… believe them the first time.

“FINALLY, MY BRETHREN, BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT.” – EPHESIANS 6:10

It will save a lot of heartache if you accept the person for who they show instead of the one you hope for.

Sometimes, we don’t want to see people for who they are.  “Not everyone has the same heart as you”.  We see the potential in who they could be and choose to remain blind to who they are right now.

You can talk to them 1,000,000 times and the 1,000,001 time you clearly see the selfishness and arrogant heart.

“PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST THE WILES OF THE DEVIL.” – EPHESIANS 6:11

Don’t ever go back to what God delivered you from.

There’s someone who was in my life for 5 years.  I still see them every day, but I had to learn to walk away.  He is the subject behind this post When Love looks a lot like hate. Christians are the worst offenders… Part 1.

“FOR WE WRESTLE NOT AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD, BUT AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS WORLD, AGAINST SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES.” – EPHESIANS 6:12

It’s so important to be rooted in God’s word because that is our only defense against the schemes of the devil.  His Word is Truth and it’s so important to always be dressed in the Armor of God.  It’s SO IMPORTANT.

“WHEREFORE TAKE UNTO YOU THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE ALL, TO STAND.” – EPHESIANS 6:13

That devil is sly.  He knows your weaknesses and he knows your thoughts too.  Be sober and vigilant because he roams around like a lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5).  He tries to convince you one little second of compromise will be fine.  He knows how to wiggle himself into situations and if it were possible to deceive the elect.

But, we are a redeemed and chosen people.  We have been set free and are new creatures in Christ.

People will only treat you how they’re going to treat you.  They are going to show the amount of respect you let them believe you deserve.  If you respond to their manipulations that only makes them believe they can manipulate you.  Don’t play the game.  A person who wants to live in destruction… let them.  They don’t want the Light of the World so dust your feet off and walk away.

“STAND THEREFORE, HAVING YOUR LOINS GIRT ABOUT WITH TRUTH, AND HAVING ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS…” – EPHESIANS 6:14

Yesterday.

It was a text message.

One simple text message.  This has happened before a few months ago.

I was confused at first because I had deleted the number and wondered who would have asked me to let them know if I found something they lost.

“The number.”  I recognized it.

And then I started panicking.

Why would I panic?  The only upper hand they would have is if I responded.

I started racing through my mind… “Do I respond with rebuking Satan?” because that was my initial reaction.  Get away from me, Satan.  I know your games and this is it.  You’re messing with me.  But, you can only mess with me if I let you mess with me.  You’ll only go as far as I let you.  Your games can only start if I play them.  You’re trying to get a hold of my mind.  The only text I would respond to at all is if they said they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire and understand now.  Their eyes were opened and are following Jesus.  That’s the only text worth responding to.

They wouldn’t understand at all.

Do I not respond?  That seemed rude.  How do I respond, but not respond?

“AND YOUR FEET SHOD WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE…” – EPHESIANS 6:15

They don’t know I’m panicked.  God set me free from this.  I’m free from the games.  I’ve moved on.  They need to move on.  Why aren’t they moving on?  It’s a simple text message.  Am I over reacting?  Why am I over reacting?  They’re trying to get a feel for where I am and they want a response.  The battle is in the mind and God told me to drop it so I have to drop it.

“ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH, WHEREWITH YE SHALL BE ABLE TO QUENCH ALL THE FIERY DARTS OF THE WICKED.” – EPHESIANS 6:16

He brought to remembrance the very night before.  I have a new unexpected friend as mentioned here in “You attract what you are…“.  He is moving away, but stopped by to say goodbye, give a hug, and we exchanged phone numbers because ‘you better stay in touch with me’, and got a picture with him.  I’ve known him maybe collectively an hour.  He asked me how many bible verses I knew off the top of my head.

My mind forgot everything since I was born so I said I couldn’t think of one, but God always brings them to mind when needed.  That was that and we didn’t text for a few hours.  Psalm 34:4 (MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE) ran through my head and I was like DUH! so I texted him that one.  From there he responded with a novel long response filled with off the top of his head bible scriptures and I guess my mind settled and stopped overthinking and for about two hours we played text message bible ping pong.  That’s all we did was quote scripture back and forth and talk about Jesus.

It was SO FUN.

And the next day this guy I’ve talked to for 5 years… all he could come up with to ask to initiate conversation was ‘your hair is pretty’ and then texting me to contact him for something he lost.

“AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION, AND THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD…” – EPHESIANS 6:17

In text messages I’m a much better communicator.  For some reason I’m better at writing my thoughts than talking in person.  I take pause, I guess, and think before I ‘type’ and it’s just much easier for me to convey my thoughts.  I can write series of books and have full on conversations via text.  (Not everyone is the same.  Not everyone likes texting.  I’ll write novels and get no response which I don’t expect them to at all anyway… haha)

My response was a ‘Thumbs Up” emoji.

When God says to let something go.  Let it go.

Just because someone offers an invitation (or sends a vague text message) doesn’t mean you have to show up.

He has better things in store and sometimes it’s the simplest reminder of text message bible ping pong with a brand new friend.

“PRAYING ALWAYS WITH ALL PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION IN THE SPIRIT, AND WATCHING THEREUNTO WITH ALL PERSEVERANCE AND SUPPLICATION FOR ALL SAINTS; AND FOR ME, THAT UTTERANCE MAY BE GIVEN UNTO ME, THAT I MAY OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY, TO MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL, FOR WHICH I AM AN AMBASSADOR IN BONDS: THAT THEREIN I MAY SPEAK BOLDLY, AS I OUGHT TO SPEAK.” – EPHESIANS 6:18-20

“PEACE BE TO THE BRETHREN, AND LOVE WITH FAITH, FROM GOD THE FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  GRACE BE WITH ALL THEM THAT LOVE OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN SINCERITY. AMEN.” – 6:23-24

How will you find them? What if they’re looking for you?