Tag Archives: Hebrews 6:19

08.18.17
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Evil’s Answer Requires Our Steadfastness

Nicole Headshot in blue shirt

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

Charlottesville. Barcelona, Spain. Worldwide. Your community. The horrific violence of recent days has been inconceivable for many of us to comprehend how human beings can inflict such hurt and pain on fellow human beings. Men, women and children have been killed and injured without any thought given about the precious gift of life, who these dear people are and the impact of their presence in other’s lives—and the gaping hole in hearts felt when they have been taken from us, particularly by violence. I and our ministry team join you in prayer for Heather Heyer’s family, the troopers killed on that awful Saturday in Charlottesville, those injured, and those killed and injured on Thursday in Barcelona by violence. Our hearts are heavy. For the mind, the incidents are too massive to properly process as there have been multiple events occurring daily, compounding the righteous anger and grief we feel. It is hoped that we never become indifferent and numb ourselves to the loss of life in an effort to preserve our sanity. So what are we to do with all of this? I know many of you are walking strong and steady in the Lord. I write the following message for saints who need encouraging in this time.

Even God has been and is grieved by mankind’s sin, lawlessness. We can say “call it what it is” with a plethora of labels but at the core, at the root it is sin in mankind’s hearts. Genesis 6:5-6 speaks of God’s grief over man’s wickedness: 5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.” (New International Version)

Wickedness, sin is nothing new. It has been slithering around on its belly and raising its ugly head since man was created.

Yet, in all of this, God is in control. In my commune with God and prayers with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we have EVERY reason to be encouraged. Jesus won the victory for us at Calvary and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. Satan has been defeated. The wicked will be no more; they will be snuffed out and cut off (Proverbs 2:22, Proverbs 24:20, Psalm 37:9-10, etc.).

We have been given the victory. Evil seeks to discredit what God has promised to do and what He has already done. For the Body of Christ we must remember and hold fast to His Truth. We must also walk in our Godly authority to combat the darkness. We should not be afraid to walk in what Godly strength looks like while the world capitulates because they have used the wrong weapons in this warfare.

We must seek God’s face for how He would have us to respond, then be led by the Holy Spirit and forsake the wisdom of this world. If you give up on anything, give up on the world having the solution. The world does not have the answer and continues to produce vain efforts. Of all people, WE have the answer for this world: salvation in Jesus Christ. Of all people, WE will remain in peace because our minds are steadfast on the Lord Jesus because we trust Him (Isaiah 26:3).

Of all people, WE are seated in heavenly places as citizens of heaven first and foremost. Our minds should be heavenward and therefore focused on Kingdom business, not chained by the things of this world. With Jesus as our Hope and as the Anchor of our soul Who holds us firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19), WE should seek to steady the lost in this hope by sharing the Gospel. And because of God’s love shown toward us, WE will show His love to others. People are seeking refuge in these desperate times. WE of all people should be a refuge to those searching like a lit and protected city on the hill because of Christ Jesus.

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Yes, wickedness is here and increasing but only for a time. Read your bible, stay in your Word, pray and fast and fellowship with others to remind yourselves of the victory already won for us by Christ Our Savior who is coming soon. Despite Satan’s best efforts, he cannot overcome this fact.

Saints, I love you. A blessing to serve with you. Stay encouraged. We have the answer to evil. Keep your hope. Suit up for battle each day (Ephesians 6:10-17). Walk confidently in your Godly authority as a soldier in God’s Army whose mind is set on advancing God’s Kingdom and not entangled by the world (2 Timothy 2:4). Move as a soldier unafraid to speak and walk as instructed by our Commander.

Absolutely, when confronting wickedness you will face opposition from Satan. But keep fighting for the enemy has already retreated on several fronts because of the faithful prayers and fasting of many saints. Do not be reeled in and distracted by what things look like but instead, set your face like flint (determined, not confounded, confident in God, fixed) and endure until the end.

Love and God bless you,

Nicole

 

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02.26.17
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Eat From Your Own Plate

Nicole Headshot in blue shirt

Nicole D. Hayes, Founder, Voices Against the Grain

You know those people or you may be one yourself. You go out to eat with your friends and you order a dish that someone else wants to sample. If you’re kind and generous (which I imagine you are), then you’re fine with sharing a few bites from your plate. Ok, so after they’ve sampled a few bites and find your food yummy to their tummy, they begin making a meal off of your plate like it’s their last supper. The meal you’re paying for is soon becoming their meal—for free.  🙂 Now, what I’ve heard some guys say (ladies we tend to be a bit more giving in this area) when this happens is, “Man, get your own plate.” Or, “Eat from your own plate.”

 

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I use this analogy to encourage those who are eating from someone else’s plate of faith, joy, peace, relationship in Jesus, etc., to be sustained by eating from their own plate of food. A number of believers and unbelievers may desire the peace, strength, joy, confidence, courage and trust in the Lord they see within you or that another mature Christian embodies. Rather than tasting the Lord for themselves to “see that He is good” and taking refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8)—rather than hungering for the Lord and desiring to spend more time alone in His presence, read His Word, fast or retreat to their prayer closets—they want to feed off of your plate and attempt to sustain their journey through what you have obtained in your personal walk with the Lord. In fact, they may be eating from grandmother’s plate—and grandmother has passed on from this life. Grandmother shared godly wisdom that depicted her walk with the Lord and this person is clinging to that wisdom, reciting grandmother’s words without their own assurance of who God is.

Praise God for those whose life and walk in Christ Jesus is attractive to others! That is one of the goals in this walk: that through Christ living in us and our being transformed into His likeness, that others will see it and desire the same. But there is no shortcut to this walk. The joy, the hope, the faith, the strength, the peace and the trust in God they see in you and others comes with a cost, an investment. They want what you have but aren’t willing to do what it takes to be sustained by their own plate.

They don’t know how many hours, days, nights, months and years you’ve travailed in prayer on various matters. They don’t know how many times you’ve battled in spiritual warfare with the enemy who attacks you asleep and awake to scare or hinder you from moving forward. They don’t know how many times God has taken you to…the…edge…whether in health, resources, loss or trials and you had to truly trust Him and His promises. The battles have shown you God’s faithfulness which has developed your joy, peace, and strength.

Many people want the crown but not the cross.

If you are eating off of someone else’s plate, I encourage you to pursue a relationship with Christ Jesus for yourself so that YOU can know Him. That you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He is who He says He is and that He will do what he said He will do. He will make you full. You will be able to eat from your own plate.

This writing is not about one’s measure of faith given to us by God as referenced in Romans 12:3 and Romans 14:1-4. Some will have weak faith. Some will eat vegetables while others eat meat. God accepts the weak and the strong. They are His. This writing is to encourage more people to hunger for their own, deeper relationship with the Lord. Today’s tumultuous times and coming days require it. You will need to know God for yourself and that HE is indeed faithful.

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Lord Jesus, you are our Anchor, our Deliverer, our Strength, our Shield, our Refuge, our Rock and our Salvation, our Peace that surpasses all understanding, our Joy, and our everything. May others be so attracted to seeing You in us that they will pursue You for themselves so they too can be made full. Amen.

Love and blessings,

Nicole

Nicole D. Hayes is the founder of Voices Against the Grain, a bold teaching ministry launched in May 2013. Nicole’s purpose in creating Voices Against the Grain is to be light in darkness, to boldly instruct truth amid confusion so as to bring clarity and restoration.

Learn more about Nicole D. Hayes here.