SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES
(Romans 7:14-25) (14) "For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin." (15) "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." (16) "If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good." (17) "Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." (18) "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." (19) "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." (20) "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." (21) "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." (22) "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:" (23) "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (24) "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (25) "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."
(1 Peter 5:8-9) (8) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (9) "Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5) (3) "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:" (4) "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;" (5) "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
(Ephesians 6:10-12) (10) "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (11) "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (12) "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
(James 4:7) "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
PREFACE SUMMARY
Church, as I look at the influence that the church has in the world today, I seem to be left with some very important questions which I really do not know if people will agree on the answers however there is some hope found in the words of Jesus in (Matthew 16:18) which states that the Lord will build his church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Beloved, this means that Christ who is the head of the church will build his church on top of the false, the hurting, the broken dreams and broken hearts including divorce and worldly views, yes beloved, the true church of Jesus Christ, is not and will not be a weak church.
1. What happened that people can sit comfortable in some churches today and feel comfortable in their sin?
2. Have church leaders and Christians forgotten why they were saved?
Dear Saints of God, I think you can agree with me when I say that we are living in the age where we desperately need a spiritual house cleaning to get rid of the confessed sin and ungodliness in Christian leaders.
Saints, I believe that the living God is getting an army together that have been through the storms of life and have been conditioned to meet the enemy on every front.
Beloved, you will be surprised to find that many of these powerful soldiers of the cross are not very well known by the religious hierarchy of our day because God has had them in seclusion waiting on the right time to bring them forth.
Church, because of their past mistakes, these men and women have had to fight for every inch of ground gained because they have not had anything given to them but they have qualified for it through their training in the field which makes them able to stand in the face of diversity and Yes beloved, our undesirables who make up the forgotten church of the hedge will be the worship leaders and the leaders of clergy in this last push by the Spirit of God to rescue as many as possible from Satan’s rebellion.
Saints, what happened to the scripture found in (Galatians 6:1) which warns for us to consider our-self lest we be tempted but notice beloved, in the beginning of that verse that the writer instructs us if we encounter a man that is dealing with being overtaken in a fault or a trespass, we which are spiritual should have the mindset to restore that person back into fellowship, therefore beloved, I rest my case with a message to the church elders of this ending day of grace and that is, "you had better be prepared, because the Forgotten-Church of the Hedge is on the horizon and they will become your new worship leaders including your pastors in this last day revival that is now upon us.
Saints, there is a lost and hungry world out there that is looking for answers and beloved Saints of God, we have those much need answers because we have been through the tests of life and gained strength from our battles which qualifies us for our position.
Beloved, there is an invisible war going on around us between good and evil and it is not so bad to miss the mark in target practice and remember that we were bought with a high price and does not the word in (Acts 20:28) refers to the church as a purchased possession.
(Acts 20:28) "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood."
THE WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL
Dear Saints of God, did you know that there is a colossal war taking place around us and we do not have a choice but to become involved.
Church, whether we like it or not, we are involved because it is a battle between good and evil which consists of satanic and heavenly forces which are fallen Angels and demonic powers which Paul describes in (Ephesians 6:10-18) as principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, which are the evil rulers and entities of the unseen world.
Beloved, I awakened this morning and posted a saying on Facebook which said, "Your enemies will still be standing tall, until your idols fall." Saints, I then posted a notice alerting people that at 8am Monday morning Philippine time which would be Sunday evening at 8pm Eastern in the USA, that I plan to speak on the subject "The Church at War" on my live radio program “The Gospel Hour” which is broadcast live on HOD Radio Word Network out of Nigeria. Beloved, we do this program through their HOD Face Book group via live video.
Saints, my wife informed me that a close friend had invited us to attend services with them at their church "Christian Christ Fellowship Church" which was located near our home and when we arrived, the minister was bringing forth an awesome message on the battle within using as a base the scripture found in (Romans 7:18-24) which speaks of the struggle going on inside a person with the world, the flesh, and the devil.
"Saints of God, I am going to place these scriptures here for us to get a picture of how Satan uses our own mind against us which can be compared to two dogs or two wolves within fighting for control and the one we feed the most will be the one that will become the stronger one.
