Making a list of stolen goods

If you have ever been the unfortunate victim of a burglary, then it would be important to make a list of exactly what items of value had been stolen in order to inform the police and the insurance company.
It is vital to put on paper a list of things which have been stolen.
This is not too difficult a task, because the earrings or clothing or items of furniture are tangible. You can touch & and see that they are missing.
But in other areas of our lives theft may not seem so noticeable.

1.Health.
If you find it harder to walk without getting out of breath, doctors will tell you that’sit’s normal. It’s just old age.
If your eyesight is not as sharp as it used to be, that’s just old age.
That’s the standard answer that everyone accepts.
But should we as Christians believe this?

Let’s look at 2 passages in scripture which I believe and enforce.

Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits—
3 who forgiveth all your iniquities, who healeth all your diseases,
4 who redeemeth your life from destruction, who crowns your with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 who satisfieth your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Ps. 103:1-5
Every year all eagles lose old feathers and grow new ones.
What a blessing.

But for us this promise of renewed health apparently isn’t as automatic as we would have hoped it would be. We start to ‘feel old’. So there must be other factors involved.

The prophet Isaiah sheds more light on the subject of youth renewal:
Have you not known? Have you not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, faints not, neither is weary?
29 He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall;
31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
It is those who live close to God and spend time with Him through prayer and worship, who qualify for this promise.
In the Apostle’s letter to Rome I discovered that just like the Holy Spirit can cause ’fruit’ or beneficial change in our lives (Gal.5:22,23); the devil’s evil spirits are bearing ‘death’ fruit.This death fruit destroys our organs.
When we were living in the flesh, the sinful passions were constantly operating in our bodily organs so that we bore fruit for death. Rom 7:5 AMPC
This is a truth that the Apostle discovered as to why his bodily organs were starting to malfunction.
Without our being aware of it spirits of death are at work in our joints, our brain , our heart etc.
God’s will for us is health – physical, mental and emotional.
2.Finances
Are in in constant lack of finances? Most believers struggle with paying their bills, never mind taking a family holiday.
Scripture promises that: “My God shall supply all your need according to hIs riches in Christ. Phil 4:19
If for you a spirit of debtand lack is keeping you in a constant struggle to make ends meet the devil is stealing from you.
Again list your financial needs and difficulties in detail.

3.Family relations

Too many Christian homes have been ripped apart by divorce or children have been born into unmarried couples. Arguments then arise between family members and loss of close affection results. People no longer talk to each other and the family becomes dysfunctional.
List those family members or friends with whom you have no contact and bring that list to the Lord. Prodigals are your family members which the devil has stolen (read Luke 15:11-32)

4. Our self image.
This is a favorite target for the thief. But what is self image?
It is the way we see ourselves and how we think other see us.
The way we dress, the way we talk about ourselves, the relationships we choose, our career and our relationship with God are all affected.

Various things can have caused a poor self image:
• Words spoken over us by significant people, (parents, teachers, peers).
• Abandonment of parent or spouse.
• Divorce.
• Abuse.
• Rejection.
• Constant comparison with a sibling.
• Being brought up in a home full of turmoil and strife.
• Unfaithful marriage partner.
• Rape.
• Being ridiculed or made fun of.

Satan’s plan since we were born has been to install in us a low self esteem We don’t feel worthy to receive God’s promises and this stops us from fulfilling the plan of God for our lives. The devil is an evil genius and has been stealing from men and women for many years. Once however, you realise the extent of theft you are on the brink of taking back what he stole from you.

[Andrea-fbl]

Thank you Reverend for this message, it is so timely for me, this doesn't get spoken about enough, and we struggle not knowing how to fight back the thief. I think it is very accurate when they say the biggest trick the devil pulled on the world was to make it believe it didn't exist. We blame the flesh, earthy things when in reality it is spiritual forces we battle against. Thanks for helping point out the thief hiding in plain sight.