🧠⚔️ THE BATTLE OF THE MIND
🔥 Breaking The Cycle of Sloth, Despair, and Lust🔥
Have you ever found yourself saying:
"I'll pray later..."
"I'll deal with that tomorrow..."
"One day I'll change..."
Many of life's greatest battles begin in the mind long before they appear in our actions.
Sloth delays purpose.
Despair weakens hope.
Lust distracts from God.
Procrastination keeps people trapped in cycles they desperately want to break.
But there is GOOD NEWS!
God is still restoring lives, renewing minds, and calling His people to rise again.
Join us as we explore the powerful story of Samson and discover how God's Word reveals the pathway from compromise, delay, and discouragement to freedom, restoration, and renewed purpose.
🔥 You will learn:
✅ How procrastination affects spiritual growth
✅ How sloth, despair, and lust attack the mind
✅ How to renew your mind according to God's Word
✅ How confession, accountability, and repentance bring restoration
✅ How to walk in renewed purpose and spiritual victory
AUDIOMACK: https://audiomack.com/lionsroar38/song/trapped-in-sloth-despair-or-lust-how-god-restores-a-broken-mind
DAILYMOTION: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xad4s1c
RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/v7aswhm-trapped-in-sloth-despair-or-lust-how-god-restores-a-broken-mind.html
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/cNN4UxYGMQY
📖 Proverbs 24:16 KJV For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
🔥 "Delayed obedience weakens spiritual strength, but renewed minds and surrendered hearts lead to restoration."
👉 Share this message with someone believing for a fresh start.
🌐 Visit www.lionsroar3eight.com for more Faith-filled Resources.
Shalom & Amen! #lionsroar3eight #spiritualgrowth #thetruth #christianliving #thebattleofthemind 🔥🦁🔥
🔥 Breaking The Cycle of Sloth, Despair, and Lust🔥
Have you ever found yourself saying:
"I'll pray later..."
"I'll deal with that tomorrow..."
"One day I'll change..."
Many of life's greatest battles begin in the mind long before they appear in our actions.
Sloth delays purpose.
Despair weakens hope.
Lust distracts from God.
Procrastination keeps people trapped in cycles they desperately want to break.
But there is GOOD NEWS!
God is still restoring lives, renewing minds, and calling His people to rise again.
Join us as we explore the powerful story of Samson and discover how God's Word reveals the pathway from compromise, delay, and discouragement to freedom, restoration, and renewed purpose.
🔥 You will learn:
✅ How procrastination affects spiritual growth
✅ How sloth, despair, and lust attack the mind
✅ How to renew your mind according to God's Word
✅ How confession, accountability, and repentance bring restoration
✅ How to walk in renewed purpose and spiritual victory
AUDIOMACK: https://audiomack.com/lionsroar38/song/trapped-in-sloth-despair-or-lust-how-god-restores-a-broken-mind
DAILYMOTION: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xad4s1c
RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/v7aswhm-trapped-in-sloth-despair-or-lust-how-god-restores-a-broken-mind.html
YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/cNN4UxYGMQY
📖 Proverbs 24:16 KJV For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
🔥 "Delayed obedience weakens spiritual strength, but renewed minds and surrendered hearts lead to restoration."
👉 Share this message with someone believing for a fresh start.
🌐 Visit www.lionsroar3eight.com for more Faith-filled Resources.
Shalom & Amen! #lionsroar3eight #spiritualgrowth #thetruth #christianliving #thebattleofthemind 🔥🦁🔥
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00Thank you for listening.
01:30Most people think their greatest battles happen around them.
01:33The Bible teaches us that many of our greatest battles happen within us.
01:38Long before failure becomes visible, it often begins in the mind.
01:44A delayed decision, a compromised thought, a neglected prayer life, a repeated distraction.
01:50Over time, these can grow into spiritual strongholds that rob us of peace, purpose, joy and freedom.
01:58Yet the good news is this.
02:00No matter how far someone has fallen, God's restoration is greater than their failure.
02:06Today, we will discover how sloth, despair, lust and procrastination attack the mind, how they affect our relationship with God.
02:16Most importantly, how God brings restoration, freedom, renewed purpose and victory to those who turn back to him.
02:25Because failure is never the final chapter when God is still writing that story.
02:32The battle of the mind, breaking the cycle of sloth, despair and lust.
02:39Want to know more?
02:41Hang around.
02:45Welcome, welcome to Lion's Roar 3.8 Ministries.
02:49Amos 3.8 tells us the lion has roared, who will not fear.
02:53The Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy.
02:56My name is George Magalhães and we are an apostolic ministry with a prophetic teaching edge.
03:01It is our passion, our mission to reignite, equip and release Christ-like disciples both locally and globally.
03:09We do that for our itinerant ministry, but as well as provide you with resources just like this one to
03:14help you, to aid you in your God-given calling.
03:17And today we've got a very interesting study.
03:21And the study for today that we'll be covering is the battle of the mind.
03:27The battle of the mind, which comes from the book of Proverbs, our main verse today, comes from the book
03:35of Proverbs, chapter 24, verse 16.
03:38We'll be reading from the King James Version.
03:41For a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, but the wicked shall fall into mischief.
03:55Wow, very interesting.
03:58And even more interesting is this wonderful babe sitting right next to me, which also happens to be my lovely
04:03wife, Sabrina.
04:05Hello, hello.
