A hill to die on

There is a battle that rages around us, a battle so intense that from the very beginning of creation it has been going on.

Most don’t even know it is happening, the weapons are mostly silent the agents are covert and it is fought in a realm we know about but in our foolishness refuse to acknowledge or talk about.

The spiritual realm is just as real as what we see around us right now, it is a realm where angels tread and demons dwell, it is a place where the prayers of God’s people make there way too His throne, and a place where even the bravest of mankind fear to go.

God’s word says this “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints. Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel. For this I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough to speak about it as I should.” Ephesians 6:10-20 CSB

We are in this battle, we are born into it and in no way can we avoid it, ignoring it only helps the enemy for their powers are taken from fear, ignorance and apathy.

God never abandoned us, or intended for us too go at it alone and fight this battle, He fights this battle for us. He sent Jesus to defeat the enemy and He did. On the cross Jesus said “ it is finished” and struck the enemy a death blow.

God’s word says this; “For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. You were also circumcised in him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, when you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive with him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him.”

Colossians 2:9-15 CSB

Jesus chose to take the hill called Mount Calvary , it was here that the battle raged for mankind’s soul, and Jesus took that hill for us. He abandoned His humanity, His Deity and surrendered His life for ours. But three days later He rose from the dead and once and for all ended the reign of sin and death.

By doing so He set the captives free, those who were held captive and those of us who would be held captive. He did this so we would see the love of God, the truth of God and so the enemy of God would be exposed for who and what he is, a liar, a thief and deceiver.

God’s word says this; “Now grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. For it says: When he ascended on high, he took the captives captive; he gave gifts to people. But what does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower parts of the earth? The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, to fill all things.”

Ephesians 4:7-10 CSB

“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few — that is, eight people — were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.”1 Peter 3:18-22 CSB

This battle we are in is already won, we must choose what side we will line up with.

Just as Jesus chose to die on a hill called Mount Calvary and rise again from the dead, we must choose to die on the hill of self. A hill where this battle rages daily for how we will live. When we choose to die on this hill, Christ lives in us and in Him we have the victory over sin and death, we can walk through the spiritual realm in Christ and be not afraid for His rod and staff comfort us as He prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies.

God’s word says this; “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

1 John 4:7-10 CSB

Are you ready to walk in victory? We are more than conquerors when we surrender our lives to Christ, let’s walk in complete victory by surrendering all of our lives to Him today and die to ourselves so He may live in us.

“What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:31-39 CSB

For more on spiritual battles read Genesis 3: Daniel 10: 2 Kings 6: Matthew 4: Acts 19: these are just a few examples of how real this battle is.

What scars do you have?

We all have scars, some inside some out. Scars serve as a reminder a lesson learned, a lesson to be shared.

I grew up in Church , had great head knowledge of God, and great heart knowledge of those who called themselves Christians. A lot of them that I seen go to the churches on Sundays are the same ones I hung out with on the weeknights in the local bars.

I said to myself this is not what a child of God should be someone who plays a part, but I to played the part as a child of God I did not know Him as my Lord and Savior.  I asked Christ into my heart a thousand times but I never meant it,

I led worship in our church, could quote scriptures ,I knew the Bible backwards and forwards but none of it meant anything to me.

I lived life on my terms.

Mother's Day 1984 I walked into church after binge dinking all night. I would not set foot in Church until almost ten years later. I only came back to church because it profited me , God still had work to do in my life. And for the next five years of my life I fought God every time harder than before, knowing what was right and wrong. I wasn't willing to submit to Him yet.

By the world's standards I had everything you could ask for I had a job as a general sales manager for a car lot making $15,000 plus a month , money was my god and I served her well,most people didn't like me, including me.

But October 22nd 1998 it all changed when asked in a meeting at church if I left here tonight and went into eternity where would I go? and I heard God say to me that I would go to hell. I stopped in my tracks and could go no further. That night I surrendered my life to God He took my anger , He took my pride, He took my greed, He took my smoking, He took my drinking, He took my vocabulary, He took me and buried me.. I offered Him a broken vessel, He gave me Grace.

The next day I walked in and quit my job I was looked at like I was crazy but I knew I could no longer do my job in good conscience, I no onger wrestled with the Lord but started walking with Him.

Change in me was easy to see , I told God when I walked away that either I was all in or all out. I was all out to long. Now I am all in.

