Monthly Archives: October 2009

reflection..

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Hey everyone. I hope you are enjoying the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series. My team and I have worked hard on it and we appreciate every life that takes the time to read what God speaks through us.

I have one thing to ask. If any of you readers, followers out there have learned something from this series and/or have a testimony to share about, questions, comments, please send it to us.

We would love to read it and post it here on Know God  Know Love.

Don’t be afraid to step out in faith and remember, there is no fear in God.

knowGodknowlove808@gmail.com

fasting..

fasting

Part IX of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

By team KGKL Arnel Data

Prayer and Fasting: Preparing for Spiritual Battle.

What is fasting?  One definition simply states it as abstaining from food. The origin of the word states that it is “firmly fixed, steadfast”.  So fasting simply means to not eat and avoid food right?  If you answered YES, you are correct.  Even the word “breakfast” implies that fasting was done.  That is why every meal in the morning is called breakfast. It means to breakfasting.  So how does not eating prepare you for a spiritual battle?  It doesn’t. Not eating by itself is starving. This is why it is called prayer and fasting.  People tend to forget about the prayer aspect when it comes to fasting.

Prayer and fasting is a very powerful tool when it comes to going into spiritual battle.  It is a conditioning process.  One deprives the flesh in order to gain more spiritual food from God.  The only way we can feed off from God is to pray and be in our word.  The greatest example of a person who fasted was Jesus Christ.

Luke 4:1-4

“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”

Why did Jesus fast?  He did it to prepare for His journey.  After the 40 days and 40 nights out in the desert, Jesus went on into His ministry and ultimately took up His mission to defeat death at the cross. It still amazes me how powerful prayer and fasting is.

Fasting is not for everyone, if you have health problems please consult a Doctor before fasting.  The worst thing you can do while fasting is not praying. It is also not something to boast about, if you are fasting let a couple people know.  Don’t tell the whole world and watch how you carry yourself.

Matthew 6:16-18

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

When do I stop fasting?

It all depends on you.  Some have a set amount of days that they fast, others just fast for a day, there are even others that have done the 40/40.  Fasting is a way to hear God voice more audibly.  It may not even be an audible voice; it can come from visions, revelations, word, etc.  There are two things to take away from fasting. The first is God’s strength and second is direction.  I believe that if we observe fasting along with prayer, great things can be done.  While fasting, lift up your prayers to God, ask for direction, strength, answer or miracle and give it all to Him. God Lives..

belt of truth..

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Part VIII of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

By team KGKL Jayson Reynon

Ephesians 6:14 Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist….

What’s the first thing you think of when you think about the pieces of armor on a knight?  Most likely a sword and shield. All knights must have full body armor: a helmet, a metal breastplate, and shoes.  In Ephesians 6:10-18, the bible also talks about armor that God wants us to put on.  Ironically enough, the bible lists the exact same pieces of armor, with the exception of one difference: God’s armor has a belt. Not just any belt, but a belt of truth.

Now you have to be thinking to yourself, “Why the heck would a belt be so important for a warrior?”  A belt obviously can’t hurt the enemy, nor can it defend against the enemy’s attacks.  The belt seems like such an insignificant and small piece of the armor.  So why would God’s armor require a belt?

Let’s imagine what you would look like if you walked around with a belt.  Almost every pair of pants that you buy requires you to wear a belt.  If you forget to wear your belt, what’s going to happen?  Well clearly, your pants are going to fall down and everyone is going to see your undergarments and you’re going to be waddling around as you walk with your pants at your ankles, looking just absolutely ridiculous.

But now imagine marching off to a battle and forgetting to wear your belt.  Your pants fall down, you have no place to hold your weapons, and you’ll be so useless in battle because you’re going to be too busy trying to hold up your pants with one hand that you’ll only be able to hold your sword OR your shield with the other hand, not both.  Now try to imagine yourself trying to fight off Satan with one hand while using your other hand to hold your pants up.  That’s one battle you’re doomed to lose.