04:06And we've got a great study today.
04:09So if you want to be encouraged, that's why this program is called The Boost, where we boost your faith
04:15during the week.
04:16That's what we're here for.
04:18Here in Australia, it's Wednesday night, wherever you are in the world.
04:22Welcome, welcome to this program.
04:25We're here to encourage you in your faith.
04:27We're here to preach the living word of God, but also to pray for you.
04:32So if you have any prayer requests, whether it's for your business, whether it's for your family or personal requests,
04:38whatever it is, write them down or get them ready.
04:41So you can write it down on the comment section so we can get on to them and we can
04:45pray for that as well.
04:46Amen.
04:47Amen.
04:47Amen.
04:48And for those who are new, yes, my name is George.
04:52This is my lovely wife, Sabrina.
04:54We've been in ministry for now 20 years this year, full-time ministry, apart from other things.
05:00We also have a business that we started just over two, it's going to be about two years soon.
05:07So we do quite a bit, but we've been doing ministry for about 20 years.
05:12So welcome.
05:14We do pray for business people as well.
05:16We do pray for anybody who needs prayer.
05:19If you're a person of faith, if you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, that's what we're
05:24here for.
05:24If you don't, don't worry.
05:26You'll have the opportunity to do so.
05:28All right.
05:29So, Lord, we lift up your name.
05:31We lift up the name of Jesus and we thank you for your wonderful presence.
05:34We thank you, Lord, for this time.
05:36This wonderful time in your presence.
05:39Lord, we belong to you.
05:41As your word says that we are your workmanship created unto good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should
05:47walk in them.
05:48Yes, Lord.
05:48So, Lord, we thank you that we are created in your image.
05:52We are the only creation created in your image.
05:54So we are spirit beings with a body and a soul.
05:57Yes.
05:58As your word says that we are passing through this earth.
06:01Yes.
06:01We are heavenly beings passing through this earth.
06:05We've got a mission to represent you, to honor you.
06:08And that's why we give you glory and honor, Lord.
06:11Because without you, there is no life.
06:13Without you, there is no truth.
06:14Without you, there is nothing.
06:16There is no purpose.
06:18So we honor you.
06:19Yes.
06:19We thank you that you've prepared this time ahead.
06:23That your spirit of breakthrough and revelation, understanding, your miracle signs and wonders, salvations are already prepared beforehand.
06:33Thank you for the people that are watching, those that are listening, those that are hungry and thirsty.
06:40As your word says that those that are hungry and thirsty for righteousness shall be filled.
06:47So, Lord, we pray for a fresh infilling of your spirit, of your fire, a fire that cannot be quenched
06:53because your word says that our God is a consuming fire.
06:57And you say that your angels, your ministering angels are flames of fire, Lord.
07:04Thank you for the blood of Jesus.
07:06Thank you for the finished work of the cross.
07:08Thank you that you have made us, restored us, justified us, saved us as children of the living God, kings
07:15and priests, Christ ambassadors, living epistles, soldiers of the kingdom of God.
07:23Heavenly missionaries.
07:26Thank you for the temples of the Holy Spirit.
07:29Yes, Lord.
07:31So, Holy Spirit, move, move as you will.
07:35Move as you please.
07:39We thank you for amazing revelation, miracle signs and wonders.
07:44We thank you that even as we dive in into your word, Lord, Father God, that people will have testimonies
07:50of miracle signs and wonders,
07:52of deliverances, of deliverances, of healings, of miracles, in the mighty name of Jesus, for your glory, Lord.
08:03For your glory, Lord.
08:04Hallelujah.
08:06Hallelujah.
08:07All right.
08:07Let me give you, as usual, an introduction, some context to what we're going to be discussing today.
08:13Amen.
08:14Amen.
08:14All right.
08:15So, many people today are not defeated because they lack ability or intelligence or opportunity or even faith.
08:23They are defeated because of a battle is taking place within their minds.
08:31The enemy understands something many people overlook.
08:35If he can influence our thinking, he can influence our choices.
08:40If he can influence our choices, he can influence our direction.
08:45If he can influence our direction long enough, he can influence our destiny.
08:52This is why scripture repeatedly emphasizes the importance of the mind.
08:58Romans 12, 2 teaches us to be transformed through the renewing of our minds.
09:042 Corinthians 10, verse 5, instructs us to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.
09:11Philippians 4, verse 8, teaches us to intentionally focus on things that are pure, true, lovely, and praiseworthy.
09:22The battle is often won or lost long before actions are visible.
09:27Today's study focuses on three powerful enemies that frequently attack the mind.
09:35Sloth, delaying what God has called us to do.
09:39Despair, believing nothing will ever change.
09:43Lust, allowing desires to compete with God's place in our lives.
09:48Now, these three struggles often work together and produce a dangerous result.
09:55Procrastination.
09:55So, procrastination is not merely poor time management.
10:00Spiritually speaking, procrastination is delayed obedience.
10:05It causes people to postpone prayer, postpone repentance, postpone growth, postpone healing, postpone forgiveness, and postpone God's purpose.
10:15One of the clearest biblical examples of this battle is Samson,
10:21which will touch on his story quite a few times today.
10:26Chosen by God, empowered by God, called by God, yet gradually weakened through compromise, distraction, spiritual carelessness, and delayed wisdom.
10:39His life reveals both a warning and a promise.
10:43The warning is that unchecked compromise eventually leads to bondage.