(Romans 7:18-24) (18) "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not." (19) "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." (20) "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." (21) "I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me." (22) "For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:" (23) "But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (24) "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?"
Dearly beloved, my wife leaned over and whispered in my ear, “he is speaking along the same line concerning a war that you intend to speak on in the morning" and I replied softly, "yes dear he is speaking about the war we fight inside us every day, the war we fight when we face the temptations and distractions of the world."
Saints, there is another war going on beside the one warring for control of our mind and it is a spiritual war between good and evil that is taking place all around us.
Church, I am talking about an invisible war which leaves many casualties in its wake, especially those that do not believe that there is a real devil lurking around seeking whom he may catch off guard and destroy.
Saints of God, Satan hates humankind because we are made in the image and likeness of almighty God, and he knows he has but a short time therefore beloved, human souls is the only way he can hurt God.
Beloved Saints, I want you to know that this invisible war is real, and we are going to discover in this message that our weapons may not be visible, but they are powerful in pulling down the strongholds in our life including arresting the devil and placing him where he belongs and that is under our feet.
(Ephesians 6:10-18) (10) “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” (11) “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (12) “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (13) “Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (14) “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;” (15) “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;” (16) “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (17) “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (18) “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Beloved, this battle according to the Apostle Paul, is not a physical battle with people but a battle against the evil unseen forces surrounding this world and when we speak about things which cannot be seen, heard or touched by our five senses, some people tend to view them as a lower level of reality than the visible world around us but beloved, to those of us that have experienced first-hand these forces of evil, I assure you that we take at heart the mentioned scripture in Ephesians the sixth chapter, especially verse eleven which instructs us to put on the whole “armor of God” which consists of seven pieces of armor for our spiritual life against Satan who seeks to destroy us all.
(1 Peter 5: 8) “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
Beloved, the Apostle Peter describes Satan as a roaring lion seeking to destroy our walk with God by bringing things our way which will cause us to stumble, and faint opening a door for him to destroy our faith and take away our credibility in the presence of other believers.
Beloved reader, Paul near the end of his life made the statement that he had fought a good fight and he was not talking about the church down the street.
Saints, Paul was referencing the fight of faith which had preserved him through many trials causing him to make the statement found in (Romans 8:18) "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us."
Dear reader, people are not our enemy and may we realize that if we are in a war, and we are not fighting each other then let us unite in faith, unity, harmony and love to fight our enemy the devil from the side of the victory that has already been won.
PEOPLE ARE NOT OUR ENEMY
Beloved church, God is calling us to engage Satan in spiritual warfare with weapons that are not of this world, nor can they be seen but beloved, I can assure you that they are effective in pulling down his strongholds in our life and ministry however many churches today must have misunderstood Paul when he stated in (2 Timothy 4:7) that he fought a good fight because it does not look good to sinners when church leaders are fighting each other over property rights etc. especially when the fighting is going on in the same organization.
(2 Corinthians 10:3-5) (3) “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:” (4) “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;” (5) “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalted itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Beloved reader, Paul speaks in the word of God (1 Timothy 6:12) about fighting the good fight of faith that he may lay hold on eternal life and in (Jude 1:3) the writer speaks of contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints, therefore beloved, did you know that we only have one offensive weapon in our armor and that weapon is called the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.
Beloved reader, did you know that the bible which is the word of God is the only book we may read that will read us for it pierces to the asunder of the heart dividing the soul and the spirit.
(Hebrews 4:12) “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Beloved reader, the word of God informs us in the book of (2 Corinthians 2:11) that we are not ignorant of Satan’s schemes and devices as he continues to declare that no advantage may be gained over us by Satan and his followers.
Saints, just as the retired generals were known to come on TV and explain how our government had specially trained people to study the strength and strategy of our enemy, God has made us to be more than conquerors through Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. A-Men
SATAN’S THREE METHODS OF ATTACK
Church for us to be successful in this spiritual battle for our souls, we must know the strategy of our enemy including the three methods of attack he uses and one of the ways he attacks us is by "temptation."
Beloved, Satan is described in the word of God as our adversary, and in another place he is described as the accuser of the brethren therefore beloved, if slander and accusation is going on in your church, there is a good chance you know who is behind it and you need to cut it off at the source.
