Hello loves, I hope you're all resting in the exhilarating peace of God today. Remember Christ's promise to the church in John 14:27, "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." Therefore, REST totally in His assured peace for YOU.
Moving on, my church (I included) just ended a powerful 21-day fasting and prayer this past Sunday and I believe the message ministered was an on-time WORD. Though the combination of fasting and prayer is key to living victoriously in Christ on this earth, the work does not stop after this (Mark 9:28-29). It is what we do following this spiritual exercise that will determine the end result of our Christian faith, but more specifically, the destination of our souls. Also, do keep in mind that fasting and prayer should be the lifestyle of every growing Christian, as it stands as a guaranteed way to connect deeper with Divinity (God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit)! Now let's get into the WORD!
Soul Thieves by Pastor Tony Essien (Royalhouse Chapel Greensboro Mission)
Foundational Text: Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"
Mark 8 verse 36 is a fairly popular scripture, as many use it as a guide to self-examination. Some questions that might come to mind from this particular verse may be: Am I focusing enough on God? Am I too busy chasing after worldly things to care about what God's predestined will is for my life on this earth? If you're not already thinking this way, then you should. These lingering questions are good because as believers of Jesus Christ, we must examine our walk in Him daily. The word of God also states in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." I believe the underlying message here again is self-examination, as it serves as a point of reference to ALL believers, that we may remain positioned in the kingdom above.
Now let's address a few more lingering questions:
1. What is our soul? Is it the same as our spirit?
Scriptures: Hebrews 4:12 --> "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."
1 Thessalonians 5:23 --> "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
In relation to the scriptures above, we are first a spirit, living in a body, possessing a soul. God, who is Spirit according to John 4:24, created us in His image and gave to man this identity FIRST. "The word SOUL is translated from the Hebrew word nepesh, a "breathing" creature. The soul is what makes the human body alive"(site source), so without the soul we are dead. That's why when a person passes away, their spirit returns back to God (because it was His to begin with), but then their soul is brought before Him in judgment. We can also see that the soul and spirit are two different entities because the spirit is what allows us to have divine communion with Our Lord through prayer and worship. Now let's learn of the ways the enemy comes to steal our soul and why.
Our soul is connected to our five senses, so these include, sight, touch, smell, hearing and taste; also our emotions and desires. We worship God through our spirit but express it through our soul, and that's why we often times cry and/or laugh during worship. In order to fully utilize the spirit in worship we must honor the words of Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1 which says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship." Also in order to worship God deeply, our spirit, soul and body must be in agreement. This is where putting our fleshly desires in check becomes crucial.
Question: How does the enemy steal our soul?
My Pastor said something important which is, "when we become born again, our soul is not yet born again." Indeed, once you confess with your lips "Jesus is Lord" according to Romans 10:9 and believe it in your heart, you are saved, but there's still work that needs to be done. See, that spirit of fornication, spirit of lying, stealing, vulgar words, lust and more still need to be dealt with. This is why our walk with Christ is not a one-way streak. It's not "once saved always saved" entirely because the bible urges us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12). I remember when I first received Christ as my Lord and personal Savior, I still had (and still do) certain emotions, thoughts and behaviors that needed to be dealt with through prayer, fasting and growing in the WORD. The devil knows this and that's why he attacks our soul. He simply deceives us by bringing to the forefront the things we struggle with the most. Maybe before receiving the gift of salvation, the opposite sex was a weak area for you and at times, although saved, you still can't help but desire (soul) to be touched at your weakest moments. The devil will come after exactly that to draw you into sin, thus, stealing your soul. However, even if we do fall, provision has been made for us through the BLOOD of Jesus. Therefore, persist by leaning on the Spirit of God until you are perfected in that area. Don't give up my dear, keep fighting!
Three ways the devil attempts to steal our soul
A. Sight
Matthew 6:22, "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light."
The enemy tempts and leads us into sin by the things we set our eyes on daily. He works through television shows, social media, movies, magazines, people and pretty much everything we set our eyes on. Now I ask you this, what are you feasting your eyes on? Is it the word of God, godly movies and television shows or reality television, sex, pornography or playboy magazines? One thing the Holy Spirit led me to do quite recently was to "declutter" my social media by deleting toxic pages and people. Am I claiming to be better than anyone? No. However, I know I still need a whole lot of work and my flesh can easily be triggered by what I see. The languages, clothing and atmosphere people create on their social media can and WILL have an effect on you. I don't care how "strong" you think you are, you must guard your soul with all intent, because there's an adversary waiting to destroy the very thing you are not willing to guard (1 Peter 5:8).
Scriptural note: Genesis 3 - The minute Eve gave the devil her attention, he led her straight into disobedience. That's why I say this to you, do not give the devil even a second of your mind, soul or body. The moment those thoughts of lust, sex, envy, jealousy, bitterness begin to rush in speak the WORD of God against them, because the second we allow them to linger, we give the devil room to lead us deeper into sin.
B. Emotions
Genesis 6:5-6, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart."
What is the posture of your heart? Are you led by your emotions always? Do you break down in every situation? Maybe you easily lash out on friends and family? Well according to Romans 8:6, we as children of God must be led by His Spirit and not our flesh in order to walk in abundant life and peace. I'll share that this is definitely a weak area for me because I am an emotional being; maybe a little more than others at times. I can be overly sensitive, judgmental, too often "hurt" and I blame no one else but my environment because I'm a product of it. However, after reading Galatians 5: 19-21, I have decided to allow the Holy Spirit to lead me, rather than my flesh. Another thing is, the devil works on our emotions to hinder us in worship. If you're too busy allowing the spirit of jealousy to rule in your heart, you simply can't position yourself to do what God has called you to do. Another question, do you find yourself stirring up negative emotions in others? Maybe you post certain things on social media to get a rise out of your friends and family? If so, then please check your intentions because you could easily be walking in the will of our enemy, the devil.
C. Mind
Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."
"Whoever controls my mind, controls me too". Wow, just wow! When we give room for the enemy to control our thoughts, perception of ourselves and personal image, he quickly controls every other aspect of our lives. This means who and what we listen to is important, therefore TEST every spirit (1 John 4:1). Are you allowing yourself to get to know the voice of God so as to be led by Him or are you too busy indulging in secular music? Remember that it all begins in the mind, so protect and feed into it only what will birth good things.
Conclusion
I believe my take-home message from this sermon is to allow the Spirit of God to purify me into my TRUE identity in Christ. I know I have been given a purpose and an assignment on this earth to accomplish (Jeremiah 1:5). I also know that someday I will stand before God in judgment, therefore my obedience to my calling on this earth is vital in determining the destination of my soul. I can and will not allow the spirit of anger, jealousy, rage, bitterness, gossiping and others to hinder my perfect ending in Christ. This word I leave with you that you too may be purified by the Spirit of God. Let go of any pain, anxiety, depression and doubt lingering in your heart, that your TRUE identity in Christ may find room to birth forth. You are worth it. Christ is more than worth it also.
Alright loves, I pray you were blessed by this message just as much as I was. Remember you have been BOUGHT back with the precious blood of Jesus Christ not to be held again in captivity and bondage. You are FREE to live victoriously in Christ, but this can only manifest when we begin to set ourselves apart from the world. WE are a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a chosen people, WE are not like this world but like CHRIST.
Sermon by: Pastor Tony Essien (RoyalHouse Chapel Greensboro Mission)
Love,
Elsie Abena Addo