10:48The promise is that genuine repentance always leaves room for restoration.
10:55So, as we study Samson's life and God's word today, we will discover how to identify these battles early.
11:04Renew our minds according to scripture, break cycles of delay and compromise, and walk again in God's strength and purpose.
11:12Because God's desire is not merely to improve our behavior.
11:17His desire is to transform our minds, restore our hearts, and establish us firmly in his will.
11:27So, the following other topics we'll be discussing today.
11:30Number one.
11:31Samson, a portrait of compromise and restoration.
11:34Number two.
11:35Sloth, when purpose is delayed.
11:38Number three.
11:39Despair, when hope grows weary.
11:41Weary.
11:42Number four.
11:43Lust, when desire competes with God.
11:46Number five.
11:47Procrastination, the battlefield of the mind.
11:50Number six.
11:50Confession, accountability, and restoration, returning to freedom.
11:55Number seven.
11:56Summary.
11:57And number eight.
11:58We'll finish as usual with a declaration prayer.
12:00Amen?
12:01Amen.
12:02You ready?
12:03Yes.
12:04Number one.
12:05Samson, a portrait of compromise and restoration.
12:08Okay, to set the stage for this study, let's start with a quick overview of Samson's life.
12:16His story spans Judges 13 to 16.
12:21Samson was chosen by God from birth, set apart as a Nazarite with supernatural strength to deliver Israel from the
12:30Philistines.
12:31Judges 13, 24 to 25 in the King James Version.
12:35And the child grew, and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to move him.
12:42Yet he wrestled with unchecked desire.
12:47Compromise and spiritual carelessness, pursuing forbidden relationships that dulled his discernment.
12:54His obsession with Delilah proved destructive.
12:58Through her manipulation, he betrayed his Nazarite vow.
13:02The Philistines captured, blinded, and imprisoned him.
13:06Judges 16, verse 21 in the King James Version.
13:10But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes.
13:14In humiliation and bondage, Samson cried out.
13:18Then Samson called to the Lord and said,
13:22O Lord God, earnestly remember me, I pray you, and strengthen me, I pray you.
13:27Only this once, O God, and let me have one vengeance upon the Philistines for both my eyes.
13:34Judges 16 to 28.
13:37Judges 16, 28, verse 28 in the Amplified Classic.
13:41So God restored him for one final victorious act.
13:46Samson's life mirrors the battles we face.
13:51Uncontrolled desire, especially in the world we're living right now.
13:55Sidelining God, given purpose, not just sexual, but craving comfort, approval, or worldly allure over obedience.
14:04Sloth weakens vigilance.
14:07Despair attacks the mind.
14:10And procrastination delays obedience.
14:13However, it also reveals that repentance and surrender can still bring restoration.
14:18So let me give you a life analogy.
14:22Excuse me.
14:23First one that we are covering is Samson, a portrait of compromise and restoration.
14:28Okay, so imagine a ship, and most ships rarely sink because of one giant wave, right?
14:36More often it sinks because small leaks are ignored for too long.
14:43At first, the water entering seems insignificant, but eventually the accumulated damage becomes overwhelming.
14:51Samson's downfall was similar.
14:53His life was not destroyed by one decision, but by a series of compromises that slowly weakened him.
15:02Yet when he finally turned back to God, restoration began.
15:07Small compromises can lead us away from God, but sincere repentance can always bring us back.
15:15Amen?
15:16Amen.
15:16All right, number two, sloth, when purpose is delayed.
15:22Sloth goes beyond mere physical laziness.
15:26It's a deeper spiritual indifference that stalls God's calling on our lives.
15:31It shows up as knowing exactly what we should do, yet repeatedly delaying obedience, prayer, discipline, personal growth, or even
15:42responsibility.
15:43A biblical foundation, you will find that these passages I'm about to talk about reveal that sloth, danger, and God's
15:53call to diligence.
15:54Proverbs chapter 6, verse 6 to 11 says this,
15:57The sluggard sleeps through summer, leaving poverty at the door, a vivid warning against wasted opportunities.
16:06Proverbs 19, verse 15 says this,
16:10Slothfulness cougheth into a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
16:22Proverbs 13, verse 4 says this,
16:25The soul of a sluggard desireth and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
16:33Sloth is often associated with these oppressive influences, split of slumber.
16:40Romans 11, verse 8,
16:43Spiritual dullness that blinds us to God's movement.
16:47And the other one is spirit of heaviness.
16:51Isaiah chapter 61, verse 3,
16:53Weariness that sap motivation and buries us in despair.
16:58So those two works together when it comes to bring forth slothfulness into a person's life.
17:03In the parable of the talents, Matthew chapter 25, verse 14 to 13,
17:08The servant buried what was untrusted to him instead of using it faithfully.
17:14Right?
17:15So he was acting like a sloth.
17:18Matthew chapter 25, verse 26 from the KJV version says this,
17:23Thou wicked and slothful servant.
17:25His problem was not simply inactivity.
17:29It was delayed responsibility.
17:33Amen?
17:34So in Samson's case, for example,
17:36Samson gradually became spiritually careless.
17:41He neglected vigilance over his calling and allowed compromise to continue unchecked.
17:47His downfall did not happen instantly.
17:49It happened through repeated spiritual neglect.
17:53Judges 16, verse 20 reveals the dangers.