More importantly  is that we’re told to put on “the belt of TRUTH.”  It’s not just any regular old belt, but a belt of TRUTH.  One of Satan’s favorite and most common tactics to steer you away from your purpose and destiny is to feed you lies.  He likes to tell you things like “you’re not good enough,” “you suck,” or “you’re a waste of space.”

A common scene in a lot of sword-fighting movies is when the hero cuts off the belt of the bad guy and his pants fall down, revealing his underwear.  And most times, the hero never explicitly kills the enemy.  He just leaves him helpless and embarrassed, tied-up, self-defeated, and ineffective.  That’s exactly what Satan does when he feeds us these lies.  Of course he’s not the “hero” but one of the first things he aims for is to cut off our belt of truth.  He makes us begin to doubt ourselves, who we are, and sometimes even if the truth of Jesus Christ really is the truth.  The enemy will never kill us directly, but if he can successfully cut our belt truth off and get us to begin doubting what is really true , then he leaves us like the enemy in those movies: helpless, self-defeated, and ineffective.

It is during these times of struggle and battle that we must really hold onto what we know is the truth.  So what is truth?  Is there such a thing as absolute truth?  YES THERE IS!!!  And that truth is found in the hope and life of Jesus Christ.

John 14:6

“I am the way the TRUTH and the life.”

Psalm 40:11

“Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your TRUTH always protect me.”

3 John 1:4

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the TRUTH.”

When we accept Jesus and everything that He says as truth, and walk in that truth, then we are assured to have the blessings and everlasting, eternal life that He promises.  When we can distinguish God’s truth from Satan’s lies, we have a decided advantage in battle over the enemy.  We’ll be able to recognize his lies and quickly dismiss them, helping us to be victorious in battle, allowing us to push forward and pursue the plans and purposes that God has intended for us since we were formed in our mother’s womb.

That’s why we need our belt of truth on at all times. The belt of truth holds all of the armor together.  Not only does it hold your pants up, but it also holds your breastplate of righteousness on.  It also has the sheath to hold your sword.  So buckle your belt of the truth of God on, and use that truth to extinguish Satan’s lies.  Remember, without a belt on, you’re basically just a naked penguin waddling around.  But with your belt firmly wrapped around your waist, you are firmly wrapped in the power, the truth, and the everlasting life of Jesus Christ.

why forgive?

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Part VII of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

By team KGKL Joshua De Gracia

While looking over our e-mails from last night, I came across an interesting question from a long time reader. Rather than e-mail a response back to the person, I decided to make it part VII of our series.

The question: “Why is forgiveness important for my spiritual life? I can do fine without it right?”

Ohh boy, believe me when I say we could do a series or two alone about the issue of forgiveness.

First of all, unforgiveness is a very powerful stronghold that Satan uses to cut and pick away at our heart. A stronghold is a mindset of wrong beliefs where Satan has control because we’ve given in willingly and repeatedly over time. Unforgiveness can lead to broken relationships and can lead to us walking away from God.

There are many consequences if we choose to have unforgiveness in our heart:

1) If we don’t forgive, Satan takes advantage of us.

2 Corinthians 2:10-11

“If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, 11in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”

You give Satan even a little way in and he’ll end up taking and corrupting your entire heart. He’s out to kill, steal and destroy and the other way to overcome is with Jesus who came to bring life and righteousness.

2) If we don’t forgive, bitterness and resentment spreads throughout our body and can lead to a “heart attack.”

This is my “heart attack” illustration. Think of your heart relating to your spiritual life. You have a healthy heart as you read your word, dig into prayer and live a righteous life. On the other hand, when we eat bad food and don’t care of our bodies, plaque can build up and this can eventually lead to cardiac arrest or a heart attack. This plaque is represented by sin in our life such as unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, etc. that suffocate life out of us.

When unforgiveness is a major stronghold in our life because of a conflict we may of had we someone, it causes us to obsess over that person/situation and we can end up becoming like them.

Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Proverbs 23:7

“For as he (a man) thinks within himself, so he is”

For all you Star Wars lovers out there, think about Anakin Skywalker while he was still training under Obi Wan Kenobi. He started off as a good guy but allowed anger to overtake his life and that eventually overcame him and Anakin became Darth Vader.

