I was thinking this morning while reading a article. Everyone has dark moments. You have heard that phrase, the dark night of the soul, it comes to us all. It is often a time when we don't know how to deal with all that is happening, it is unexpected, painful, confusing, and often brings a feeling of hopelessness. The solutions and answers seem far away, and I have heard people say God seems far away during those times.

 But the revelation is... Darkness is only dispelled by light. If God is far away, it is because we have pushed him there. We have not just laid down before him and said God I don't know how to handle this, but you do. I don't know how to fix this situation or even navigate through it. I don't know how to cope, I am in such deep pain. Please help me.

 He is the bringer of light.. the light of the world. Only He ALONE can dispel such darkness. Picture this, it is a dark night, and you are sitting on the beach watching the ocean waves, your heart full of despair and suddenly the sun comes over the horizon and each place it touches it sheds light. The ocean suddenly has a million sparkles resonating on the surface. All objects take on a new texture and definition. Our heart is warmed by that light as is our body. Light makes all the difference!

 If you are not feeling that light, if you are feeling weary, if your heart is broken, and solutions seem impossible. This is a God time. A time of total dependence, when we can only trust and wait. Trust, in peace. Clinging to, relying on, hoping in, finding strength in Him.

 Two ways to do this, through constant communication to Him, and through planting his word in our heart. His word is alive, and it infuses our spirit, lighting up the dark places in it, bringing understanding as if it was a brand new thought. Clarifying, strengthening, making us strong like a tree planted by the water, that nothing can shake or destroy.

 How do I know? I have been through these dark nights, and the only thing that ever carried me through them was God. Miraculous and marvelous answers unfolded as I found time with him. Precious is the comfort of our God. He is the Great I Am, I am all you will ever need.

The Violent Take It By Force

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in
God for pulling down strongholds.
2 Corinthians 10:3

According to websters dictionary a stronghold is
1 : a fortified place
2 a : a place of security or survival

A stronghold can also be a place we have allowed satan
to take hold of our thinking or life. This comes from a time
when we were weak, tempted, or caved in to thoughts,
desires, or temptations.

A strong hold upon our life. A place that
has taken root in our heart and spirit and become
a bondage within us.

We want to change that from a strong hold of satan the
loser upon our lives to a strong Hold of God upon our
spirit. A refuge, a place of comfort, away from the
enemy surrounded by God's angels, and fought by
mighty warfare.

So how do we change this?

1. Recognize the areas of your life that are not dedicated
to God. Perhaps you have become addicted to something,
or perhaps you are committing adultery. Perhaps you
have been thinking or doing things you know are not
right, but you continue. It can even be a way of
thinking, such as negativity, or gossip, or even
unforgiveness. All of these are negative, satanic strongholds.

2. Recognize that God is greater than any of these.
His might is not limited by our thinking. He is able to
pull down strongholds and defeat them forever.
Do not limit his ability by your thinking or unconfessed sin.
Recognize your need, confess it, and allow His
mighty spirit to overcome the strongholds within you.

3. Learn to fight back. We fight back several ways.
We learn to think differently -- righteously. We get into
the Word, and plant it in our heart, speak it to our problems.
We get into praise.. remembering God is worthy of praise
and inhabits the praises of His people. WE get into
fellowship, and learn to find encouragement and
wisdom from a Pastor and Teachers that God sends to us.
Speak the word, often, powerfully, it is alive and
will go forth and accomplish God's purpose. Nothing
can stop it!

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth.
It shall not return to Me void!
But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper
in the thing for which I send it.
Isaiah 55:11

I am reminded of that popular saying now..
when one doesn't want to hear what someone else is
saying. They hold up their hand and say "Talk to the hand".
Basically because they are emphasizing they won't listen.
(A common problem now)

But.. I thought about this, and thought this is what we should
be doing to satan the loser every time he comes in with
a negative thought, or temptation, or lust, we should hold
our hand up and say, NOOOOOOOOOO!

I am a child of the King of Kings. I am covered by the
blood of the Lamb. You have no place in my life.
Greater is He that is in me, than He that is in the world.
And the God of peace shall bruise satan under your feet
shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Romans 16:20

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
has exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into CAPTIVITY every thought to the
obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

We have power in the name of Jesus to overcome
the powers of darkness! Take charge and fight back.
We are His warriors. Never forget that. Never cave in.
And never let defeat be spoken to you. Take every
thought into captivity in the name of Jesus and by
the blood of the Lamb.