Beloved, there are three names which describe him well and they can be found in the word of God, with the first name and method of attack that he uses against us is “The Tempter,” therefore beloved, we can better understand this by doing a study of how he tempted Eve in the garden and how he tempted Christ in the wilderness.
Saints of God, we can better understand his role as a tempter by reading what Paul said about having a desire to know the faith of those who he would be laboring with lest his labor would be in vain which can be found in the book of Thessalonians.
(1 Thessalonians 3:5) “For this cause, when I could no longer forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter have tempted you, and our labor be in vain.”
Church, did you know that sin usually starts with a small temptation, and it is when we open our mind to dwell on it that it allows him to place it in our heart therefore the bottom line to temptation would be “if you give him an inch, he will become your ruler.”
Church, the second method of attack would be labeling him as “The Great Deceiver,” because his purpose is to trick us like he successfully did Eve into believing false truth trying to make us believe that God is holding back on us.
Saints, the word states in (2 Corinthians 11:15) that he can transform or disguise himself into an Angel of light and saints, it is easy to recognize him when he approaches us with temptation but when he comes as the deceiver, he is able to hide himself and is not easily recognized therefore we must engage him with the leading and help of the Holy Spirit.
Beloved, another method he uses against us is the “Accuser of the brethren,“ and sadly beloved, the truth is, “he can be found in some churches today” because he loves to get Christian brothers and sisters to accuse one another as he sows suspicion, distrust and fault finding among them with the intent of bringing suspicion against the leadership in a church thus causing church splits leaving people hurt with some hurt so severe that they never darken a church door again for the rest of their life.
Beloved Saints of God, it is time for us to wake up and realize that we are at war, that Satan hates us because we are made in the image and likeness of all-mighty God but I have some good news that I wish to share to this body of believers and that news is we have an advocate better that Matlock representing us before the courts of heaven and he has never lost a case or a battle therefore with that said may we honor the Son of God who has been made both Lord and Christ as the great wonderful counsel, the mighty God, the everlasting father.
(Isaiah 9:6)
RUN TOWARD THE ROAR
(1 Peter 5:8-9) (8) "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:" (9) "Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."
Dear reader, did you know that a lot of times we run into more trouble in our attempt to run away from trouble?
Beloved, notice that the scripture reveal Satan as a roaring lion which can be better understood by doing a study on lions.
Dear Saints, did you know that when a male lion gets so old that his teeth begin to loose their power as his gums give way to his age but beloved, he still has use for the pack because he still has his loud roar.
Beloved, the younger and stronger lions will have him ambush the prey with his loud roar as they lay in wait to ambush the confused prey which is startled by the loud roar.
Saints, the word describes our enemy the devil as being like this roaring lion but he was stripped of his power when Jesus our Savior stripped him of his power over death, hell and the grave when in hell, he threw of principalities and made a show of them openly taking the keys of death, hell and the grave from Satan the devil or in other words, he took the very weapon out of Satan's hands which is death that he held over our heads and destroyed him who had power over death, the devil. (Colossians 2:15)
Beloved, we can also view our arch enemy the devil as not only a lion without teeth but a bumble bee that has been placed in your clothes by a prankster causing you to run trying to get out of your clothes until the prankster catches up with you and informs you that it cannot hurt you for it has had its stinger removed.
Dear reader, did you know that a lion will stalk a herd for days looking for their weakness then when he spots one that may appear weak, he will charge the whole herd as if to attack the strong causing a stampede but the whole time he will be watching the reactions of the weak which he will circle back and claim his prize meal?
Beloved, the bottom line to this message is realize that our God is a God of covenant and he has already defeated the powers of darkness through his virgin birth, his life interacting with nature, his death, his burial and his resurrection, therefore we can rest in the word which assures us that we are more than conquerors through Christ that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
SHOW ME THE BATTLE
(Matthew 5:10) "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of God”
(Matthew 5:11-12) “Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my name’s sake. “Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
(Psalms 118:6) "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear; what man can do unto me."
Saints, I have lived long enough in this world to know that some people cannot be pleased, and beloved, no matter what you do or how far out of your way you may go, they are never satisfied unless they are complaining and finding fault, but beloved, they are not interested in attending meetings to find a solution to what they have been complaining about.
