Trying Times - "In The Presence Of Christ" Series

Trying Times - “IN THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST”

by

Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (5/29/2013, 6/1/2013, 6/15/2013)

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17, KJV [The Christian's armour]).

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12, KJV [The Christians' rest]).

“But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation” (I Thessalonians 5:8, KJV [Comfort against persecution]).

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, Christ Jesus, How about that faith! Too many moons ago, I found myself engaged in a baptist church, (Jeremiah 30:21, KJV [Restoration of Israel: “And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD”]) delivering a testimony, a heartfelt remembrance of time spent in absence of them. And I said, “ I've been on the battlefield and the axe is laid at the tree. I don't know, if, you understand, then, you would know, what it is that I mean, so I speak to those of understanding.” It was not too many days that I received the testimony of a prophet, out of California. Well, I am in constant communication, almost daily, you could say with this particular prophet, like the others from elsewhere in this country; of course, in the absence of one prophet reaching out on one day, another reaches, in prayer, prophesying, standing on the word of God, on the battlefield, with me because usually, the mail arrived in spite of the rain.

Many prophets write me but this prophet, finally addressed the battlefield, breaking the back of sickness, toil and strife, unleashing the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17, KJV [The Christian's armour]), to heal the people [“The Battle of Sickness (Jehovah-Rapha (Rophe): The LORD is my Healer and God will release His healing virtue! “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, KJV [Messiah's sufferings foretold]). I don't put too much stock in unadvisedly chatter but I put my trust in the unadulterated truth of Christ Jesus. For fighting a good fight, without research into cause bears no fruit; if there be a cause to unravel, then, fight so that all might know justice was decidedly served, not man's unadvisedly chatter but that the presence of God, in the presence of Christ Jesus and the Holy Ghost, released His healing virtue! “Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips” (Psalm 106:33, KJV [The people's rebellion in the time of Moses]).

I know those people, who lack understanding, perhaps or by chance, think of physical beat down, when I say I am on the battlefield, and seemingly know little to naught (nothing) about spiritual warfare. “(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:)” (Job 8:9, KJV [Job speaketh in anguish]). Do you know the God of your fathers? “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever” (I Chronicles 28:9, KJV [Solomon chosen to build temple]).

In the Spirit, we must fight for our life and for the lives of others, on the battlefield “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against spiritual

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wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12, KJV [The Christian's armour]). Seemingly, it is more apparent to us, in flesh than in Spirit, that we are the only ones, who boasted of our journey in fighting the good fight to finish. You are not the first Christian to boast of his journey to finish the course set before him. “Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is” (I Corinthians 3:13, KJV [Manner of Paul's preaching]).

Apostle Paul said:

“As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this