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.

A time to choose

You can ascribe to God's word or to government's word, but you can't do both. The days are here the battle lines are drawn you must choose a side. Not choosing is a choice for man It does not matter what ANY MAN may say about any issue, God has covered everything we may think of and pervert, God says we shall not murder, man says we may in the name of choice, 58 million murdered souls testify to this before the throne of God each day as more are murdered , now man says marriage is for all but God says this marriage is the union between a man and s woman, man says living together is fine but God says this sex is for marriage and anything outside of the confines of marriage as He designed it is sin, man says that if you feel like a woman be one if you feel like a man be one this is simply perversion God says that He created them male and female. Make no mistake you can doubt and mock what God says but there are eternal consequences. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 HCSB Don’t you know that the unjust  will not inherit God’s kingdom?  Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters,  adulterers,  or any kind of homosexual,  no thieves,  greedy  people, drunkards, verbally abusive people,  or swindlers  will inherit God’s kingdom. And some of you used to be like this.  But you were washed, you were sanctified,  you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Look in the mirror

People need to stop, stop playing like you have it all figured out, stop complaining that the "church" is full of hypocrites, and doesn't meet your needs.

1st the "church" is the bride of Christ so complaining about her is telling Jesus who died for the " church" that He was wrong.

2nd you are the " church"  so what you say about the " church" is what you truly say about yourself.

It is time you get it in your hearts and minds we do not go to " church" but that we are the church.

Jesus is the rock , the foundation of the "church" of which we stand. Start standing up, stop complaining, start taking your role serious in the Kings plans.

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 12:12‭-‬31

Be Thankful

Things in life seem to never go as we think they should, our children don't always do as we desire, our jobs don't always go as planned, our drive to work and back home seem to get longer, food prices are up, heating prices are up, keeping up with all the bills that seem to come each month is stressful and disheartening.

Now when you look back at the paragraph above, look at all the things God has blessed us with. We always seem to see the negatives of our daily lives, and miss the power of God working for us and in us.

If we have children, a home, a job, a vehicle to get back and forth with, if we can buy groceries, have heat, water and electricity, if we have an income coming in, we should be thankful. The very fact you can read this means you're still alive.

This Thanksgiving let us give God thanks and praise for all that He has given us, not dwell on the negatives as everyone else, but be grateful for God's providence,love,mercy and grace that He pours out and over our lives.

Psalm 107:1
Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 100:4
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

Psalm 50:14
Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High.

Psalm 95:2
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.

Psalm 107:2
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy.

Psalm 116:12-14
What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me? I will take up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD. I will pay my vows to the LORD Now in the presence of all His people.

Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

Hebrews 13:15
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name