Beloved, people sporting this kind of character are never satisfied who usually want to have control and access to the treasury but hardly ever give a donation to the ministry, however beloved, I would rather be criticized for doing the right thing than for doing the wrong thing and I would never criticize something that I had not personally invested in.
Saints, we need to realize that there are two things in this world that cause conflict, and beloved, you can trace every ministry, marriage and even businesses that has failed to these two things and I will list them for you.
1. Pride - "God says he hates a proud look" (Proverbs 6:16-19) (Proverbs 21:4)
2. Greed - "Thou shalt not Covet" (Exodus 20:17)
Beloved, there is a lot going on around us that we may not understand, but beloved reader, it is very obvious that all around us there is a spiritual war is taking place between evil spirits and Angels of God and saints, there is a conflict going on which is a conflict between good and evil, yes beloved, between light and darkness, with the main battle being between God and Satan.
Saints, the bible reveals that there are satanic forces and heavenly forces engaged in warfare, and sadly beloved, we are smack dab in the middle of the whole thing.
Church, did you know that the US has down through the years has been involved in many different conflicts including the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars 1 and 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam war, the Gulf War and literally hundreds of other conflicts throughout our history as a nation.
Beloved, some of you have fought for your country and know war firsthand because your experience in battle has conditioned and trained you to know that trained soldiers engaged in military conflict have no doubt who their enemies are and work to develop a plan to defeat them.
Dear reader, there is another battle being waged all around us and it is in the spiritual realm, unfortunately and sadly today beloved, many that attempt to enter spiritual warfare, do not even know who their enemies are; they have no plan for victory, and have little, or no training to confront their enemy.
Church, did you know that since the fall of Satan, there has been a war going on that many are not even aware of, and the Apostle Paul gives us some insight along with some powerful instructions concerning spiritual warfare that we need to take to heart which can be found in the book of Ephesians the sixth chapter.
(Ephesians 6:10-12) "Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms."
Church, did you know that the Apostle Paul ended his life stating that he had fought a good fight and he was not talking about the church down the street because he understood that there is strength in numbers especially people that are willing to lay aside their differences and unite in harmony realizing that there is an enemy who hates anything connected to God especially man, his greatest creation which is a mirror image of God here on Earth,
Beloved, the Apostle Paul stressed in his letter to the Ephesians that we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.
Church, did you know that while we exist in this present visible world, we also exist simultaneously in the unseen world, and this unseen world is described as the place where evil beings exist, but it is also the place Christ, and all believers exist.
Saints and fellow peers, the bottom line is this; we are involved In an invisible war which is a cosmic conflict that has eternal implications.
Beloved, the Bible tells us that once Daniel had been praying to God and had not received an answer to his prayer when suddenly an Angel came to him and explained the delay in terms of spiritual warfare: then he said, "Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. and I have come in answer to your prayer. (Daniel 10:10-19)
Beloved reader, we must understand that Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them because beloved, the only way he can hurt God is by deceiving the souls of men.
Saints, we are spirit beings enclosed in human flesh but in this war, we do not wage war with our human plans and methods, but we use God’s powerful spiritual weapons that are mighty to tear down the strongholds of the devil and beloved, with these weapons, we can break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God and conquer their rebellious ideas and forms of worship using his holy word.
Beloved, I want to sound the message loud and clear that God is calling His church to engage Satan in spiritual warfare realizing that we need to daily put on the whole armor of God which will make us strong in the Lord and equip us to break satanic strongholds over our life and those around us.
Saints, the bottom line to understanding spiritual warfare realizing that our weapons are not of this world, and neither are they visible, but the word of God teaches that they are mighty weapons such as prayer, including the Word of God combined with faith and walking in the delegated authority which Christ gave us that he received from his heavenly father.
Church, our foe is formidable, and his main goal is to destroy us and discredit the cause of Christ in us therefore beloved, we must learn quick that not everyone that says they are a Christian, is a born-again believer that has accepted God's pardon from sin and been adopted into his royal family.
Beloved, Jesus said we can know those that are his by examining their fruit which is embedded in their character and remember beloved, God's holy word states that "we will know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren." (1 John 3:14) (John 5:24)
THE UNSEEN REALM REVEALED
Saints of God, did you know that there is an unseen world around us that is more real than the one we are living in and by doing a study of the things that can be seen, we can catch a glimpse of our mighty God who knows every piece of matter in the universe and calls the stars by name.