17:57Reading from the Amplified Classic, she said,
17:59The Philistines are upon you, Samson.
18:02And he woke out of his sleep and said,
18:04I will go out as I have time and after time and shake myself free.
18:10For Samson did not know that the Lord had departed from him.
18:14So spiritual sloth can make a person unaware that they are drifting.
18:21Let me give you a deliverance principle here.
18:24The answer to sloth is diligence and immediate obedience.
18:29Amen.
18:30Diligence and immediate obedience.
18:33I'll give you some biblical evidence, supporting evidence.
18:36Romans 12, verse 11, reading from the Amplified Classic.
18:39Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor.
18:45Excuse me.
18:46Be aglow and burning with a spirit, serving the Lord.
18:50See, God restores momentum when his people respond in faith and obedience.
18:57Let me give you a life analogy for it, sloth.
19:00So we're talking about sloth when purpose is delayed.
19:04Imagine a person who received a valuable inheritance,
19:07but leave it untouched in a box for years.
19:11The treasure has great potential, but because it is never used, it produces no benefit.
19:18God places gifts, opportunities, responsibilities, and callings in all of our lives.
19:24Sloth delays the use of what God has entrusted to us.
19:30Diligence unlocks purpose.
19:32Delay leaves potential buried.
19:34Amen.
19:36Amen.
19:36Number three, despair when hope grows weary.
19:40All right.
19:41So despair strikes the mind with hopelessness, exhaustion, discouragement, and emotional paralysis,
19:48whispering that nothing can change.
19:52Let me give you some key scriptures here.
19:55Psalm 42, verse 11.
19:57Hope in God amidst souls' despair.
20:001 Kings 19, verse 4.
20:02Elijah's weary plea to die.
20:042 Corinthians 1, verses 8 to 10.
20:08This is not the actual verses.
20:09This is the explanation.
20:13On despair.
20:14On despair.
20:142 Corinthians 1, 8 to 10.
20:17Paul's despair beyond hope, yet rescued.
20:20Lamentations 3, verses 19 to 24.
20:23Remembering God's mercies renews hope.
20:27So despair often interwines with these oppressive influences.
20:34First one, spirit of fear.
20:362 Timothy 1, verse 7 in New King James Version.
20:40For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
20:45mind.
20:46Second, spirit of heaviness.
20:49Isaiah 61, verse 3, New King James Version.
20:52To console those who mourn in Zion.
20:55To give them beauty for ashes.
20:56The oil of joy for mourning.
20:58The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
21:02And third, broken spirit.
21:05Proverbs 17, verse 22, New King James Version.
21:15So let's look at how this corresponds to Samson, right?
21:20So we're talking about Samson and despair.
21:22After Samson lost his strength, he was captured, blinded, and humiliated.
21:28This reflected not only physical bondage, but deep emotional defeat.
21:34Yet, God was still willing to hear him when he cried out.
21:38So what is the deliverance principle for being in despair, for being in heaviness, right?
21:45The deliverance principle is this.
21:47God restores the weary through renewed dependence on him.
21:53That's the key, dependence on him.
21:54Psalm 42, verse 11, from the New King James says this.
21:59Why are you cast down, O my soul?
22:02And why are you disquieted within me?
22:05Hoping God, for I shall yet praise him, the help of my countenance and my God.
22:12See, hope begins to rise again.
22:15So it's not like it's going to happen instantaneously.
22:19Hope begins to rise again when the mind returns to God's truth.
22:25Amen.
22:26Okay, so let me give you a life analogy here for despair when hope grows weary.
22:32Take a traveler caught in a storm.
22:35They may believe the sun has disappeared forever because all he can see is a dark clouds everywhere.
22:43Yet above those clouds, the sun is still shining.
22:47Despair clouds our vision in much the same way.
22:51God's promises have not disappeared, but our circumstances may temporarily hide them from our view.
22:59So faith helps us remember that God's faithfulness remains unchanged, even when we cannot immediately see the outcome.
23:11Amen?
23:12Amen.
23:12All right, number four.
23:14Lust, when desire competes with God.
23:18Lust is a powerful internal force that begins in the heart and mind long before any outward actions occurs.
23:27While often associated with sexual sin, lust in its broader biblical sense refers to an inordinate desire or craving that
23:38distract us from God and take precedence over him in our lives.
23:44It becomes a rival to our devotion, pulling our attention, affection and priorities away from the Lord.
23:52Let me give you some biblical references for that.
23:54You will get it in Matthew chapter 5, verse 27 to 28, 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 3 to 5,
24:01because there's a lot.
24:02I'm just giving it to you one after the other.
24:04Galatians chapter 5, verse 16 to 17, James chapter 1, verse 14 to 15.
24:10Now, lust often intertwined with these oppressive influences.
24:16Spirit of hordoms, you can say, you know, sexual immorality if you want, in other words.
24:23It's found in Hosea chapter 4, verse 12 from the NKJV.
24:28My people ask counsel from their wooden idols, and their staff informs them.
24:35For the spirit of harlotry has caused them to stray, and they have played the harlot against their God.
24:43The second spirit that's intertwined with it is unclean spirit.
24:47Mark chapter 3, verse 11 from the NKJV.
24:50And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw him, fell down before him and cried out, saying, you are the sons
24:58of God.
25:00Son of God, sorry.
25:03Talking to Jesus.
25:04Yes.
25:04Yeah.
