Archive for the category 'out of the box'
May 29th, 2010
“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, be very careful not to imitate the detestable customs of the nations living there. For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. But you must be blameless before the Lord your God. The nations you are about to displace consult sorcerers and fortune-tellers, but the Lord your God forbids you to do such things.” Deuteronomy 18:9-14
Back in the “Dark Ages” – before I knew anything about being a Christian – I was fascinated with all things spiritual. My library was mostly popular mystery novels, with heavy emphasis on the paranormal. I could make the planchette on a Quija Board fly through the letters, answering any question I chose to ask. I bragged about a sort of sixth sense, that I referred to as being ‘fey’ – partly because of my Celtic ancestry and partly because it got the attention I was seeking when I went out with the girls.
At the time I was working in a large insurance office surrounded by women of varying belief systems. And many of them were also fascinated with the paranormal. So much so, in fact, that they were spending coffee breaks and personal time charting their Horoscopes and making plans to attend a “parapsychology course” at the local University as a group.
One of these women thought of herself as an astrologer. Her library included many volumes on the paranormal, plus one huge book teaching “how to chart your own horoscope.” This was the book she loaned to me over a long holiday weekend so I could “chart” my horoscope.
I took the book and the charts home and spent most of the weekend trying to accomplish a horoscope that would foretell my future. Somewhere in all that reading one sentence jumped off the page and seared itself into my conscience as if highlighted in florescent yellow marker. Do not become involved in the occult.
On Tuesday morning I gave the book back to Penny and told her what I had accomplished; the warning I had been given. She looked at me as though I’d lost my mind and stated flatly, “Ellen, that is NOT possible. I’ll re-chart your horoscope myself and prove it to you.”
Early the following Monday she handed me her version of my “correct” horoscope with these words: “There is nothing anywhere in my books that warns against becoming involved in the occult. Nothing!”
But I know what I saw! I can close my eyes and see it to this day.
Hindsight is 20/20.
Today I know if I had continued along the path I was following, deeper and deeper into the occult, my life would be very, very different than it is now. God has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to the occult. He showed me how He feels about it before I ever cried out to Him for help; asking Him to guide and protect me.
Earlier this week, I was reminded of the warning God gave me so many years ago. And this morning in our Bible study time D read this devotional from Neil Anderson:
[Quote]“The lure of the occult is almost always on the basis of acquiring knowledge or power. We desire the power that comes from unusual insight and a knowledge of the unknown. We want to experience a power that is spiritual and supernatural in origin. In a sense these are God-given desires, but they are intended to be fulfilled by the knowledge and power which comes from God. However, Satan is busy trying to pass off his counterfeits for God’s knowledge and power as the real thing. If he can get you to accept his versions of knowledge and power, he has a foothold in your life.
“The lure of satanic knowledge and power is nothing new. God’s people have been warned against it from the earliest times. The command in Deuteronomy 18:9-12 is as viable for us today as it was for the Israelites under Moses’ leadership. We live in a contemporary Canaan where it is socially acceptable to consult spiritists, mediums, palm-readers, psychic counselors and horoscopes for supernatural insights and abilities.
“This was clearly brought home to me while I was finishing my doctorate in a class I took on business forecasting. One of the men in the class presented a paper describing a scenario of the future he had researched. He excitedly explained that we were on the threshold of new frontiers in the mind: astral projection, telepathic images, levitation, etc. This public school principal was promoting New Age and the occult and the other class members were eating it up.
“After the class had enjoyed several minutes of lively discussion I asked, “In all your exploration of your subject, did you ever ask yourself if it is right for people to get involved in it?’
“’Oh, I’m not interested in whether it’s right or not,” he replied. “I just know it works.’
“’I have no question that it works,” I argued. “The question we need to answer is not whether or not it works, but whether or not it’s right. What you are presenting is as old as Bible history.’
Prayer: Create in me a constant thirst for knowing You, Lord, and a readiness to recognize and reject Satan’s counterfeits.” [Close Quote]
After agreeing with this closing prayer we opened the Word to Deuteronomy 18 and read the whole chapter again. And at this point I have to say – I know it works, too. And I know why it works! It works because the enemy knows how gullible human beings can be; he also knows how God feels about having His kids play around in the satanic. God’s Word tells me he [satan] prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone he may devour.
