Self: Part 2; Pride

Proverbs 16:18- Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Pride in Self is a dangerous thing. It is dangerous because it is deceptive. When an individual is wrapped in pride, they are unaware of their condition. They think they are “okay.” Pride is like eating a piece of chocolate that is sweet on the outside and bitter to the core. It destroys everything in you and around you. It makes you defend yourself. You become your worst enemy.

God said that a haughty spirit goes before a fall. Haughty is defined as disdainfully proud, snobbish, and scornfully arrogant. Pride says that I do what I want, when I want, and how I want. Why? Because I want to.

Look at what pride did to me:

My pride got me into debt
My pride said that it was okay to violate the law of God by getting involved in many relationships with different women
My pride said that it was okay to not go to church because church people are hypocrites. My pride said, Do not tithe, do not trust pastors because they are all crooks
My pride said it was okay to date my coworker even though it was against company policy which almost cost me my job and it destroyed my reputation
My pride says, I read the word when I have time, if it fits into my schedule
My pride says I pray when I get a chance.

God is our salvation. He sustains us. Our trust must be in him. Trust is not something we say but rather something we do. We trust God with our finances by being obedient in tithing and sowing seeds to help the brethren and advance the kingdom. We trust God in our relationships by choosing friends, and mates whose lives are connected with Christ (2 Corinthians 6:14). We trust God in our ministry by being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and being obedient to His word. You might be wondering, what does trusting God have to do with pride? Simply, pride says, “I do things my way.” Trusting God says, “I do things God’s way.” Therefore, if you want to overcome pride in your life, starting putting God in the forefront of every aspect of your life. Trust Him not you!

Brother Mark Johnson

www.mtolivehop.org

@mtolivehop

Self: Part 1

Isaiah 14:13-14- For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the most High (I= Satan).

Proverbs 3:5-6- Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.(Solomon)

Self is also known by the following names: Me, Myself, and I.  How often do these names occur in your conversation?  The sad truth is that you may not be able to determine the answer.  The demon of Self is a master of deception and disguise.  It will have you to believe that being absorbed in self is normal.  Self indulged individuals believe that the world revolves around them alone.  Essentially, in their heart, they are saying “I am God” when Self sits on the throne of Self.  The heart is the core of our being, it is the place from which all the issues of life flow. Therefore a self-directed life will be filled with things pertaining to self such as the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, lust of the eyes, insecurity, fear, anxiety and a lack of peace.  Why?  One of the major character flaws of Self is that it is unable to please God because it lacks faith in Jesus Christ.  It bases everything on what it sees, feels, and thinks.  Therefore, it is unreliable and faulty.

In order to experience victory over Self, it must be overthrown. To do this you will need the power of God, the omnipotent One.  The power of God is released when you are in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Fellowship means that God is talking to you through his Word, and you are talking to him through prayer and supplication; it means that you are acknowledging God in all aspects of life.  He is the first in everything instead of self.  With God on the throne, you no longer have to fight your own battles.  He is your defender and he is your shield ( Read Psalm 18).  Begin to thank God for everything, and praise him at all times (Psalm 34:6; whether you feel like it or not), for the good, bad or indifferent.  Finally, worship the Lord.  You don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to worship, you can worship God anywhere and at anytime.  Worship is a lifestyle.  It must be done in Spirit and in truth.  We must enter his presence with a pure heart; living a life according to God’s standard of holiness and not our own.

Brother Mark Johnson

www.mtolivehop.org

@mtolivehop

Whole or Hole?

Genesis 1:1-3- In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth, and the Earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.

One of the effects of sin is emptiness or void, which is a lack of fulfillment in one’s life. Sin makes us feel that we are missing out on what we think we deserve. The first thing that we see in this passage is that God spoke. The only thing that can fill the void or emptiness in our lives is the Word of God. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, He told Satan that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Again in John 6:51, Jesus said that “I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” If we attempt to fill the voids of our life with anything other than God’s Word, we will always be disappointed and we will always feel empty.

Try putting water in a car that runs on gas. What do you think will happen? You will destroy the engine of that car and it will still be empty. The second thing we need is the move of the spirit. Without the Spirit of God, there is no power. Without power, there is no life. And without life, there is void and emptiness. Thirdly after God spoke and the Spirit moved, light was unveiled and the darkness was dispelled. Sin has definitely made certain areas in your life unclear. It could be your career, your marriage, or your calling. Regardless, you need light. Fill your life with God’s word, and he will fill your life with his light. You will no longer have to stumble around in darkness not knowing which way to turn He will direct your steps and place you on the path that leads to everlasting life; a life of abundance in God and freedom. My brothers and sisters, be whole!

Brother Mark Johnson

www.mtolivehop.org

@mtolivehop

God's Timing

Ecclesiastes 3:1- To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

GOD is always on time because he created it. Therefore time is subject to him. We want everything done now. We want to be married now. We want to be wealthy now. We want God’s blessings now. Whatever happened to believing in God’s timing and seasons? When a seed is planted in the earth, the harvest is not immediate. When a child is conceived in the womb of its mother, after nine months of development, it is born. Therefore, in the natural, God has a particular order in place, in terms of timing and seasons. How much more in the spiritual?