3) If we don’t forgive, we don’t prosper and God withholds forgiveness from us.

Matthew 6:14-15

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

This is why the act of forgiving is very important in our spiritual life.

Choose to forgive unconditionally. Don’t wait upon your feelings because your feelings take time to heal. Giving it up to God can set you free immediately.

Ephesians 4:31

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

The last thing I’m going to say is that forgiveness is not always a one time process. There will be times where the enemy will put thoughts of what happened into your head to bring up the past, but you must choose to get rid of those thoughts and forgive over and over.

Matthew 18:21-22

“Lord how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to 7 times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not 7 times, but 77 times.”

Now the question is: Who do you need to forgive to allow God to allow breakthrough in your life and Satan to lose his stronghold in your heart?

Is it yourself? A family member? A friend? A past relationship?

Any other questions, please e-mail us: knowgodknowlove808@gmail.com

forgiveness..

forgiveness

Part V of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

By team KGKL Kailene Dela Cruz

Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

Words come and go, but it all depends on how you use them.

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJ)

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We have to realize that we need to watch what we say.  We can either speak life or death into a person.  Once words are exchanged, we become insensitive to how we want to interpret them. When in heated arguments with friends, family or anyone you have a relationship with, we sometimes tend to saw things that we don’t mean. This can lead to hurt, anger, bitterness and possible fallout with that person.

FORGIVNESS

Living as Christians, we tend to be living in a “Spiritual Warfare” situation.

We are in a constant spiritual war. It is a ‘war’ because there are forces working vigorously to thwart what God is doing. God is in charge, but there is an enemy that is in full-scale revolt and has powerful influence all around.

We live in a world where we have to choose right and wrong all the time. In being Christians, it’s hard to live in the flesh, yet live in the spirit.  Being the “good” Christian we are supposed to be is hard to come by.  We have to live a righteous life and still be who we are to our unsaved friends. Though, as before, it’s hard to forgive if we are living in both flesh and spirit.  We know that:

Mark 11:25-26

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Fighting happens all the time. We disagree and have arguments because we all have self-opinions. Being that we are stubborn in our ways and wanting to be right all the time, we have a hard time forgiving those who don’t understand or don’t want to give in to our ways.  But as angry or frustrated as we may seem to be, we need to forgive those who don’t understand. It could be a small dispute about something small or a huge dispute on something bigger which may result in forgetting our purpose. We are here on this earth to live for God’s will and not to be angry, mad or bitter.

Romans 8:28 (NKJ)

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

It’s not to be angry and hold grudges.  As we live in this worldly world, we need to put our spiritual cap on and remember that the way to live isn’t through the flesh; instead it’s walking in love.  We walk in love with our own brothers and sisters—and on the flip side we have to walk in love with those who are not Christ-like.  We should bring a new and let them know that we FORGIVE regardless of past or present situations.

John 13:34 (NKJ)

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

purity is Holiness..

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Part IV of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

By team KGKL Chanelle Omo

IT’S HOLINESS, people.

Let me start off by saying that I was asked to write about ‘purity and how it helps to guard your heart against the attacks of The Enemy’. But as I studied and prayed I realized that there is a necessity that transcends purity. It’s Holiness. Things that are made Holy are ‘consecrated’,’ set apart’.

Holiness requires apartness as well as purity. No wonder the Holy One echoes the command, “…Be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44, 1 Peter 1:16)
I don’t want to discredit those young adults who seek purity in their relationships, friendships, and lifestyles. I commend them. But honestly, too often, I see many finding their self-esteem in abiding by legalistic ‘purity’ rules they have set upon themselves. Yet in Scripture when one is faced with the Holiness of God they are’ ruined’, ‘undone’. This is best seen when Isaiah encountered the holiness of God and said,

Isaiah 6:5

“Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

I feel our whole approach is erroneous and we come to Jesus to think better of ourselves rather than falling before Him in meekness and awe to dread if you will, at His Holiness. Our hearts should be overflowing with gratitude and worship for the grace given us.

