I receive "Inner Fulfillment" devotion daily and really enjoy reading it. I want to share this particular devotion by Annagail Lynes because too many are out there believing satan's lies. Please, take the time to read, retain, and remember this:
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"I accepted Jesus into my heart when I was younger, but if I died tonight, I don't know if I would go to heaven," a friend of mine wrote when she instant messaged me awhile back.
Unfortunately, each of us have felt this way at one time or another. I know, I have.
One day, the devil kept whispering in my ear, "You aren't saved. God doesn't talk to you like He talks to Joyce Meyer or Benny Hinn. He doesn't do things for you like He does for Marilyn Hickey."
At first, I tried to resist, but the more I thought about it, the more doubt seeped in.
The question of not being saved tormented my mind. As hard as I tried, I couldn't think of anything else. I decided to do something about it.
I picked up the phone and called my local Trinity Broadcasting Network station, praying a prayer partner would be down there. Within seconds, I was connected with a mild-mannered woman.
She listened carefully as I told her the problem.
After an agonizing moment of silence, she said, "I've had that problem myself, and let me tell you what God told me."
I couldn't wait to find out what God told her. Maybe it was the lifeline I needed to keep me from drowning in this ocean of torment.
She continued, "The devil is a liar, so the only reason he would tell you that you aren't saved is because you are."
A two-hundred pound weight seemed to be lifted off my shoulders. My mind suddenly became clear.
Revelations 12:9 says , "Satan, which deceiveth the whole world..."
John 8:44 also notes that satan has "no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
You may be thinking "How do we know that it is satan that is tormenting us?"
Are you full of doubt, fear and confusion? Are you restless and feeling condemned? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, more likely than not the devil has been speaking lies to your mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 explains "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
1 John 4:18 reminds us "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."
When we are afraid of where we will spend eternity, fear's twin brother doubt moves into our minds as well.
"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed," states James 1:6.
I know when I am being tormented by the devil, I feel like I am on a ship in very choppy waters, the wind blowing hard. I am being tossed from the left side of the boat to the right and back again. If I don't make the boat stop, I will become sea-sick.
When we are harassed in our minds, we are not experiencing the peace that God gave us in John 14:27. "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
One of God's Names is Jehovah-Shalom, which most people translate to mean the God of Peace. More specifically, though, the word Shalom means nothing missing, nothing broken.
That's the way God wants your life to be--nothing missing, nothing broken.
But how can you have that peace, that assurance, if you doubt whether you are saved or not?
Let's see, what the Word has to say.
John 6:44 assures us, "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him:"
If that is true, then the fact that you accepted Jesus into your heart in the first place means God drew you to Himself.
No man can pluck you out of His hand. If you flew to the far side of the sea or the remotest part of the world, the Lord's hand would still be upon you.
Sometimes even knowing this doesn't help us to feel better.
Although your spirit became saved when you asked Jesus into your heart, your soul--your mind, will and emotions--didn't.
Romans 12:2 instructs us to renew our minds.
We renew it by "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
When the devil whispers in your ear, "You aren't saved," grab your Bible and say, "Devil, the Word of God says that you are a liar. Therefore, if you say I am not saved then I must be saved."
You are replacing the negative thoughts the devil planted in your mind with the truth--the Word of God.
You may not feel saved, especially if you have sinned, but your feelings are not an accurate judge of what is going on around you.
Have you ever had a teacher who was tough on you, and you were convinced that he was out to get you? Then you found out that the teacher didn't hate you but was trying to bring out your potential? In that case, your feelings weren't telling you the truth, were they?
If you have sinned, 1 John 1:9 gives us the solution: "If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
There is nothing you can do that God won't forgive you for because Psalm 103:3 tells us "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities..." All, not some.
If you've walked away from God or the devil is continuing to torment your mind, give him a one-two punch by re-dedicating your life to Christ.
If any man comes to Christ, He will in no way cast him or her out.
Romans 10:9-10 instructs us "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins, that he was beaten and bruised for every sin you have committed or will commit? That He was raised from the dead three days later? If so, then pray this prayer aloud:
"Heavenly Father, I believe in my heart that Jesus died on the cross for all my sins. I believe He was raised from the dead. I confess Him as Lord. Jesus, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. From this day forward, I will follow you all the days of my life. Thank You, Father. In Jesus' Name. Amen."
If you prayed that prayer, let me know.
You are now a part of God's family. And there are no illegitimate children in His family.
The devil is a liar. If he says you aren't saved, then you must be a Born-Again Believer. Don't let the devil talk you out of your salvation. Hit him with the Word.
- Annagail Lynes
Copyright © - Annagail Lynes
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I hope you enjoyed this devotional... let me know what you think!
HL