We live in a world where thousands upon thousand of “Christians” are being devoured by seemingly innocent practices. These innocent practices have their roots firmly planted in satan’s realm and will eventually lead those who follow them deeper and deeper into enemy territory, cutting off the flow of grace and favor God offers every one of His kids.
I am reminded that satan counterfeiting God’s power is not a new problem. The first century church dealt with it, too. In Acts we are told: “Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect. Acts 19:18-20 (New Living Translation)
My personal prayer today is for the “Christians” among my family and friends who are being deceived and devoured by the occult. I believe the Word that tells me, “if the Son shall set you free, you shall be free indeed.” And I ask God for freedom for every Christian falling deeper and deeper into seemingly innocent occult practices. I ask, in Jesus name, set them free, Lord. Set them free.
May 16th, 2010
Then the Lord answered me,
“Write the vision.
Make it clear on tablets
so that anyone can read it quickly.
The vision will still happen at the appointed time.
It hurries toward its goal.
It won’t be a lie.
If it’s delayed, wait for it.
It will certainly happen.
It won’t be late.
Habakkuk 2:2-3 (GOD’S WORD Translation)
God requires that we make our relationship with Him our highest priority. He has promised with covenant faithfulness to respond. “All these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33
Habakkuk invites us to add action to our faith. I take that to mean set aside a regular time and place that is Holy to the Lord. Spend time listening for His Word as I read and study scripture. Be faithful in daily prayers – for others as well as for myself. Then write the vision. Write it clearly. Document those things the Lord speaks directly into my spirit or makes more alive to my heart. For years I have recorded the promises He brings into sharp focus for me and I hold fast to them…knowing they will come to pass.
It is always a source of amazement to me, when I read through some of my old journal pages, how faithful and loving God is with me. With ME! Personally! My journal pages are stored away in a file box, and they go back to the early 80s. In those pages I poured out my heart and soul, talking to my Abba Father about everything and anything. Every so often something comes to mind that God showed me or helped with and I go dig out the box and sift through the pages until I find that particular gem. The thing is…I can never stop with just one thing. My journal pages are a treasure trove of God’s amazing love and understanding – poured out for me personally.
I must confess, there are some huge gaps in my journal. There have been times, weeks and sometimes even months on end, when the last thing I wanted to do was take the stuff going on in my life to my Abba Father. There have been times when I was sooo angry with Him for the stuff He allowed to happen in my life I simply decided “What’s the use in praying? He’s going to do what He’s going to do anyway. Praying about it doesn’t matter!” There have been times when I’ve simply ignored my journal, and the Word, and God. Having a pity party. Pouting. Being rebellious.
Here’s some really good news! God, loving, gentle, wonderful, Father that He is, ignores my temper tantrums, my pity parties and my pouting.
So…when I go back to my journal, ask His forgiveness, and tell Him what’s been bugging me…He fixes it. Perfectly. Every time! I think that’s probably the reason David wrote the 34th Psalm. I know that’s the reason I wrote about Bootsey (that’s little e) and her picnic.
Write the vision…make it plain. Read it as you run and all your days will be Wonderful.
March 26th, 2010
Psalm 34 NLT
I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.
Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened;
he saved me from all my troubles.
For the angel of the Lord is a guard;
he surrounds and defends all who fear him.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
Fear the Lord, you his godly people,
for those who fear him will have all they need.
Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.
Come, my children, and listen to me,
and I will teach you to fear the Lord.
Does anyone want to live a life
that is long and prosperous?
Then keep your tongue from speaking evil
and your lips from telling lies!
Turn away from evil and do good.
Search for peace, and work to maintain it.
The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right;
his ears are open to their cries for help.
But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil;
he will erase their memory from the earth.
The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help.
He rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;
he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
The righteous person faces many troubles,
but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.
For the Lord protects the bones of the righteous;
not one of them is broken!
Calamity will surely overtake the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
But the Lord will redeem those who serve him.
No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
God’s will for the lives of His children is PEACE, love and joy in all circumstances. When you’re losing your spiritual battles your life is going to be a MESS, because when the enemy’s forces are winning love, joy and peace are destroyed.
