as justified or innocent before the Lord.

What Does God's Word Say About Me?

-I was hand-crafted by the creator of the universe!

Psalm 139:14, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."

-My heavenly Father deeply cares about me!

Isaiah 49:15-16, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me."

-My heavenly Father rejoices over me with great joy!

Zephaniah 3:17, "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

-There is no condemnation awaiting me!

Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus..."

-My sins are cast into the depths of the sea!

Micah 7:19, "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."

-I am no longer the person I used to be!

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

-I am considered a son of God!

1 John 3:1, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God..."

-I am no longer a child of the darkness, but of the light!

Ephesians 5:8, "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:"

-I am loved for who I am, not because of what I've done

Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."