Just Another Battle

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.  These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead. (1 Timothy 4:1-2 NLT)

This election has brought a heartache I didn’t think possible, I honestly did not expect the outcome and have felt a deep sadness for our country because of it. I’ve been praying and talking to God, trying to receive some sort of revelation about the whole thing, and the best thing He could give me has turned out to be His peace. I’m no longer worried or anxious about the future of our country, I’m not tied up in knots over the government and what’s going to happen; instead I’ve found a peaceful calmness, that could only be given by God.

I was reading some statistics¹ on the voters in this election and there are some shocking numbers related to people of faith and how they voted. Basically the consensus was that over 6 million self-described evangelical Christians voted for a President that supports abortion (of any kind) on demand and same-sex marriage (all which are specifically against the Bible’s teachings). This is the sort of thing that truly breaks my heart, the thought that there are so many believers out there, that have missed God. We're not talking about the lost– their eyes are veiled to the truth; this is suppose to be our Brothers and Sisters in Christ! I have written before on believers being forced to make a decision, to choose between God or this world we live in,² but honestly I had no idea that there were so many self-described Christians, who chose the world over God.

I started writing this blog last October because I believed my purpose was to build up and encourage other Christians. I never imagined that God would reveal so much to me or that I would reach people in countries I never heard of, let alone countries where they are predominantly of Muslim faith. So I have been reminded that God can use anyone to share His Word, and I have been blessed to be His vessel here. I don’t claim to be a knowledgeable Christian; I really wish I had more Bible teaching, but I've learned that when we get into the Bible, God will reveal scripture to us. I've heard it said before, that ‘God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called’. When I stepped out in faith to start my Facebook page and this Blog, God gave me what I needed to reach out and teach His Word. I've been blessed with a wonderful church, that has enabled me to exponentially grow spiritually from when I first returned to the Lord in 2004 and there's still a lot more learning to do.

I think the revelation that God is trying to share with me, is that, there is much work to be done. One scripture has stayed with me for over a year now:

He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.  So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Matthew 9:37-38 NLT)

We each have work to do, each and everyone of us are His workers – whether we feel called or qualified, that’s who we are. There is a war that is waging, a war for the souls of the lost - and every day that we wake up, we are expected to do battle. This election just means that the stakes are higher now, time is running out and we need to step up and take our roles. No soldier goes into battle without being prepared and Believers are warriors of God – maybe that's what went wrong with the 6 million, maybe they weren't prepared.  That’s why Paul told us to pick up the WHOLE armor of God.

Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. (Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG)

So there’s no time for mourning, we've got work to do, this battle might have been lost – but the war wages on and we haven't finished until Jesus returns for us!

¹ JoelC. Rosenberg’s Blog: More than 6 million self-described “evangelicals” votedfor Obama. Why & what else do the exit polls tell us about how Christiansvoted? Nov. 8, 2012

² Stir Me Up Lord!: Choose God or the World Sept 5, 2012

Day 6 of 21-Day Challenge: Boldness

“And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31 NLT)

BOLDNESS is actually translated from the Greek word, parrhesia (Strong’s #3954): Outspokenness, unreserved utterance, freedom of speech, with frankness, candor, cheerful courage, and the opposite of cowardice, timidity, or fear. Here it denotes a divine enablement that come to ordinary and unprofessional people exhibiting spiritual power and authority. It also refers to a clear presentation of the gospel without ambiguous or unintelligible. Parrhesia is not a human quality but a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

I want that kind of boldness, I want to walk without hesitation and fearlessly stand before man and share GOD’s love. I want to be a laborer that harvests a great number of souls for the Lord (1). I want to be a child after GOD’s own heart.  One day when I stand before our Lord, I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”(2) Until my last breath, I want to fight the good fight, I want to finish the race, keeping my faith and lay a crown before my King.(3)

Jesus died for me, so I can live for HIM. I want to see Brothers and Sisters in Christ standing up for their faith, sharing GOD’s love, true doctrine and not preaching hatred.(4) I want to comfort the broken hearted and take care of the widows and orphans. (5) I want others to see a light shining in me and my family, to experience the joy and peace that this world can never deliver, that only the creator of the Heavens and earth can give. (6) I want to show people that it’s my relationship with Jesus Christ that has made me a new creation, not a religion of rules and hollow traditions. (7) There is a thirst inside every person that can only be filled by GOD, we were made to seek HIM and only by acknowledging Jesus as Lord can we be saved.(8)

That is my challenge for all today, be bold in our faith. Pray for boldness, strength, and the words to speak to non-believers. Ask GOD for encouragement in our boldness; ask GOD to allow you to bless and share HIS love with others. Pray for wisdom that we would follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance and not our flesh. Pray that people not only hear us speaking about GOD’s love, but see us sharing GOD’s love, so that we would be doers of GOD’s Word. Be bold in our faith so that when others see the trials we are going through, they will notice we are standing strong on the Solid Rock and not faltering in the howling winds from the storms of life.  Our faith in GOD and HIS Son, Jesus Christ, has set us free from the bondages of death and sin; so let us live with the boldness that our Savior has given us by HIS righteousness!