Think of the pictures you’ve seen of Europe after Hitler’s invasion forces went through the towns and villages. Everything lovely, beautiful, serene and peaceful was destroyed. The results of satan’s forces invading our lives is exactly the same. There is, however, one major difference; the victims of war in the natural have little or no choice in the matter. In the natural realm, victims of war can only flee the invading troops, or as in the “Diary of Anne Frank,” hide from them. In our war against the spiritual forces of evil – we can choose PEACE.
How many of you understand that LOVE is a choice? Have you ever said, “God, I don’t even like that person. But, in Christ, because you command me to, I can and will forgive and love them”?
Joy and peace are choices too. YOU choose to walk in peace and joy, or not. You are the one who determines how joyful or peaceful each and every day will be.
Look again at Psalm 34, verse 13 & 14, “Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies! Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it.”
Think about it! Your words set the tone of how each day will go. You choose your words and your choice determines whether you will respond in fear, anger, or frustration. Your choice of words determines if you will fight against the enemy’s lies rather than against someone you love, and who loves you. And you choose whether your words will be negative or complaining instead of thankful and positive.
Peace is a choice. Every day. Sometimes ever hour. Sometimes minute by minute. To be a winner in the spiritual battle against the enemy’s forces of evil you must learn to walk in the way of peace.
Remember I told you earlier we ‘fought the good fight of faith’ for our lives and for James’ soul? Let me describe that battle for you in more detail.
After James spoke to the demonic voice that was demanding he get his gun and kill us, he tried to protect himself, and us. He grabbed the .45, took it apart and deliberately sprayed so much WD-40 into the barrel that even if he was forced to put it back together and tried to fire it the gun would explode in his hands. He broke down the rifle and did the same thing, then he jumped into bed, pulled the covers over his head so he could not see his enemy, and fell almost instantly into a fitful sleep. All through the remainder of that awful night he dreamed of running to our room, pounding on our door and screaming for help. He wanted to be free from the evil that he had invited to control his life.
The next day as he told us what he had experienced he had NO doubt about the reality of the evil he had encountered. The dreams and/or visions left him exhausted, but as night came he was terrified of going to sleep in case the voice materialized again and forced him, somehow, to complete his grisly assignment.
Dick said, “Go to bed and rest. Nothing will harm you or disturb your sleep. I will stand guard.”
We prayed with him for a good night’s rest and protection from the enemy. He went to bed and very quickly was sound asleep.
Dick and I took our Bibles into the family room and sat down to pray. We looked at each other in awe, then slowly and prayerfully Dick began to recite the twenty-third Psalm….
The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want (say it with me, won’t you?)
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell[a] in the house of the LORD
Forever.
As we finished, the peace of Christ settled down over us. It was about ten o’clock.
We quietly watched and prayed through the night. We knew God’s warriors were in battle for our lives.
About 1:30 I fell asleep on the floor. About 4:00 Dick woke me. “It’s Okay! We can go to bed now. It’s over.”
The next morning James gave his life to Christ.
The battle is NOT yours but God’s.
Be aware of His warriors. Be aware of the power of His Word and CHOOSE to seek His peace and pursue it! Give him all your cares and worries. YOUR GOD REIGNS!
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
The Lord is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.
So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the Lord.
Lamentations 3:22-26 (NLT)
THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU; THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE TO SHINE UPON YOU, AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU; THE LORD LIFT HIS CONENANCE UPON YOU AND GIVE YOU PEACE!
March 25th, 2010
Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Colossians 3:10-15 NLT
Paul wrote to the Colossian church members of a transformed walk. The words of 3:15 can be translated “let the peace of Christ be umpire” or “have the final ruling in your heart.” To the church at Corinth he said, in the middle of a discourse on marriage, “For God has called us to peace.” 1 Corinthians 7:15
The recipients of the Roman letter were, among other things, embroiled in controversy over which foods were lawful for those newly converted to eat. The Apostle Paul told them, “The Kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Let us then pursue what makes for peace and mutual up building.” In the same letter, regarding the rules governing the use of spiritual gifts he wrote, “God is not a god of confusion, but of peace.” Romans 14:17, 33
I could go on and on, following the theme of God’s peace, but you have Bibles with concordances and cross references, too. You can study this idea out thoroughly for yourselves.
Just be aware of what we’ve read here – in the face of FEAR, FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, FIGHTS and FRUSTRATIONS – we are told to seek PEACE. We are to pursue PEACE, and leave the battles to GOD!