The fear of the Lord is the outcome of beholding His Holiness. This fear is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). This fear causes us to hate and to avoid evil (8:13, 16:6). It is also the basis for strong confidence (14:26). It’s a fountain of life (14:27).

The Holiness of God is the root of much fruit, springing forth from a heart which has come to reverence God as the Adonai.
Holiness is our calling:

Ephesians 1:4

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.”

If it’s true that “You Become what You Behold”, then Behold His Holiness.

prayer testimony..

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Real people, real testimonies to inspire and encourage you about the importance of prayer and how it can work in your life.

tucayBrandon Tucay: Small group leader at Grace Bible Church. Member of the GBC Philippines Mission Trip June 2009. Mighty man of God and the drummer of the local band “Kapena.”

“Man, the power of prayer is super, super important. Especially in my life. I remember when my mom came, about three weeks ago. I was really praying for her salvation, pray for her life to be changed and I was like God, change my mom. Really simple like that. And guess what? God answered my prayers.

My mom got baptized. My mom got reconnected with women that could really help her with her walk with Christ. It’s really simple prayers like those that can bring miracles into our lives and I give credit to God for that. I just want to say, God you’re amazing.

Anyone reading this, I just want to say you guys should pray because there is so much power. There are so many miracles, there is so much faith that comes behind it and God just joys in heaven because we cry out to Him and we just really express our feelings, needs and wants. So I just encourage you, be real, talk to God and He will answer your prayers.”

-Amen

Mark 11:24

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

God wants to answer our prayers. However, we need to humble ourselves and ask. There is power in prayer and no matter what the circumstance, want or need, prayer will definitely help. If you are in need of prayer, please e-mail your request to us at knowgodknowlove808@gmail.com so that we can pray for you.

the power of prayer..

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Part III of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

By “Shine Brightly for Christ” co-founder Nicole Los Banos

*before starting our bible study..

Alpha: “Maybe we should pray before starting?”

Me: “Oh yah we should.. okay pray!”

Alpha: “AHH! WHY DO I HAVE TO PRAY?!”

Have you ever asked yourself, “why do I have to pray?”  You would think that praying would’ve been first on our list when actually starting our Bible Study, but sometimes we forget the vital part to actually having a relationship with God. It’s important to not only come to Him before our meals or when we find ourselves in a rut, but relentlessly.

Rather than treating prayer as another routine we have to add to our list throughout the day, we should treat it as a privilege and honor to be able to communicate with such an Amazing God who cares and loves us enough to want to hear from us not only once or three times a day but all the time! He’s never going to have His “Away Message” on or forget to call you back when you call upon Him. He’s there wanting and waiting for you to come to Him in your times of joy, happiness, worries, anger, distress, loneliness….everything!

Psalm 139:1-4

“O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.”

God knows us completely inside and out. Why wouldn’t we want to spend time in communion with Him and desire to get to know Him?

When we pray and discipline ourselves to come to the Lord in our times of joy, sadness and when life is going the way we want it, then that’s when we’ve truly established a relationship with our Father rather than using Him as a “911 call.” It’s just like any other earthly relationship we have. Communication is key. You just don’t call your best friend when you’re in trouble right? You call them to hang out, when you’re happy, to tell them about your day & so on.

If we can spend 24/7 texting, IMing, facebooking, & emailing people that we care about, there’s no reason for us to not have this burning desire to have intimacy with the One who loves us more than a boyfriend/girlfriend, mom, dad, or friend will ever be able to offer you.

Not only is prayer important in staying in tune with God, but we also have the Holy Spirit who is able to guard us from spiritual attacks. It’s easy to forget that we’re in a constant spiritual battle even when it doesn’t seem like it. In times of weakness or carelessness is when we’re most vulnerable and prone to stumble. If we come to the Spirit during these times, He provides us with the necessary strength, wisdom, guidance, resistance, courage and discernment to be able to stand our ground and defend our faith.

Have you ever tried committing your times of struggles and trials to the Lord and laying it all down at His feet?