25:05Number 3, works of the flesh.
25:08Galatians chapter 5, verse 19 to 21 from the NKJV.
25:12Now, the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contention, jealousies,
25:27outbursts of wrath, selfish ambition, dissension, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, rivalries, and the like of which I tell you beforehand,
25:39just as I also told you in the time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the
25:46kingdom of God.
25:47Jesus told that sinful desire first developed within the heart and mind.
25:53Matthew chapter 5, verse 28 from the AMPC says this,
25:57But I said to you that everyone who so much as looked to a woman with evil desire for her
26:03has already committed adultery with her in her heart.
26:07So, basically, in his heart, in his, oh, I should have worn my glasses today.
26:12Although, today, it's on both sides, but anyway.
26:16Today, it's in the world we're living in.
26:18But still, I should get it right.
26:19I should have worn my glasses.
26:21Let's keep going.
26:22I apologize for that.
26:23So, unchecked desire grows stronger when compromise is entertained rather than confronted.
26:30So, in Samson's case, Samson and Lust, Samson repeatedly pursued relationships that weakened his spiritual discernment.
26:41His attraction to Delilah, for example, clouded his judgment and eventually exposed his vulnerability.
26:47His downfall came through repeated compromise and delayed wisdom.
26:53Another example, apart from Samson, was David.
26:57Remember David and Bathsheba?
26:58David's struggle with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 also began with a mental indulgence before it progressed into deeper sin.
27:08Yet, restoration came after confrontation and repentance.
27:12Psalm 51 reveals David's cry for cleansing and renewal before God.
27:16So, what is the deliverance principle here?
27:19Sin loses power when brought into repentance, confession, accountability, and surrender to God.
27:28James 1.14 tells us in the reading from the Amplified Classic.
27:32But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed, and baited by his own evil desire, lust passions.
27:40Galatians 5.16, the New King James Version.
27:43I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
27:48Let me give you a life analogy.
27:51So, we are talking about lust when desire competes with God.
27:55A magnet placed near a compass will slowly pull the needle away from true north.
28:02The compass still works, but its direction becomes distorted.
28:07Lust functions similarly in the heart.
28:10Whether it's sexual, temptation, greed, pride, comfort, approval, or worthy ambition,
28:17it gradually pulls our focus away from God.
28:21Only by continually realigning ourselves with God's truth can we stay on course.
28:31Number five, procrastination, the battlefield of the mind.
28:34All right, so sloth, despair, and lust are deeply connected to procrastination in the mind.
28:43Sloth delays responsibility.
28:47Despair delays hope.
28:49Lust delays repentance and self-control.
28:53The enemy often works through delay.
28:57Later, I will pray.
28:58Later, I will change.
29:00Later, I will repent.
29:01Later, I will obey.
29:03The enemy speaks to the mind, and when those thoughts are entertained,
29:09they reach the heart and eventually bleed through our actions or inactions.
29:14That's why we have sins of omission and sins of commission.
29:17But delayed obedience weakens spiritual strength.
29:21Proverbs 14, verse 12, reading from the Amplified Classic.
29:25There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him,
29:29but at the end of it is the way of death.
29:32True victory requires more than behavior modification.
29:37The mind must be renewed, Romans 12, verse 2, before actions can change consistently.
29:43Not like the world talks about today where it's all about pandering and comforting the offender.
29:51That person will never, never be set free.
29:54If anything, you just keep digging yourself deeper and deeper into a hole.
29:57That's right.
29:57Or even when counselors, and I do have respect for counselors out there.
30:03I did some counseling course before.
30:05All that counselors nowadays are saying to people, you know, just replace what's bothering you with something else.
30:11But that is not dealing with the root of the problem.
30:14But the word of God deals with the root of the problem.
30:17Keep going there.
30:18Kind of like some drugs, you know, the type of drugs that pharmaceutical companies like to give you,
30:24like a subscription where it cures one bit, but then it ruins another.
30:28You subscribe to it.
30:31But God's way is different.
30:33So by confronting lustful thoughts, slothful tendencies, and despairing feelings early,
30:40and choosing immediate obedience over delay, we break the cycle of procrastination
30:45and keep God first in our hearts and lives.
30:48Amen.
30:49As 2 Corinthians 10 verses 3 to 5 reminds us, reading from the New King James Version,
30:55bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
31:02Now, before I give you a life analogy, I just want to make it clear.
31:05It doesn't mean that you will always do everything perfect.
31:08Remember that.
31:09You are growing.
31:10We are all growing.
31:11We're all going through a journey.
31:12Nobody's perfect.
31:13But if your heart is in the right place, if your intention is to follow Jesus,
31:18there will be falls, there will be mistakes.
31:22But you'll get up.
31:23You'll get up again.
31:24That's what we talked about just before, the righteous fall.
31:28So many times.
31:28So many times, but we get up again.
31:31So long as we keep getting up, we become more and more submitted to God.
31:37God will continue to change, work in us, and make us more like Jesus.
31:41That's right.
31:41Okay, so let me give you a life analogy for procrastination, the battlefield of the mind.
31:46Imagine a small crack in a dam.
31:48At first, it appears insignificant and easy to ignore.
31:52But if left unattended, pressure builds until the crack becomes a major breach.
31:58Procrastination often begins with small delays.
32:02Later, seems harmless until those delays become habits.
32:06Immediate obedience repairs the crack before greater damage occurs.