So dear friends, that means every time the messengers of hell start talking about the same old battles you’ve been fighting since shortly after you became a Christian, you are to seek peace. Pursue peace. Chase it down and hold on to it, no matter how hard the battle seems or how things around you look.
Read Psalm 34 NIV with me, please:
1 I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him
In my life, and in my son’s life, and in the lives of many others we’ve met this seeking of peace and holding on tight was NOT as simple as you might think. First we needed to learn what PEACE means!
I had never personally experienced peace before Christ became my Commander-in-Chief. And I know, up until this trip to California to kill us, James had no idea what peace meant. I’m afraid it is a sad but true statement that many people in this day and time have no concrete notion of what PEACE really feels like. I honestly think it feels differently for every individual. For some, it is found deep in a quiet forest, for others at the edge of the sea. For some, peace is snuggled safe and warm at home wrapped up in a favorite chair in front of a toasty fire.
Think about it. What does absolute PEACE feel like for you?
For me it is a deep warm glow, sort of like being way down inside of a beautiful amethyst stone – secure and comfortable and purple! God says Peace is not an emotion. Pease is a condition of the soul developed as you renew and transform your mind your will and your emotions to Christ. Seek that condition. Pursue it. Keep it. Think about it. Own it!
Entering into spiritual warfare and winning spiritual battles means that you know how to keep yourself shielded with the Peace of God at all times.
March 24th, 2010
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2 NIV
In order to be a winner in battles against the enemy’s forces it is necessary to give your heart and mind to God. St. Paul talks about renewing your mind in Romans 12:2. Let me tell you what that really means. Forget everything you think you know about the Bible. Ask God to renew your heart and your mind by the power of the Holy Spirit. Find a Bible you can understand and read the scriptures again. Start with the first letter of John – 1 John – it is God’s love letter to believers. Next read the Gospels starting with John, then Mark, Luke and Matthew (in that order). After that, read the letters to the New Testament churches. Read as if you’ve never seen them before. Treat them as if they are true. Alive. Active. As if they are the Words of God…telling you how to fight. Telling you how to WIN!
Ask God to give you the mind of Christ, to enable you to truly understand his Word. Matthew recorded Jesus teaching his followers that unless they understood the words of the Kingdom the enemy would come and snatch away the truth and they would loose the battle. Matthew 13:18-2
As you read, remember what these books of the New Testament really are…they are eyewitness accounts of earth shattering, history making events. If you’ve ever wondered why it took 60 or 70 years for these books and letters to appear, and so doubted their authenticity, remember this. For the first 60 or 70 years after the resurrection there were many eyewitnesses to what Jesus did in His lifetime. So, if anyone heard about Him and doubted what they heard, someone who saw it could say, “oh yes, I was there when He fed the five thousand from a couple of loaves of bread and a few fish. I saw it with my own eyes. I tasted the bread and the fish.” But after awhile all the eye witnesses began to die off. That’s when God the Father, by God the Holy Spirit, put it into the hearts of the apostles of God the Son’s to write down their memories for us.
In order to WIN in this life, you must renew your mind to who and what Christ is really all about. Then you must make Christ the Commander in Chief of your life! That was the reason for His coming!
In Luke’s Gospel we find the song of Zechariah, father of John the Baptist. In chapter 1, speaking by the Holy Spirit Zechariah told of Christ’s purpose and of God’s calling on the life of his son John.
Zechariah’s Song
67His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come and has redeemed his people.
69He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
Angels announced Christ’s birth and his purpose in Luke chapter 2, verses 8-14.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
And Christ Himself, speaking to his beloved disciples, in the upper room, confirmed His purpose. Turn to John’s Gospel, chapter 14, verse 27.
The Gift of His Peace
25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. 28 You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’ If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I.
29 “And now I have told you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe. 30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in Me. 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.
Here lies the order directly from our Commander-in-Chief: Walk in my peace. Don’t allow your soul, your mind, your will, or your emotions to be troubled. Don’t let them be afraid either.
Oh! You didn’t understand Jesus words were a command? Somehow that doesn’t surprise me! Maybe the true meaning has been snatched away, by some strange co-incidence!
“Okay,” you’re going to say, “so peace is a command. What am I supposed to do about it?”
Well…in Psalm 119:165 the Word says…”Great peace have those who love Your law,
And nothing causes them to stumble.”
