Monday, October 31, 2011

Spiritual Warfare

Do you ever run up against God telling you to do something, that you just don't want to do? It is a miserable experience. You don't want to do what God wants, because you want to hold on to whatever "it" is. It may be a grudge, a lifestyle that you aren't willing to give up or some behavior that is giving you some kind of payoff, that is contrary to what God wants. You know what God wants, because His Holy Spirit is an in-dwelling guide to the believer. So we engage in church talk; "I've been praying about it", "I want to do what the Lord wants" or some derivative that will placate anybody who might actually be able to help you.

Let's clear a few things up: if God tells you to forgive somebody, then that is what you have to do, if God tells you to stop behaving a particular way, it's with good reason. You can not improve on the divine perfect will of God, but you can get in line with it. But you don't know how they hurt me! Well, you don't know what a wreck your life is going to be with you choking on your own hatred. So, you want to make them pay for what they have done: then what? Boy, you really let them know how they hurt you! Did it change the hurt? Does making them hurt make you feel better? If it does: you need to understand that doesn't come from God. Little anger fantasies that brood in your mind are plainly the work of the evil one. You need to recognize that, confess it and run to God whenever it happens until you break the cycle. Satan is going to come back again and again right down that same path, until you release it to God, and sanctify Christ as the Lord of the situation. Suppose you just check out, here's what you are doing: you are surrendering to the Satan, not God.

This is not what I want or don't want, this is spiritual warfare!!! The outcome of the battle is either victory through Christ; or being sidelined by the Devil, replaying the same hurt over and over until you wreck your life and the ones who love you over it. Listen to me, dear ones, you cannot handle the situation, the situation will handle you every time. You can't love, forgive or heal without God Almighty filling you with love until it spills over to others, enabling you to forgive and touching you with His healing hand. Loved one, I know (in the fullest since of the word) that it is not easy, it is not supposed to be; how else will you ever learn what God can do, if you don't see it with your own eyes? God is waiting to amaze you, and all you have to do is surrender what you can not help anyways. Bless you all.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Wow, I can't believe he said that!

Most like to see new posts fairly regularly, at least that's what the stats tell me. I like to write, it's just that sometimes it gets squeezed out by everything else that is going on. Some days are tough, some days are awful, but I keep trying. Sometimes, try is all I have left. There are times in everyone's life when we get beaten up and bruised, and when you are a writer, you can put your whole life on display; in fact, I'm sure that some assume that everything I write about is tied to what's going on that day. (It's incredibly frustrating, that people think I am that simple.)

There has been a great shielding of those who remain in the faith and remain incredibly immature. By saying that, I mean, that you can be as immature as you want to be with out question, as long as you show up every Sunday (in truth, about two Sundays a month.) They are, in fact, above question and expectation because pastors across the country are compelled to put up with their nonsense, for fear that any offense my cause them to quit coming all together. I have to thank my brother for this, but we are not playing to win, we are playing to not lose. In other words, we're happy with winning sometimes. Let me just come out and say it: if you can miss a few services without any sway of conscience, your service to God is junk! If you can just as easily miss as be there, what are you giving God? I wish that I was just describing the typical pew-sitter, but some of these have been placed in charge of ministries in their church. It's disgusting!

I may be the only preacher in the world to say this, but if you don't want to be there: STAY HOME! and do so with my blessing. How can you say that?! It's incredibly easy, when you come to church with that attitude, you waste God's time, contribute nothing to worship (because you sulk that you are there, instead of home worshipping yourself) and frankly, everybody knows you'd rather be "fishing". Does God think in those terms? He said to Eli, you press your sons into the service of God, and they could care less about it; "you honor them more than you honor Me." It is better for those (I wish I could say "would-be" Christians, but truthfully, I can't even give them that much credit) to stay home. Let them go do what ever they want, and then after Satan has derailed their lives, they'll come back to God, and ask Him to put the pieces back together.

What I am saying with great certainty is this: It is high time that we start playing to win. Once and for all, decide which team that you are playing for: and then line up with them. Isn't that what Joshua said in so many words? You don't want to be there, then don't! But, if you do want to be there, get your head and heart in the game. Vince Lombardi put it this way, "If you can accept losing, you can't win." I can't accept it, and further more I'm not going to. So, if this is the team you have lined up with, I expect your best, everyday from now on! Stop telling people you are a Christian, and start showing them that you are. Listen to me, loved ones, I'm not going to change the world, you are. And is is going to take more than a life that revolves around self. I like what my brother the band director said about his marching band, he said, "As long as you try, you've got a spot on the field." "Well," to quote my friend, "there it is."

Dear brother and sister in Christ, I am not saying this because I don't need you. I need all of you, and I need you at your best. Bless you all.