32:11Okay, number six.
32:13Confession, accountability, and restoration.
32:17Returning to freedom.
32:19Amen.
32:19So one of the enemy's most effective strategies is silence and isolation.
32:26Hidden struggles grow in the dark.
32:29What we refuse to bring into the light gains more power over us and keep us trapped in cycles of
32:35lust, sloth, despair, and procrastination.
32:40Confession breaks our agreement with darkness.
32:43Remove the enemy's legal ground for accusing us and empowers us to walk in freedom.
32:50Yes, confession.
32:51Confess it unto God.
32:52And if needed, look and be accountable with someone in your church, as in your pastor or someone in leadership.
33:02Accountability provides spiritual protection by inviting trusted believers to stand with us and help us to stay on the right
33:10path.
33:11Right?
33:11It's a check.
33:13Willingness to repent opens the door for genuine restoration and renewed strength.
33:20Confession is not merely a form of correction or punishment.
33:24No.
33:25It's not to just say, look, look how bad this person is.
33:28No.
33:28It is a powerful step into liberty.
33:32When we confess our sins to God, he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all
33:38unrighteousness.
33:391 John 1.9
33:40This cleansing breaks the chain of shame, guilt, so that no accusation from the enemy can incapacitate us.
33:51As Romans chapter 8 verse 1 declares,
33:54There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
33:59What was once a source of weakness becomes a testimony of God's redeeming grace.
34:06Every hidden sin becomes a foothold for guilt, shame, and accusation for the enemy.
34:14An open door for even for you to get sick or for poverty, for whatever it is to creep in.
34:22But when sin is honestly confessed, it becomes a place where God's grace can enter.
34:28Healing begins and freedom is released.
34:32So in Samson's case, in Samson's story, the life of Samson shows that the Lord still responds to humility and
34:42sincere surrender.
34:43After years of compromise and ultimate defeat, Samson cried out from a place of total weakness.
34:48Oh Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, Judges 16.28
34:55God heard his prayer and restored his strength one last time.
34:59This reminds us that no failure is final when we turn back to God with an honest heart.
35:07Restoration is always available to the one who is willing to confess, no matter how bad it is.
35:14Humble themselves and seek the Lord again.
35:18So let me give you a life analogy on confession, accountability, and restoration, returning to freedom.
35:24That's what we are talking about now.
35:26So a person hiking through dangerous terrain is far safer when traveling with experienced companion.
35:34Others can warn of dangers, offer guidance, and provide support when challenges arise.
35:41See, God never intended us to fight every battle alone.
35:46Confession brings things into light.
35:49Accountability provides protection.
35:51And godly relationships, I said godly, so make sure you have discernment there,
35:56help keep us moving towards freedom and restoration.
36:01Amen?
36:02Amen.
36:02Number seven, summary.
36:04Summary.
36:05All right, so we've covered quite a bit.
36:07I encourage you to go back and listen to it again.
36:10Yes.
36:11It is a fairly simple, basic introduction on this topic.
36:17But let us give you a summary of what, of the main points we covered today.
36:22All right?
36:23So the greatest spiritual battles often begin in the mind long before they become visible in our actions.
36:31Samson's life teaches that repeated compromise weakens discernment, but genuine repentance opens the door to restoration.
36:40Sloth delays God's purpose by postponing obedience, diligence, and spiritual responsibility.
36:47Despair clouds hope and distort perspective, but God's promises remain true regardless of circumstances.
36:55Last begins as misplaced desire and grows stronger when compromise is entertained rather than confronted.
37:05Procrastination is often delayed obedience, allowing small compromises to become larger strongholds.
37:13Lasting transformation comes through renewing the mind with God's word, not merely modifying behavior.
37:21Confession, accountability, humility, and repentance break the power of secrecy and create room for healing and freedom.
37:29And no failure is final when a person sincerely returns to God.
37:35God's grace restores, strengthens, and establishes those who place their trust in Him.
37:41Number eight, declaration prayer.
37:43Okay, as usual, we tell you, just listen first, and if you agree with the prayer, declaration prayer, then you
37:50can listen to it again, or you can accept it.
37:52Or you can type Amen.
37:53Later on, yes, type Amen.
37:56Later on, you can declare it together, as in with the video, with us.
38:01Amen?
38:02All right, so just be in an attitude of receiving.
38:06All right, so Heavenly Father, we come before you first with thanksgiving.
38:11Thank you for your mercy, your patience, and your grace that continually call us back to you.
38:16Thank you that even when we fall, you restore us.
38:20Lord, renew our minds and strengthen our spirits.
38:24Where there has been sloth, awaken diligence within us.
38:28Where there has been despair, restore hope within us.
38:32Where there has been lust or compromise, cleanse and strengthen us through your Spirit.
38:39Teach us, Lord, not to delay obedience.
38:42Help us to walk in vigilance, discipline, humility, and truth.
38:46And deliver us from procrastination of the mind and every distraction that pulls away from your purpose.
38:54Give us courage to confess what we must confess, wisdom to walk in accountability, and willingness to obey you immediately.
39:02Lord, we declare that we will rise again through the strength of God.
39:07We declare that hopelessness will not rule us.
39:10Compromise will not destroy us.
39:12And delay will not stop our purpose.
39:16We declare that the Lord restores, strengthens, and establishes His people.
39:20We will walk fervently in spirit, steadfast in faith, and faithful in our calling.