Beloved, when I was a young seminary student, the living God revealed to me why he made man in his image and likeness, informing me that Satan did not challenge him on his power, but on his justice and he did it before all that God had created.
Saints, God made man giving him free will to make choices for himself and when man was tested in the Garden of Eden, you know what happened that caused man to be driven from the garden however, God made man with the perfect plan in place to redeem man should he break the one law and fall from grace.
Beloved, because God knows the end from the beginning and nothing takes him by surprise, he knew that the evil tempter would be there and persuade man to break the law and be sentenced to isolation from him, but beloved, God had a plan in place before he made man.
Saints, in his foreknowledge, God reviewed each life that would be born and knew that man would get so wicked that he would have to send a flood and destroy all but eight of Noah’s family, and beloved his word states that he waited for the time when Noah would be born.
Beloved reader, God decided to make a way to save a lower form of life (Man) to save a higher form of life (Angels).
Church, during Satan's rebellion, there had to be questions in the minds of the Angels that stayed loyal to God, because they might have been friends with some of the ones that chose to rebel with Satan.
Beloved Saints, I want to tell you that God wiped all the question marks away when he became man’s savior which required him to suffer, be tried at night without council, be convicted, and be executed as a criminal in man’s place to take away the penalty of sin which is death.
Church, one way we can look at this would be to imagine that there was a judge who ruled by the letter of the law and would not give anyone a break, but one day his mother was brought before him which had been caught in a terrible crime.
Beloved, his mother was found guilty and he was forced to sentence her to the fullest extent of the law, however beloved, after sentencing his mother, the judge stepped down from the bench and removed his robe stretching both of his hands out asking the bailiff to arrest him, informing the court that there was not a stipulation in the law that would prevent him from serving his mother’s sentence.
Beloved reader, I don’t know how you look at this story, but this heathen judge that did not regard the persons of man, showed that he did have a heart and cared enough for his own mother that he was willing serve out her sentence, now friend, that is what I call love.
Dear reader, this is what God did for you and for me, for he could not make another Adam from the Earth that had been cursed.
Beloved, in the fullness of time, God (the word) stepped out of eternity and was placed in the virgin Mary for the sole purpose of going to the cross and becoming man’s redeemer. (John 3:16)
Church, the word declares that “He, who knew no sin, was made sin for us”. Yes, God took off his robe of judgment and paid man’s sin debt being made a curse for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Beloved, we have historical records where man have died for their faith being thrown to lions and becoming spectacles for all to see and in the scriptures below, God is allowing us through the psalmist David, to catch a symbol of his power and notice beloved, the many emblems of protection that is available to all of us.
(2 Corinthians 9:8) "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you: that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."
(Psalms 18:2) "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer: my God, my strength, in whom I will trust: my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."
PRESSED OUT OF OURSELVES INTO CHRIST
Church, I want to sound this message loud and clear; God is calling His church to engage Satan in warfare therefore we need the proper training and counselling to be strong in the Lord, that we will be fully equipped to break down satanic strongholds.
Dear reader, we can find in the history of the church that persecution always brought revival.
Beloved, the word of God speaks concerning a missionary trip Paul took to Ephesus which was in Asia, and the trip appeared to be unsuccessful for remember he speaks of this trip of being so dangerous that they were pressed out of themselves but how many knows that when you are pressed out of yourself, you are pressed into Christ.
Church, this trip seemed as if he had gained nothing from the mission but defeat and shame as he speaks about trouble erupting in the city that almost cost them their lives.
Beloved, Paul spoke of being under such intense pressure from this uprising that he and the men with him were despaired even of their own lives.
Church, some scholars believe it could have been a mob or even a sickness coming against them, but the word of God is not clear on this matter, but beloved, Paul informed the people with him that they needed to trust God who was able to raise the dead.
Beloved, Paul stated that they were pressed beyond their human strength and the only hope they had was their faith in God. (2 Corinthians 1:8-11) (2 Corinthians 4:8)
Church, this is what pressure will accomplish in us, it will press us out of ourselves and into Christ who loves us and gave himself for us that we might be declared righteous before the eyes of a perfect holy God because our life is in him.