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying Lord, even
the devils are subject unto us through your name!
and Jesus said to them, I beheld satan as lightning fall from
heaven.
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and
scorpions, and over ALL the power of the enemy;
and NOTHING shall by any means hurt you.
Luke 10:17-19

Claim it, believe it, receive it, cling to it, live by it
and hold up that hand and tell satan the loser you have
power over his demons and domain by the blood of the Lamb
Put on the armor of God daily, and fight back my friends.
We will not lose.. we will win.. and God is still on the throne.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now,
the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it
by force.
Matthew 11:12

As the kingdom of heaven advances, we fight the conflicts
of the powers of darkness with violent spiritual warfare..
According to Jack Hayford: The upheaval caused by
the kingdom of God is not caused by political provocation
or armed advance. It is the result of God's order
shaking relationships, households, cities and nations by
the entry of the Holy Spirit's power working in people.

Hallelujah! Power in the blood of the Lamb!
Praise God saints, and fight back!

Ephesians 6:10-18
(read these daily, practice them with all your heart,
and God will prevail)!

Stop Being Weak - Our Hope is In God.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

So we can be sure when we say, "I will not be afraid,
because the Lord is my helper. People can't do anything
to me. Hebrews 13:6

The dictionary defines courage as:
The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.

When tough times come we have to toughen our approach to life.
We cannot throw our hands up in despair, run around
and scream hysterically oh what is happening to me. We have
to take every thought captive, and trust that God has our back.
God is in control. God's abilities are beyond our understanding.
God cares about the details of our lives. Nothing is impossible with
God.

This is not just religious speak, it is reality. God is greater than
all our sins, all our trials, all the world's chaos, all our defeats.
God is greater.

We can choose to walk in faith or fear. We can choose to walk
in hope or despair. The difference is found on our knees in
the presence of God where we boldly come to his throne
and leave our troubles there in exchange for his peace
and the recognition he will work it out and be with us every
step of the way.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. God will be with you through whatever
you are facing.

I will guide them along paths they have not known. I will
make the darkness become light for them, and the rough
ground smooth. Isaiah 42:16.

Choose to be strong in the Lord and the power of his might.
Stick out your chin like flint and say I will be a overcomer,
not a victim. I will rise above, and not lay beneath. I will
live like a child of the king of kings, who loves me
and gave himself for me. No weapon that is formed against
me shall prosper.

So do not lose the courage you had in the past, which has a
great reward! You must hold on, so you can do what
God wants and receive what He has promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36.

Remember
Only one life will soon be past
Only what is done for Christ will last

How to Disable a Christian

There are many things in this life to distract, but
distractions serve to do one thing, keep us from focusing
on what is good or right or what needs to be done.

Troubles, trials, people hurting us all serve as distractions
for our mind to keep us so entangled emotionally we are
unable to rise above it spiritually and intercede for each
other in prayer.

We are too busy being petty or feeling sorry for ourselves.

The best tool satan the loser has is to keep your
mind so occupied that you become weary and worn
and unable to function. It seems to be a easy thing
for him to do. He also uses being busy as a tool
to keep us from spending time with God.

He observes us, our daily habits and scopes in our weakness.
Our vulnerabilities are his playground. He knows our
buttons that will make us feel defeated, discouraged,
self loathing or unworthy. He wants us to feel like
a victim, one that cannot ever do anything right and
this will never get any better.

If satan can steal your joy, he can make life seem
like it is not worth living. That is a lie from the pits of hell.

God needs a army of dedicated, committed people
who get up and work in his name and for his glory,
and go out and pray for those around them, pray
till you feel the answer coming, don't give up, persist,
fight the good fight of faith. God wants faithfulness,
He wants you reading his word and living his word, and
making a difference in this world.

There has not been such a troubled time in this world
in a long time, and Christians often seem unable to unite
or work past their own issues to join together as a spiritual
force that dominates the spiritual realm with powerful
prayers and dedicated lives.