39:29In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.
39:32Amen and amen.
39:34Glory to God.
39:35Hallelujah.
39:36Hallelujah.
39:37And if you are watching this for the very first time, if you have not made Jesus Christ your Lord
39:43and Savior, I want you to listen to this because this is very important.
39:46This is not just some coincidence.
39:47This is a divine appointment.
39:49In the Word of God, it tells us in 1 John 5, 4 to 5,
39:52For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
39:55How many of us want to overcome the world?
39:58Overcoming the sense of to be on top, not to feel like your life is always being controlled, like you're
40:05in a matrix system where only a few of the chosen ones have access to things.
40:12We are in like a rat race.
40:15You want to overcome that.
40:17Well, the Word of God tells us, For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
40:21And this is the victory that has overcome the world.
40:24Our faith.
40:26Now, everybody puts their faith in something or someone.
40:29You may say, I'm an atheist.
40:31Even that statement alone, you're putting faith in that statement.
40:34You're putting faith in the fact that you don't believe in anything, which is quite bizarre because you can't keep
40:41your mind empty of anything.
40:44So you have to believe in something.
40:47Everybody puts their faith in something or someone.
40:49So the Word of God goes on to say, Who is he who overcomes the world?
40:52But he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
40:57No one else.
40:58Jesus Christ.
41:00Jesus Christ is the only way, the truth, and the life.
41:04There is no other way to be saved but through Jesus Christ.
41:09So John 3, 16 to 17 is very clear.
41:12And he tells us a lot of people tend to quote just John 3, 16, but we forget about 17.
41:18For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.
41:21This is talking about Father God, the creator of all the universe.
41:24That Jesus Christ said, You know what?
41:26I'll go.
41:28I'll die in their place so they can be saved.
41:31So he gave his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting
41:38life.
41:39This is not a cruel God.
41:41This is a loving God, a gracious God.
41:44Yes.
41:45The Word of God goes on to say then in verse 17, For God did not send his Son into
41:50the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
41:55See, right there is grace, is love, is purity, is truth.
42:04That part where it says might is because of you.
42:07It's up to you because God gives you a choice.
42:09He cannot force you.
42:10Well, he doesn't want to force you.
42:13He can do anything he wants, but he won't force you.
42:17If you say no to Jesus, if you say no to God, then you won't be saved.
42:22It's as simple as that.
42:23It's not God sending you to hell.
42:24You're sending yourself wherever you want to go.
42:27That's the truth.
42:27And I was on that way.
42:29I was heading that way.
42:32But I thank God for the opportunity he gave me.
42:34And I said, You know what?
42:35I can't do it on my own.
42:37I can't live this world on my own.
42:38I need God to overcome this world.
42:41Then he ended up giving me a bonus right here.
42:44And the three children we have.
42:45Amen?
42:46So 1 John 1 verse 9 goes on to say what you need to do.
42:51If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
42:56unrighteousness.
42:57And sin in the most simplistic definition is not what the world keeps making it out.
43:02Sin in the most simplistic definition is when you do bad stuff.
43:06Yes, that's a baby version.
43:08But the simple definition is when we try to live our lives without God, we were not created to live
43:13without God.
43:14When you try to live without God, what you do is you're going to damage your life and you're going
43:17to damage everyone around you.
43:18It's the truth.
43:19Because if you're not following God, you're following the other side.
43:22That's right.
43:23That's the truth.
43:24And you will just create damage after damage.
43:28It becomes like a snowball.
43:30But if you confess your sins, you cry out to God and say, you know what?
43:33I've been doing this, this, this, this, this, this, Lord.
43:35I can't take any more.
43:36I need your help.
43:38I need you to save me.
43:40He is the best prayer you can pray.
43:42So as you can see on the screen, Romans 10 verses 9 to 10 clearly shows us what you need
43:48to do.
43:49If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from
43:53the dead, you will be saved.
43:56See, there's the guaranteed, guaranteed that I was talking about before.
44:00That might part is only if you decide not to accept him.
44:02But if you decide to accept him, you will be saved.
44:05For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
44:10So there is no generic prayer.
44:12You cry out.
44:13You have to intentionally mean it.
44:15You cry out to Jesus in a most simplistic, but it has to come from your heart.
44:20I can't remember the exact prayer that I prayed, but I prayed something along the lines.
44:24You know what?
44:25I can't take it anymore.
44:26I need you, Jesus.
44:27I need you to be my Lord.
44:29I need you to guide me in my life.
44:30From this day forward, I give you my life.
44:32Use it for your glory.
44:34Thank you for dying on that cross for me.
44:36And thank you that I'm a new creation now in Jesus' name.
44:39It's as simple as that.
44:40And God will restore you, will save you, and you become part of the kingdom family again.
44:46But it doesn't end there.
44:47That's why I've got other verses up on the screen.
44:50Titus 3 verse 5, Ephesians 2 verse 8, Acts 1 verse 8.
44:53There's a mixture there, all put together.
44:55Then you get saved.
44:57Saved by grace through faith.
45:00Grace, God's part.
45:01Faith, your part.
45:02Not that you play a part in getting saved.
45:05But what the Word of God is telling us there is that it requires you to put faith in that
45:12gift.
45:12In what Jesus completed.
45:14If you don't have faith, you're not going to be saved.
45:17You need to put your faith in Jesus Christ and the finished work of Jesus Christ.