God’s law is God’s Word. LOVE IT! Learn it! LIVE IT! And nothing can cause you to stumble.
Isaiah wrote “God keeps us in PERFECT PEACE if our mind is fixed on Him because we trust Him. Isaiah 26:3
St. Paul wrote to the church at Phillipi: “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9
March 21st, 2010
2 Chronicles 20:12-25 (New Living Translation)
12 O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help.”
13 As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, 14 the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph.
15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”
18 Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout.
20 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”
21 After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang:
“Give thanks to the Lord;
his faithful love endures forever!”
22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 23 The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. 24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.
25 King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables—more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all!
How may of you have read this before? How many of you understand it applies to your life – here – now – today? And that it means exactly what it says?
The battles you are fighting are not YOURS. The battle is God’s. He intends to fight your battles for you. Your job is to seek the way of peace and pursue it.
Don’t get me wrong – the enemy forces are out there. They’re real. And, you need to know they want you dead – spiritually and physically – eternally. Don’t be one of those Christians who thinks just because they’re saved the enemy won’t bother them. That’s stupid! What do you think would have happened to any soldier who walked out into the middle of enemy occupied territory, in let’s say Viet Nam, wearing his uniform and carrying the US flag, and thinking because the Viet Cong could tell which side he was on, he would be safe? The same principle applies to your spiritual safety.
Christians need to open their eyes to God’s warriors. In 2 Kings, chapter 6, verses 13 –16 we read:
“Go and find out where he is,” the king commanded, “so I can send troops to seize him.” And the report came back: “Elisha is at Dothan.” So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city.
When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha.
“Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
Make your prayer something like the prophet’s, “Lord keep me ever mindful of your warriors. Help me to remember all the angels are spirits who serve God and are sent to help those who will receive salvation. Hebrews 1:14 Help me to remember what this means to me personally.
If I had the time today, I could tell you about at least three incidents in the last ten years when God’s angels intervened to keep us from disaster. Once Dick nearly drown. We believe an angel materialized to save his life! Because of the circumstances surrounding the incident – nothing else makes any sense. No human being would have been able to accomplish the rescue in exactly the same way.
Trust me when I tell you…the battle is NOT yours. The battle, the spiritual battle, belongs to God.
March 20th, 2010
If you are sitting here today because you wonder if you’re winning your spiritual battles, or because you wonder if you can win them, you already know about the problem and you’re ready to start working on the answer. If you came in here today just because you wonder if there really are “spiritual battles” – stick around. You might learn something.
In my life, and in the lives of a good number of “Christian” women God has allowed me to share with – spiritual battles come in four basic areas. It apparently doesn’t matter whether you are 15 or 50. The basics are the same if you’re female. See if these words ring any bells for you:
FEAR
FINANCES
FIGHTS
FRUSTRATION
Many of us suffer from phobias in one or more of these areas. Dr. Ernie defines a phobia as the advanced states of a threebia.
So…on any given day I’ll bet you could write those four words down at the top of a piece of paper and then under them, in order of importance, list all of the things that make you crazy. Let me show you what I mean. Let’s take weight. Weight always seems to be a topic that comes up when women get together. Depending on what the little devil who harasses you about it is saying today, it can cause you fear and/or frustration. Your finances can be affected by your weight, depending on what you’re currently buying to combat it. And you can fight, with anyone who will participate, over it – if you’re really having a pity party day. Now lets look at the man - the boy-friend, husband, father, brother – who is the most important man in your life today. Same idea. One day he’ll fit into the FIGHT category. Another day he’ll simply be a frustration.
You can work it out from there. My point is this: your spiritual battles generally fall into those four categories and unless your a lot different than most females you do need answers to win the battles…. So….
If you are a Christian
If Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior
If you believe the Word of God is absolutely, completely true, AND
If you are willing to act on the Word of God
Then the only thing you need to learn is how to walk in peace!
Do you agree with me that the opposite of WAR is PEACE?
In the natural, how do you personally feel about living in a war torn country? How do you feel about the possibility of sending those you love off to fight for our freedom, our country and our homes? What does the idea of having the streets of our homeland ravaged by fighting and bombings? Is the thought frightening to you? Does the very idea fill you with dread?
Does it make sense to you that a loving God would establish a life for his children in the center of a war zone?
Guess what! HE didn’t!
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