If you want to be a disabled christian, you will feel
misery, hopelessness, despair and focus on your problems
more than the answers God has for you. Disentangle yourself,
reach out to God, let it all go. Rise up and walk in the name
of Jesus and go forth in his name, with your brothers
and sisters in Christ and be a force to be reckoned with in this world.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

Ephesians 6:10-18

Remember Only one life, will soon be past, Only what is done for Christ will last.

How to Deal With Loneliness

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8

A few years ago, the Rev. Billy Graham in one of his sermons
said that loneliness was epidemic in America. Since that time,
I believe with all my heart this problem has gotten far worse.

What are the causes of such a transformation in society?

One of the main reasons is busy lives. People are overbooked,
from their career, activities with children, responsibilities
and family. They barely have time for necessities, much less
reaching out to others. This also means that they have
less tolerance for things that others are going through, they
just don't have the time or emotional resources to deal with it.
It is just too much for them.

Also past hurts in relationships and unresolved situations
can really hold people back from reaching out to others. It
binds them to the past and to those hurts, like a umbilical cord
of pain. They cannot let go, and therefore cannot move on
or enjoy new and healthy relationships, because the old
ones are haunting them. Forgiveness is the solution to this.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead
Philippians 3:13


One of the best solutions to loneliness is finding places
to go and things to do. Find activities that you enjoy and
get in groups that do those. There are many free
activity groups out there, and even self help groups
that can fill your time far more productively.

Get in a good church that teaches God's word, and has
a good outreach to people. Find things that they need help
with and volunteer. Very few people do this now. It is needful.
Take time to make relationships there, and even if people
are not as friendly as you would like, you be friendly, be
a example of outreach and compassion. Watch what
a transforming thing it is!

Find places that you know where there are needs and reach out
you will find it helps you forget your own trials for a while
and makes you feel so good inside, because you know
you are making a difference. Everyone has something
they can do today, but you have to make the effort.

For people like me who have physical issues and are homebound
it is a little more challenging. Like you, I have many ups and downs.
Days where I feel inspired and hopeful and days where things
get to me. But I have learned that I cannot meditate and
dwell on things that weigh me down. It is overwhelming. I find
things to do each day. I set goals for each day and get them done.
I also spend my time praying for others a lot. It is something
I know I can do to make a difference, and I have seen many
answers to prayer because of God's powerful mercy, grace
and love for us.

We can choose to meditate on our troubles and trials and
feed them breakfast, lunch and dinner by constantly entertaining them.
Or we can choose to realize we cannot solve them and dwell on
what we can get done, and what we do have, and entertain
good and hopeful and positive thoughts through reading
the word of God and cleaning our mind of all that is not
productive or good.

Being content is a very vital thing in this life. There is
always someone worse off, or going through more, or dealing with
much more than you can imagine. Don't let your own issues
hold you back from being a listener to those in need, and
taking time to pray for them. This is the essence of life, the
human bonding that brings us together and makes
life so much more worthwhile on a daily basis.

Look around you, see what you have and be grateful.
Take time to tell people you are thankful for them.
Take time to love someone each day.
Be content. Be inspired. Life is short, don't fritter
it away on discontentment and anger or sadness.
Change your mindset. There is still time left, it is a new day.

Even if no one else is there for you today. God is.
Savor it, talk to him, and tell him everything in your heart.
He will open new doors, bring solutions, and help you
find friends. But to make a friend, one must reach out
and be friendly. Above all, avoid pity parties, they are
no fun to go to, and they make you more lonely than ever.

One day at a time my friend. Hope springs eternal,
and God's mercies are new every morning. Make sure
each morning your mind is renewed and your heart
refreshed. Face the new day with new strength and hope.

Bottom line is, do you want to stay the same as you are now,
or change things and find more peace within, and contentment?

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Deuteronomy 31:8

The Refuge Part 2

copy right Millie Plastaras 3/23/2003


Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with
His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge.
His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall
not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies
by day. Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
Psalm 91:3-6

Ancient Jewish commentators believed that these verses
were descriptive of demonic attacks. The mention
of the word pestilence refers to attacks that come like a
plague. As we watch our world create such destructive
things as biological weapons that kill the human race,
our heart cries within us, is there safety anywhere?

God holds his arms out and says yes. Within the feathers
of my wings you can abide and find shelter, and I will protect
you from all these things. As your faith, so be it unto you.