This is just a glimpse of what God has done for me and in me and is still doing. I bear the scars of choices I made, ones that remind me daily of the Grace I have received.

I can't boast of anything except who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and is doing in me. If it were not for His grace I would be dead or in prison for the things I have done, I can think of 10 times these 2 things should have happened, but God spared me.

God has spared each of us for such a time as this to reach the unreachable to love the unlovable for we to were once one of them.

Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted.  Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.  For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load. Galatians 6:1-5

But as for me, I will never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world has been crucified to me through the cross, and I to the world. For both circumcision and uncircumcision mean nothing; what matters instead is a new creation.  May peace come to all those who follow this standard, and mercy to the Israel of God! From now on, let no one cause me trouble, because I bear on my body scars for the cause of Jesus.  Brothers, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. Galatians 6:14-18

The authority from God

From the very beginning God gave man the responsibility to work and watch over what God created, He gave Adam this responsibility because God had cast Lucifer and his followers out of heaven.

In giving Adam this authority God had entrusted man to be the keeper of His law from the beginning, mankind failed in Adam though as Adam watched Eve be deceived and eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and sat silently as he partook of the same fruit and deception.

Mankind today still has this same responsibility to provide and protect what God has given to him, when we fail to do so we bring upon ourselves the dishonor of sinning against God. If as a man you refuse to provide and protect your family God says you are not worthy and are a vessel of dishonor.

Sadly in today's culture there are not many men of honor left, we are living in a time of weak and worthless men who bow their knees at the feet of government handouts and Lucifer's lies that all will be okay if you do what I say.

If you as a man are a child of God and you refuse to provide and protect for your family you need to get real with God, you need to fall on your face and repent and start taking care of what God has given to you it is time men get back to what God said and start leading from the front and stop lagging behind.

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden,  but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”  Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper as his complement.”

Genesis 2:15-18 HCSB

Command this also, so they won’t be blamed. But if anyone does not provide for his own, that is his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

1 Timothy 5:7-8 HCSB

He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a lightning flash.  Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you.   However, don’t rejoice that   the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Luke 10:18-20 HCSB

Follow Me! It's not a question

When Jesus called the Apostles they were working in their fields of labor, but He came upon them and said follow me, and they did.

The Apostles left their income and security and endured overwhelming circumstance, many died agonizing deaths but they kept focus on the mission given them trusting that God will supply their every need.

As believers we are given this same mission while on earth: to Follow Him to spread the gospel and love of Jesus Christ to a lost world through our words, our behavior, our service, and our lifestyle. This mission may cost us relationships, position, careers, reputation, and even our very lives. Believers may be persecuted, slandered, ostracized, imprisoned, or even killed for our faith. God asks us to trust Him with all of our needs. God asks us to believe that what we have right at this moment is enough to care out His mission. God asks us to endure in our circumstances, no matter how difficult, and to find joy no matter what because we have Him with us always.

What made the Apostles forsake it all and follow Him?

How about you are you following Him, or are you trying to lead?

In what circumstance are you doubting the Lord’s provision? Are you struggling to accept that where God has placed you and what He has in front of you is enough for today?

From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near! ” As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for   people! ”  Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him.

Matthew 4:17-22

Truth revealed

Have you ever driven down a road and seen a building you have never seen before? The irony of life is that we miss the obvious, things just don't appear they are revealed to us.
Mankind has so many distractions we tend to miss what God is saying , through nature, through circumstances, through His word.

If we would but listen we would see all God reveals. The word of God is that way, you can say the bible is written by man, but it was only scribed by man, it was written by the Holy Spirit and is revealed by Him to us and only by Him. So why not ask the Holy Spirit today to reveal God's truths to you so you may understand them and see the mystery of the scriptures.

1Corinthians 2:1-16 HCSB When I came to you, brothers, announcing the testimony of God to you, I did not come with brilliance of speech or wisdom. For I didn’t think it was a good idea to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

I came to you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with persuasive words of wisdom but with a powerful demonstration by the Spirit, so that your faith might not be based on men’s wisdom but on God’s power.

However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

But as it is written: What eye did not see and ear did not hear, and what never entered the human mind — God prepared this for those who love Him.

Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

We also speak these things, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual things to spiritual people. But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone. For who has known the Lord’s mind, that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.