1)Matthew 9:37 NKJV

2)Matthew 25:21 NKJV

3)2 Timothy 4:7-8, Revelation 4:10

4) John 3:16-21, 1 John 4:16-20

5) Psalm 34:18, James 1:27

6) Mark 4:21, Romans 15:13, John 14:27

7) Luke 12:21, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 23:1-33

8) John 4:10-14, 1 Chronicles 16:11-36, John 14:6-7, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13, Ephesians 2:8-9

Day 4 of 21-Day Challenge: Do Not Be Afraid

When writing these devotions, I usually just wait for a scripture or a verse to ‘speak to me’. Today while I was reading my Bible and devotions, I wasn’t sure which direction to go for the devotion and then the word ‘Peace’ came to mind and while I was asking GOD if HE wanted me to write on peace, the horrific thunderstorm we’ve been having for the past 8 hours quieted down and all was peaceful…which made me think of the scripture John 6:20 in today’s reading, I think this is where GOD wants us to go today!

But Yeshua said to them, “I AM THE LIVING GOD, do not be afraid.” (Aramaic Bible in Plain English 2010)

Jesus is the peace in every storm, in every trial, in every situation; HE alone can bring us the peace we need. When we are going through these difficult storms of life, when it seems as if life is beating us down (and winning) we can not only survive during these times, we can thrive when we have GOD’s peace.

Some storms can come at you fast; out of nowhere you’re being hit by some trials you didn’t even know were possible. Other storms slowly set in, brewing off in the distance, you know they are coming, you even have time to prepare and hunker down while you ride out the storm. In order to have GOD’s peace, you need to have faith that HE can get you through your trials and tribulations.  GOD never brings you to your knees, but while you’re down there is when you realize just how much you do need HIM.

If you were going to go through a Hurricane or a Tornado, you would want to be in a very strong structure. You would want to be fortified in a home that was built with the best materials and by the best builders. Most people like to be prepared before a storm is even a possibility, that’s why they have building codes, so you can withstand the big storms when they do come. Like a builder, you want to have a strong structure to protect you from the storms of LIFE, and you can strengthen yourself by building up your faith. Our faith can either be well fed and strong or it can be weak and withered.

Our faith is fed by the Word of GOD, time spent with GOD in prayer or meditation. AThe storms we endure build onto our faith, like a wall that is re-enforced, the more storms we endure with GOD, we walk out on the other side, strengthened and encouraged. The more time we spend in GOD’s word, the more our Spirit is fed.

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35 NLT) 

A person that wants to build muscle, they don’t just exercise they follow a sensible diet for building muscle as well. The foods they eat are not junk food and sweets, but good nourishing foods for their body to grow and be healthier – so instead of feeding your faith with ‘junk’, feed your faith with the Word of GOD; remember the ‘garbage in, garbage out’ philosophy! A muscle builder is not able to build muscle if he's only eating lettuce and tomatoes either. He can't eat one small meal a week, we're trying to build muscle here. You can't sit down and read a scripture a day and say, I'm full now; get into the Word, feast on it, the more you read, the more you'll want to read GOD's Word - it ALWAYS satisfies!

The definition of exercise is a set of movements, questions, tasks, etc., designed to train, improve, or test one's ability in a particular field. Thus why we need to learn to ‘exercise’ our faith for it to grow stronger. We can’t be a couch potato and build strong muscles – when circumstances are pounding you down, you exercise your faith, by pulling yourself up off the ground, walking forward through the storm and say, “GOD I don’t know why I’m going through this, but I know it’s not from you and I know you are here with me and you’ve never left my side. I know that if GOD is for me, than who can be against me, I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me and I know that although a thousand may fall at my side and ten thousand at your right hand, they shall not come near me!!” Your faith will grow more than it was before, so that the next storm, you are not only stronger in your faith, you can encourage others and comfort them when they are taking on a storm in their life!

“I am leaving you with a gift- peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27 NLT)

Our faith in GOD is what allows us to have peace during the storms of life. Our peace and joy is not based on our external circumstances, but by the relationship we have with our Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus said it HIMSELF that HE is the only one who can give us the peace that surpasses all peace. This peace Jesus gives can only be received by those who have accepted Jesus by faith, faith that HE is the Son of GOD, that HE died on the cross for our sins and the HE rose again on the third day and is now seated in Heaven at GOD’s right hand! So accept GOD’s peace and stand strong Child of GOD, you are will overcome!

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith.” (1 John 5:4 NKJV)

My, Standing in Faith Scriptures, are from these scriptures: John 14:16, Romans 8:31, Philippians 4:13, Psalm 91:7