The New Life, Inc.

Internal Voices

1 Corinthians 3:16  Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Do you know there are other spirits that are also looking for a temple?

God our Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit have not lost their voices. They are in the temple and they are able to speak to us and through us right through our thought life.

We are very interestingly made, one moment we are lifting up the Lord and the next moment we can be thinking and saying some awful bad stuff. Why is this?

We are like a house with many rooms. Some of these rooms we visit often; some of them we never visit and have no desire to. My friend Dr Bruce Morgan spoke of the dragons in the cellar. I sent him a card several years ago with a picture of a dragon sitting under a tree with a long spear picking his teeth. There were pieces of armor scattered all around on the ground and the statement on the bottom said; “sometimes the dragon wins”.  I think we can all relate to that.

We all have emotions, and it is like we have a different room for each one. All these emotions seem to have something to say and at times want to be heard. We don’t always speak what these emotions are saying to us but we are often hearing what they are saying in our mind. They can be very troublesome to us. Indeed we must be on guard that other spirits are not allowed to enter into some of these rooms within us.

I don’t think we have to worry about the rooms that are filled with love, peace, joy and are placing wonderful thoughts in our minds and mouths. The rooms we need to be mindful of are ones that contain anger, bitterness, resentment, and unforgivness. These all want to be heard in our mind and through our mouth. These are the rooms that other spirits will quickly enter in, if given any opportunity. They will trouble your mind and rob you of all peace love and forgiveness. These thoughts are our worst enemy and you are the one that must gain the victory if you are to have peace.

2 Corinthians 10:4-5  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

There are thoughts that rise up in us that need to be taken captive and if they are not, they are going to torment us. They come from those places where we have allowed anger, resentment, bitterness and other ugly things that are sin, to remain undelt with.

I can almost hear some of you saying, “That is fine but how do you do it?

Recognize the thoughts for what they are; evil! Very evil!

Decide if you want to resist them or entertain them and be miserable, angry and hateful.

If you decide you don’t want them, then take the thoughts captive and bring them and the hate and anger that go with them, right to Jesus.

Ask Jesus to take them and to give you peace, joy and love in place of them.

If you begin to recognize these thoughts for what they are, and begin to resist them, and ask Jesus for help, you can come into a new place of peace and rest in your soul.

The voices will be silenced!  You may not have the victory immediately! If you continue to resist you will have the victory.  

Spiritual Pride 

One of the things that can bring our spiritual journey to a standstill is pride. Pride is quite prevalent in the church. Without even being aware of it we might think; “I am glad I am not like that person” when we are very much like that person. 

Pride is one of the enemy’s favorite weapons. He uses these especially when we first come to know the Lord in a personal way and when we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is the time when we become aware of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the authority that comes with it. Pride moves in and says; “I am someone special”.

I remember years ago when I elevated certain people to a higher level than I was.  I did not realize at the time, by doing that I could not relate to them in the same way I could to people on my level. What a relief it was when I saw we were all at the same level. At this point I had to be careful I did not elevate myself above others. It is just as hard to relate to others whether we are looking up or looking down.

We must continually see that apart from Jesus Christ and God’s grace we have nothing to offer anyone. I often think of the statement that is used in the Catholic Church in the communion service; “Lord I am not worthy to receive you just say the word and I will be healed”.

I have said the words many times; “I am not worthy”, but the words never came alive to me till this year; not in a negative way, but seeing the truth of the statement. I did not see that I was worth enough for someone to die for me. My Father in heaven loved me and thought I was worth enough to send His Son to die for me.

Why is it important to see this truth?

When we see this truth, pride is dealt a serious blow. We stop trying to exalt ourself trying to be greater than someone else and we stop punishing ourselves for our failures. As a result, God is able to work through us more then ever. We then enter into a new place of rest and peace that we cannot enter into when we are filled with pride.

Luke 18:10-14  Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-gatherer.

The Pharisee stood and was praying thus to himself, “God I thank thee that I am not like other people; swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-gatherer. 

I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get”.

But the tax-gatherer, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner”.

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted”.