God's word does not lie, nor pretend, nor just apply to some
people. The riches of it, the promises, the protection, the
blessings are for the children of God, who have repented
and received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Then
is the beginning of freedom, and all that God has to offer.

But we must not only read to find out what we have as
promises for our health, wealth, spiritual life, and future
we must also take it into our spirit and apply it. We must
receive it. The reason many people don't get blessed
is they never read it, they never receive it, and they never
allow it in their life!

They might become Christians just to avoid hell, or to make
sure they go to heaven, but they never truly make a
commitment that means I will study your word heavenly
Father, and I will grow in wisdom and strength and
knowledge through your anointing and power.

They are baby Christians, content to run their own lives
and only run to God in an emergency.

Of these the world cannot be secure. For these Christians
are not there for themselves, or with Christ, they most
assuredly cannot be there for you.

We are to make Christ our anchor. Our focus.
Our Father, the first person we consult. The person
we are obedient to. And reading His word, shows us
thousands of things we will never learn any other way.
It leads us into divine truth, that will serve us well all our
lives, and carry us through the days of darkness and
great sorrow, as well as the days of joy.

It will teach us a song of victory in a land of darkness.

So my friend if you want protection, if you want victory,
if you want to overcome depression, if you want to find
healing, you have to take God seriously, and seek Him first.
There is a way, that is right, and none other. It is to the throne
room of God, where Jesus sits, our Savior, an advocate
before the throne, defending us daily, and ministering to us,
even sending his angels forth to protect and guide us.

WE can avoid the plagues, we can avoid the pestilence,
we can fight against the powers of darkness, and we can
overcome them all through the blood of the lamb.

But first... you have to take God serious, and live it
breathe it, receive it.. and watch all the beauty of God's
love unfold in your life as you put him as the head of
your life.

Under his wings you will abide, and no weapon formed
against you shall harm you. You are a child of the King.
Blessed, beyond measure, with a refuge that is unbreakable,
and stands against any storm or loss you may face.

Let Jesus be Lord of your life.
Then no evil can prevail. We have His word on it.

remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done for Christ will last

The Refuge, Part 1

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High,
shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and My fortress,
My God, in Him I will trust.
Psalm 91:1-2

There is a secret place of peace. One our heart
longs for and seeks. In the still night hours when
everything seems magnified in its worry and despair
we find that there is a refuge that refreshes our soul.

Many of us wake during the early morning hours,
and we don't know why. Consider this, maybe God
wants you to talk to him at a time when the world
is still and he can speak to you and refresh you and
take you to a new place in Him.

A place that is higher than us. A hope,
a refuge for our very soul.

As we lift our hearts and eyes to the Lord above,
we see a refuge that is beyond our wildest hopes.
A complete secure place where no harm can
reach us.

It is in the shadow of the wings of God. Tucked in
with God, how blessed we are. Asleep, in His
arms. The cares of the world pushed away by
the nurturing care of a Abba Father, who loves
us and gave His only son for us.

A refuge, a abiding place for those who seek
Him, and allow His peace to wash over them till
they feel the cares of the day wash away from their
spirit with a cleansing and refreshing from the Holy
Spirit. The refreshing water, cleansing, renewing
us, till we feel released from our burdens, our
sins, new, clean, pure before God.

Have you ever felt this, or felt it lately?

Oh, if only we could tarry in prayer, till we feel a release.
Only if we could find a refuge away from the world,
where the noise and clatter of the world fades away
and the voices of angels sing in our ears.

To feel ourselves surrounded with the warmth of
the wings of God. Tucked in, comforted,
childlike in our trust, and finally, falling asleep
as we feel safe.

If we could only picture this in our mind every night,
how it would release us from the cares of the day!
If we only believed that God was working out
all the things in our life. If only we could have a
glimpse of how very much God loves us, we would
rejoice and sing and dance before the Lord.
We would see, we are truly loved, truly forgiven,
and nothing shall harm us.

If only we would let go, and Just take him at his word and trust him.

We are safe now. We can relax.
God is here, he is in control, and loves us more than anyone ever has.

Hold out your arms, Let Him take you into His wings,
and abide. Just abide in that peace.

All is well.

Remember
Only one life, will soon be past
Only what is done for Christ will last