Part 2 of ” Remember Your Training “

We can use our past experiences as tools to resist the devil. By remembering how we overcame in the past, so that we can overcome in the present. The enemy comes with the same tactics intending to deceive, tempt and destroy our confidence in God. If you are like me, you’ve probably given into temptation more times than you would like to admit. Giving in to temptation is not a sign of defeat. It’s an exposure of the vulnerable areas in your life. Now we have to take those vulnerabilities to the Lord, so that He can heal and deliver us. We have to be willing to let the Lord work within us. By not letting our sin enslave us, instead we become the master of it! Jesus gave us that authority when He was crucified and resurrected.

The devil wants us to be ashamed and deceived. When we are shameful our sins are hidden. Never confessing we hinder our own deliverance. It’s time to get real with God! He sees us in the night. He sees what we are doing when no one is looking. Stop allowing the enemy to convince you that your sin is okay. God is calling us to righteousness, not on your own but through Him.  When you first learned of Christ, it was His love that pulled you in! Don’t forget it, His love hasn’t changed. God’s love is sufficient to forgive and set you free from sins you’ve CONFESSED! That was the first lesson in your training!

For years, I struggled with lust and the Lord delivered me when I realized I had power! Jesus has given me power! He’s given me the power to recognize the temptation and choose to resist. Now, lustful thoughts or desires may present themselves but I remember my training! My body is the temple of God! The same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me. I can and will choose the most excellent way!  My deliverance was contingent on me taking my battered, broken, sinful and lustful self to the feet of Jesus!  I had to be honest about my sin and truly repent! When I would stumble I got back up, repented and walked victoriously! This is how we overcome!

The devil doesn’t like that, he wanted me to stay bound. he(devil) wants you to stay bound, never receiving the training you need to STAND! The failure to stand will be a continuous cycle leading to temptations that yields the same results. Freedom will escape you because your sin is never dealt with. Overcoming doesn’t look pretty, it’s brutal and requires  brokenness that comes from ACKNOWLEDGING that we can do nothing on our own. We cannot save ourselves.  The more we remember our training, the more we accept it’s been Jesus the entire time. He’s the one that has kept us.

Some of you might not be able to relate to anything I’ve written so far. Your struggle right now is the trying of your faith. You’ve been going through some turbulent experiences and you do not feel any peace. God says the same thing “ Remember your training. What did I say to you when the turbulence was not there. My Word does not change because your circumstances have changed. I was preparing you for what you were going to encounter. Hold firm to what I have spoken.” Maybe the turbulence is so strong that you can’t remember what He said, draw for the Word of God and remind yourself. I do not write these words lightly because I know training can hurt! In the midst of the war zone it’s easy to panic but it’s dangerous! Imagine what happens to soldiers in war zones when their training is forgotten. They lose sight of the battle and are easily defeated. That’s what the devil wants; he wants panicky Christians that are easily defeated.

One of the most redemptive thing God does for us is use all of our experiences for His glory. This is another reason why remembering our training is so important. Our training can help to save the lives of so many people! Yet, instead of sharing our war stories as Pop did with Kashk and his friends, we shamefully keep our lips tightly zipped! Moses reminded the children of Israel to remember all that they’ve seen and share with their grandchildren. We would miss out greatly if the children of Israel’s wilderness experiences were left out of the Bible or even David’s sins and victories !  

THEIR EXPERIENCES IS FOR OUR BENEFIT. FOR US TO LEARN FROM THEIR SHORT COMINGS! FOR US TO WITNESS GOD’S MERCY TOWARDS THEM! The grace that you have been shown is not only for you to receive a heavenly CROWN. YOU ARE A LIVING WITNESS OF GOD’S GRACE- although we can’t see GOD, people see you! They see everything you have gone through and how you have kept moving forward! Please, do not deprive people of “Your Training” because of shame, deception and pride! The training in and of itself is God’s mercies shown to you; The time God willingly took  to purge, humble, convict, enlighten and test you! All of this, so that in the time to come you will know what to do and who to turn to! 

Pop’s stories have stuck with Kashk even after we left Alaska. Inspiring him to take routes in his career that he probably would have never chosen. Pop gave Kashk a different perspective. Who can your training inspire, whose perspective can you change? How beautiful is it that God can use our mess ups and flaws to empower someone else? This is something that I am learning. Remembering that the forgiveness of my sins is an example to others that God loves and heals the broken. When I started the blog I didn’t promote it on my personal social media accounts ( Facebook and Instagram).  Initially, I wasn’t sure why but this morning as I read about the persecuted church in Laos and Vietnam I understood why.

I was afraid, afraid that people would still see who I was instead of who I AM today. Afraid that people would judge be because of my mistakes. I didn’t want that to take away from what God is and has done in my life. But the truth of the matter is – who am I without the mistakes? God is the one who has changed my life. Yes I am still rough on the edges but that’s what so merciful about Him. He uses those who have been broken publicly to show that He restores publicly. The devil tried to use the shame of my past to stop me from sharing with others this journey and it almost worked! But a reminder from my brothers and sisters on the other side of the world reminded me that WE LIVE FOR CHRIST! We- the repenters, Christ-lovers, the restored are THE example to world of God’s grace. Let’s not allow the shame of who we were prevent others from seeing who and whose we are! Yes, that was me back then but let me tell you who I am now and how JESUS did that!

“ It was of His own that He gave us birth[ as His own children] by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures [ a prime example of what He created to be set apart to Himself—sanctified, made holy for His divine purposes]. James 1:8 AMP

 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately–behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 AMPC

Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trust worthy and faithful [ to His word]. Hebrews 10:23 AMPC

‘For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as His children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord ’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you.’ Hebrews 12:5-6

With love through Christ,  Nadesha

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