Beloved, the pressure must be great enough to press us beyond our human strength and outside any source of hope that we may be hanging to.
Saints, it needs to be powerful enough till we see no hope in sight and if God does not intervene, we will surely suffer defeat.
Beloved, this is how we grow in the walk of faith, by being placed in situations where there is no conceivable way for us to win on our own which brings us to the end of ourselves until we have no hope but trust in the living God.
Saints, when we come to the end of ourself and sink down until we have no hope in our human strength, beloved, this is when the victory of the cross comes into shining view, for God never promised any of us that after becoming a Christian, our lives would be without discomfort, discouragement and even depression.
Dearly beloved, everyone one of us will experience one or the other of the discomforts mentioned and there may be times that we suffer through all of them at the same time, but beloved we can rest in our faith knowing that our God is faithful and his word declares that he is an ever present help in the time of trouble, and saints of God, it is through these times of difficulty that Jesus becomes more real to us all. (Psalms 46:1-2)
Dearly beloved, if you feel like the ship, you are on is sinking, God offers faith to us all through the exampled life Jesus Himself lived.
(1 Peter 4:12-14) (12) “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; (13) But rejoice, insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.(14) If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified."
(1 Corinthians 10:13) "There hath no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
Church, if you are tempted to an incredible extreme, take comfort that ye may be able to bear it and rejoice that He could lay such suffering on you because you are able, just look up and know that God’s amazing grace will see us through.
(1 Corinthians 3:21-23) (21) "Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; (22) "Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; (23) "And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."
Beloved, the bottom line is one for us to realize and that is beloved, "we have all of the resources we need to finish what we have been placed on the earth to da for the kingdom of God therefore may we be on the alert recognizing the enemy's tactics, as we exercise our faith, resisting all attacks, while drawing support from our Christian community and the God of all Grace. A-Men
MY CONCLUSION
Beloved Saints, the attacks on our faith are designed to conform us into the image of God’s Son, making us to become humble servants because they teach us to learn how to apply the truth of God’s word in greater ways to our situations, for while some are watching us go through what we are going through and notice that I said "going through," beloved reader, if the truth be known, we would discover that they are receiving their breakthrough by watching us persevere and not give up.
Saints of God, these trials will shape us to become men and women of God who will appreciate including have a deeper understanding of the spiritual battle around us and how important it is that we understand the meaning when Jesus said on the cross “it is finished,” and fight our battles from the side of the victory that has already been won.
Beloved, when God raised Christ from the dead, far above all principality, might and dominion, the word says that he gave him a name above every name that is known making him to head over all things to the church which is his body declaring him to be recognized as both Lord and Christ.
(Ephesians 1:17-23) (17) “ That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:” (18) “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,” (19) “And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,” (20) “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” (21) “Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:” (22) “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,” (23) “Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Beloved Saints, Satan is a created being, and he is called an Ark Angel because he was one of the first Angels created, and beloved, since he is a created being that fell from grace including his place with God, "his power is limited, and he can be restricted" by God’s people.
Beloved, we discover in (Job 1:12) that God can place restrictions on him, because we hear the writer speaking in this chapter that God had built a hedge around Job which denied him access to come against him.
In closing beloved, I am reminded of an event that took place in history where Alexander the Great sent men to the Jewish nation asking for assistance and supplies for his army but the Jewish leaders turned down his request which caused him to become angry and assembled his army against them but the priests went out to meet him dressed in their priestly garments and when he saw them, God touched his heart and caused him to give them favor.
Dearly beloved, history will show that God has a way of preserving his church and church we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us for we overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. (Revelation 12:11)
(Romans 8:35-37) (35) "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (36) "As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all-the-day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." (36) "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."
MY CLOSING PRAYER
Beloved let us pray, Lord, we believe you sent Jesus to pay the sin debt and die in our place, we believe he died and rose again for our justification, and Lord we accept your free pardon, and ask you to create in us a clean heart and right spirit; Lord wash us in the blood of your dear Son and remove anything that we may have inherited unpleasing to you from our blood line.
Dear Heavenly father, we thank you for your great love and blessing over our lives, for we rest in knowing that you promised to never leave nor forsake us as your children, but you promised to go with us all the way even to the end of the world.