One of my favorite acronyms is W.I.P. Work in Progress. It means that it may not be your time to shine, but you are going to continue to serve God where you are until your season arrives. We must believe and understand this principle whole heartedly. If not, we will continually miss out on God’s blessings for our lives. Abraham and Sarah created a conflict that continues on to this very day, because Sarah became impatience while waiting on their season (Genesis 16). The Middle East conflict (Isaac is the child of promise, but Muslims believe that Ishmael is the promised child) could have been avoided if they waited on the Lord. The Bible says, in Psalm130:5, “I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.” Case in point; although we think that our individual decisions only impact us, it is not true. It has the potential to impact generations. So I again I say, wait on the Lord, for His timing is perfect.

Brother Mark Johnson

www.mtolivehop.org

@mtolivehop

Adversity

Psalm 23:4- Yea , though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me

In the valley of the shadow of death, there is much adversity. When we fight against adversity, we are fighting against our blessing. Our blessing cannot be released without first going through adversity. We are not to be afraid, for the Lord said he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Therefore, we must respond by blessing him at all times (Psalm 34:6). In adversity, we must bless God for he is worthy of the praise. He sends adversity our way so that he can burn out those things that are not like him. He is preparing us for Kingdom living.

For us to live in the kingdom of Heaven, it must first be in our heart; it must also rule our mind, and it must dictate our behavior. This can only be accomplished through adversity. There are many strongholds in our life that existed before we came to Christ that must be torn down, uprooted. This process requires much patience and endurance. When you find yourself complaining about life’s circumstances, meditate on the following passage, James 1:2-4. “And let patience have her perfect work.”

Written by Brother Mark Johnson

www.mtolivehop.org

@mtolivehop

Nothing hidden, O Man.

Ps. 139:1-2: O Lord, Thou hast searched me, and known me.  Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.
 
You have to come clean,
Before God, there is nothing unseen
His eyes are present in all the earth
He has seen every thought and every action from your birth
Why do you try to appear perfect before men?
When your heart is full of sin
Why do you think that you can hide from God what is inside?
When in God only truth resides
Why do you try to be wise before men?
When in reality, you are being fooled within
 
The only thing that saves is God’s salvation
Anything else is just figment of your imagination.
The only truth that exists is God’s truth
Anything else is just a lie
The only hope that exists is found in Christ
He shed his blood, He gave his Life
Anything else is just a substitute, a fraud, a fake.

Written by Brother Mark Johnson
www.mtolivehop.org @mtolivehop

A Prayer of Repentance

Ps. 51:1- Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Father forgive us, for our sins. We have followed after the unrighteous desires of the wicked.  We have depended upon the wicked to sustain us. We have trusted in our fears more than having faith in You.  We seek your hands to receive things from you more than we seek you face to become more like you.

We plead with you to search our hearts, and to root out any wicked way in us. Deliver us from the desires of the flesh that only causes death. Deliver us from the evil thoughts that plague our mind. Deliver us Father from the wiles of the enemy and the deception of the inner Me.

For we desire to praise your name, to give you the highest praise, to give you glory and to magnify you in our hearts and in all the earth.  Father, it is only through the blood of Jesus that we can approach your throne of grace with boldness. Oh righteous Father, we thank you for the blood of your Son our Lord, our Redeemer.  For it is in His name, the name of Jesus that we pray, Amen.

Written by Brother Mark Johnson

www.mtolivehop.org

Faith

Heb. 11:1- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evident of things no seen.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight

Believe and everything will be alright

Only be confident in Gods might

Believe and you will receive

With God there is nothing you can’t achieve

Although the world my crumble

With faith, you will not stumble

Speak in faith and remove the mountain

Speak in faith and create a fountain

A fountain of life, joy and peace

A place where darkness must cease

On faith, we can stand

By faith we can demand

Demand our life to change

Demand our mind to be rearranged

With Faith, we can no longer stay the same

Written by Brother Mark Johnson

9/11/2011

www.mtolivehop.org

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Look Within

Although we reap what we sow

We cannot make anything grow

God brings the increase

We must decrease.

If we depend on what we know, 

The Holy Spirit cannot flow.

The word planted in stony ground

Will be unable to abound

Abound in faith, abound in hope, abound in love

All of which come from above

To seek those things that are above means to look within

To uproot our sin

Sin is our ultimate problem

To win is our ultimate goal

We that run this race must continually seek God’s face

Relationship is God’s desire

To save us from the lake of fire

To procrastinate your fate would be a grave state

Live to today as if it was your last

Don’t allow time to pass

Decide now to live holy, to love God only

Written by Brother Mark Johnson

9/7/2011

www.mtolivehop.org