It’s amazing how He delivers you in ways that you know can only come from Him. When we learn to truly believe & submit ourselves to a God who can do all things. There is power in prayer. By being in continuous prayer with Him, that’s when we’ll see the limitations we thought we had become limitless through His faithfulness in our lives.

Ephesians 6:18

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

the word..

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Part II of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

By “Shine Brightly for Christ” co-founder Alpha Pallarca

Ephesians 6:17

“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

What’s a bulletproof vest used for? Protection right? Do you know that there is a tool that can serve both as armor and a weapon in a battle? You might be wondering and asking what is it, where can I get and how much would it cost me?

Whether you know it or not, you are in war zone. A spiritual battle- a battle between your fleshly desire and spiritual desire. Want it or not, we are in this struggle for the rest of our lives until Jesus comes back. However, our Great Maker didn’t leave us empty handed. He provided us with a very powerful weapon to win this battle. He graciously gave us His word in the bible to equip us in fighting our very own ill nature, to teach us to live with a purpose, to direct us towards His glory and power and to demonstrate His unfathomable love for us.

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word if God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow.”

We often take for granted our bible because it is generally inexpensive. The truth is it’s probably the most valuable possession we could possibly have. It is more than just a holy book; it is a collection of God breathed scriptures imparting His wisdom and knowledge to us.

Owning one is just the beginning. To be able to fully grasp the meaning and purpose of the bible, you need to be a child of God first. That means you have repented and acknowledge Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If not, the bible would just be another historical book to you.

As for Christians, if your bible has been eating dust on your bookshelf, shame on you! God said in Ephesians 6:10, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

We find and draw our strength from God’s word. We are to protect ourselves with the divine armor of God. Evil lurks in every corner of our hearts, always ready to attack and ruin us on every chance possible. That is why it is very important to dig into our word so we can immerse ourselves in God’s holy teaching and doctrine. God’s word has the answer to everything we could ever ask. We need to be proactive in consistently feeding our soul with spiritual food and growing stronger in our relationship with God. If we are not going to be adamant and firm in our convictions then we are setting ourselves for destruction and we are not taking Satan seriously.

Breaking news, Satan is very serious and eager to see us fall into sin. He is constantly at work in us, devising and scheming plans to tempt us.

1 Peter 5:7-8

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith..”

This is the reality of this fallen world and the war we have to face everyday. But, we know that we are not alone. We have God. We have His word. Don’t get left behind in the battlefield. Always be on the lookout and never lower down your sword. Be armed and ready with the armor of God.

salvation..

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Part I of the “call of duty: spiritual warfare” series.

by Team KGKL Joshua De Gracia

We are in a battle and we must be equipped to win the war. I’ve said it over and over again this series, but it’s important that we realize that this statement is true. When dealing with spiritual warfare, there are a lot of weapons that we can use. However, before we can equip ourselves, there is one important factor that needs to be dealt with first.

Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is only the first step of spiritual warfare. This must be done before you can allow God to protect  and fight some of your personal battles. If you’re wondering what it means to accept Jesus as Lord and how to accept Him into your heart, this will help.

James 4:7-10

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands.. and purify your hearts…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Submitting to God means you are in a full surrender to Him and under His Lordship. Fully surrendering is allowing God to be in control of every part of your life and giving him all of your heart. This is important.

Giving God full control of your life means that you are walking and living as Christ. When you make this decision, you die to sin, your slate is wiped clean and you are a new creation because Jesus died for our sins.To give your entire heart to God means you turn from all of your sinful ways and no longer allow the world and its ways to control you. For example, you won’t go out sleeping with whoever looks good but chose to live a life of purity. You tame your tongue and instead of swearing, encourage and speak words of life. These are only two examples where surrender is key to bringing about a lifestyle change that pleases God. Live a life that pleases and glorifies Christ.

Lack of a full surrender to the Lord in a believer’s life is the main reason why so many of His people are coming under such serious and heavy attacks from demons and the other bad and evil people in this life. It’s “your all” for “God’s all.” If you want God’s maximum protection on you and your life  then you will have to be willing to give Him your all.

Questions, prayer request..      knowGodknowlove808@gmail.com