45:22And by doing so, you receive that gift of grace.
45:26The gift of salvation.
45:28The gift of God.
45:29As the Word of God says.
45:31And you can see on the screen.
45:32The gift of God washing away our sins.
45:34And giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
45:37That's another gift called the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire.
45:42And you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
45:45And you'll be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere.
45:51That is amazing.
45:52All you need to do is cry out to God.
45:56And if you cry out to Jesus right now.
45:58And you may Jesus your Lord and Savior.
46:00Congratulations.
46:00Welcome back to the kingdom family.
46:02But it doesn't end there.
46:03And now you cry out to Him from a hungry heart.
46:06You cry out to God and say, Lord.
46:10Actually, let's do it together.
46:11Amen.
46:12Let's do it together.
46:13Lord, right now, I thank you for my brother.
46:15I thank you for my sister throughout the world right now.
46:18That are crying out to you.
46:19Even those that are already Christians.
46:20But they are rededicating their lives.
46:24Rededicating their hearts to you, Lord.
46:28Together we say, yes, Lord.
46:29We want the joy of your indwelling Holy Spirit.
46:32Lord, send fire.
46:34A revival fire.
46:35Set us a light for you, Lord.
46:38Baptize us with your spirit and fire.
46:44That we may be fervent, righteous, holy, pure, powerful ambassadors of Christ.
46:56That we may represent you in this world, Lord.
46:59Perfectly.
47:02Walking after the spirit, not after the flesh.
47:04Living by faith and not by sight.
47:08Conquering and going on conquering for the kingdom of God.
47:12Releasing the kingdom of heaven on earth as it is in heaven.
47:16In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray.
47:19Amen.
47:20Amen and amen.
47:22Congratulations.
47:23Welcome to the kingdom, family.
47:25As always, we encourage you because it's very important.
47:28The Bible does tell us to never neglect fellowship.
47:31So it's important that you get connected with the Bible teaching, Holy Spirit filled church.
47:35And guys and girls, brothers and sisters, there is no perfect church.
47:39As soon as you walk in there, it's not perfect anymore.
47:42It's the truth.
47:43There's only one perfect one, and that's Jesus Christ.
47:46And even then, he still shows us grace.
47:48So just realize that.
47:50But get connected with the church.
47:52It's very important.
47:53You cannot walk this journey alone.
47:55You need each other.
47:56You need brothers and sisters in Christ.
47:59You need faith.
48:00And it also provides you a safe place or safer place than the world that we live in to grow,
48:08to serve, to be served,
48:09to grow in your walk with God, in your faith, in your understanding of who you are and who God
48:16is.
48:17Amen.
48:17Amen.
48:18If you need help with that, send us a message.
48:20Send us an email.
48:21We'll be glad to help you.
48:23Just let us know where you live.
48:25You don't have to give us the whole address, just the area.
48:27And we can look up a church for you and send you an email to help you in that case.
48:33If you need any prayer requests, you can send us a message.
48:36That's what our website is for, www.lionsrule38.com.
48:41You can check that out.
48:42That's also available on all the social media platforms that we have.
48:45We've got close to 1,000.
48:47I know I've been saying that for months, but it is very close to 1,000 resources, videos, teachings.
48:54You've got a lot of things that you can access.
48:56Use them wisely.
48:57You can use them in your cell groups.
48:58You can use them in your churches.
49:00Get the consent of your pastors, of course, because we are here working together with
49:04the body of Christ.
49:05We're not here competing.
49:06This is not a separate church.
49:09We are the church.
49:11Amen.
49:12So we're here to work in cooperation with the body of Christ.
49:15All right.
49:16We're going to finish, actually, with a blessed prayer.
49:19We're going to bless you with Colossians.
49:23I love this prayer.
49:24So Colossians 1, 9 to 13.
49:28Amen.
49:30For this reason, we also, from the day we heard of it, have not ceased to pray and make
49:36special requests for you, asking that you may be filled with a full, deep and clear knowledge
49:41of his will, in all spiritual wisdom, in comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God, and
49:49in understanding and discernment of spiritual things, that you may walk, live, and conduct
49:54yourselves in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him and desiring to please
49:58him in all things, bearing fruit in every good work and steadily growing and increasing
50:04in and by the knowledge of God, with fuller, deeper and clearer insight, acquaintance, and
50:11recognition.
50:12We pray that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of his
50:18glory, to exercise every kind of endurance and patience, perseverance and forbearance
50:23with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified and made us fit to share the
50:29portion, which is the inheritance of the saints, God's holy people in the light.
50:33The Father has delivered and drawn us to himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness
50:39and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of his love.
50:43In Jesus' name, amen.
50:45Amen and amen.
50:47God bless you all.
50:48Thank you again for all the partners.
50:50Thank you for those that are praying for us.
50:52Pray for the ministry.
50:53Pray for us because this isn't just a normal nine to five job.
50:57There is a lot of spiritual attacks.
50:59There is a lot of attacks.
51:01Let's just say that.
51:04Many types of attacks.
51:05So we are very grateful for your prayers.
51:09Yes.
51:09Keep us in your prayers.
51:10It'll be great.
51:11And thank you once again.
51:13And God bless you all.
51:14Have a good week.
51:15Be encouraged.
51:16And we'll see you next week.
51:17Shalom, shalom.
51:20Shalom.
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