Dear Lord, please forgive us for failing to remember that you know and understand what we need, for you were once one of us that was tempted in all points as us and you went to the cross to pay our sin debt that we could be drafted into your royal family as Sons and Daughters sharing with you in your glory.
Dear Lord, we ask for you to enlarge our borders, put your hand on us to guide us in the blessing for we need your divine guidance that we might walk fully in your blessing and goodness as you lead us by your Spirit to divine appointments.
Dear Lord, we pray that your name might be glorified as you leave your signature through us to future generations.
Father, we ask that you assign an Angel to accompany this work into the home of every person that will take time to read it, and heavenly father, we ask that you keep us from evil that we will not be grieved, tempted or cause pain.
Lord, we pray that you would help us to realize that the same Authority delegated unto Jesus has been delegated unto us, therefore Lord, help us direct our prayers toward the unification of the body of Christ to become one unified body working together in harmony doing your will even as it is already being done in Heaven.
Dear Lord, we ask that you make our life count and with our whole heart, we pledge our allegiance to you and your kingdom. Father, I pray for those that have prayed this prayer from their heart and ask that you undergird and protect them from the evil schemes of the enemy.
Dear Lord, help them acknowledge and realize that your abiding love is the one thing that we all can depend on to get us through the trials and tests that are sure to come. for Lord, sometimes we understand that we may experience unexpected events in our lives that can throw us in a freeze zone without knowing what direction to follow.
Lord, please help us stand firm activating our faith, for it is in those trying times, we can find rest knowing that we can depend on our God, our Father, to come on the scene to direct our path and to guide our footsteps.
Dear Lord help us to realize our dependence upon you and realize that we are apart of your glorious body on Earth.
Lord help us realize that there is strength in numbers and we need each other to be fruitful and live a prosperous life as your people.
Lord, please help us to not be careless and prideful in our Christian walk,
Lord, looking like a bunch of used body parts, but help us realize Lord, that we are apart of something bigger than ourselves; that we are a part of your glorious body as sons and daughters in your kingdom.
Lord I ask in Jesus mighty name that you will touch, heal and deliver all that read this prayer and call upon your wonderful name, that you will meet their need where they are.
Dear Lord, with all the hatred, unrest including people holding offices in government positions that do not have the best interests and well-being of their people in mind, especially Christians persecuted for their faith, therefore dear Lord, my prayer is that you stir us up and burden our heart for true revival to break out; yes Lord, in every country throughout the world and demonstrate to the people in these countries that you are the Unchanging God, Lord, your word declares it, that what you were yesterday, you are today, and will be tomorrow! (Hebrews 13:8)
Father, I sincerely come before your throne and pray a special prayer asking that you will assign an Angel with each of my books that for many years have been distributed and mailed without charge throughout the inner cities of America and many countries throughout the world.
Dear Lord, you know my heart that I did not under your inspiration and guidance write these books for personal gain but through a burning desire believing your Holy Spirit will use them to enlighten those that are seeking a closer walk and a deeper understanding of the truths embedded in your word.
Dear God, help us to always remember that we as your children are a part of your body on Earth and your word states that when one member suffers, we all suffer.
Dear Lord, we learn by studying church history that the old masters of the pulpit got their texts on their knees, soaked them with their tears, groaned over them with a travailing spirit, and warmed them with sincere prayer.
Lord, the masters were then able to deliver their message as a living thing, warm from your heart, burning in their heart to make warm the heart of the listeners and Lord, we are still reading and studying some of these fiery inspirational messages today.
Dear Lord, we desperately need your direction and guidance as we are constantly hearing news of school shootings and loss of life in a world where the young have been educated that life is useless and meaningless.
Dear Lord, help us to keep in view your tender mercy, love, grace, and supreme sacrifice in becoming our sin substitute.
Lord, help us to demonstrate to all that see us that we are indeed the body of Christ and in this trying time of unrest and confusion, may we always bear in mind that you are a very present help in the time of trouble.
Father, please help us learn to direct our prayers toward the unification of the body of Christ to become one unified body working together in harmony doing your will even as it is already being done in Heaven, and we ask these favors in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ your Son? A-Men & A-Men
International Evangelist
Jerry W. Hulse Ph.D.
Miracle Life Church International
