Striving To Be "Christ-Like"!

God said to him, “Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel." - Genesis 35:10 Jacob not only gets a new name in this scenario; he gets a new identity. Jacob means “heel-grabber,” “supplanter” or “deceiver.” But Israel, his new name, means “triumphant with God.” You would expect that from this point forward Scripture would refer to him by his new name, Israel. But if you keep reading, you will see that for the rest of his life he is called both Israel…and Jacob. I have often wondered, “Why would God give him a new name if he was still going to use the name Jacob?” And I realized, it is probably because change is complicated. Just because you have a transformed life does not mean that you are not going to have the same struggles. It is a process. God may call you Israel, but you will still feel and act like Jacob sometimes. I just want you to know that God is comfortable in the conflict. He's not intimidated by your inadequacies. You kn...

The enemy is doing everything he can to keep God's people tired, exhausted, bogged down, overwhelmed, opressed and depressed... as the enemy's time shortens he works overtime. But, for those who are truly saved and looking for God it will soon all be over, so hold on just a little bit longer. I feel the tug in the air when it comes to the tug-a-war that goes on between the enemy's angels and God's angels over people's souls. I can feel it in my spirit and though it leaves me drained, I continue to trust GOD in all things. I have faced and fought one of the greatest spiritual battles of my life, in years past, but I made it through much stronger and God shaped me up so that I am now truly ready for His return. In the end of that battle, I learned how to keep my mouth shut and pray admist false accusations, through being set up, and to forgive others who did not and will not apologize and were not even sorry. I begin to realize what Jesus went through on His way to th...