Are You A Victim Of Fraud?

I was out for my morning walk this morning. It was a beautiful, frosty morning, probably the coldest morning this Fall season. I was dressed in layers with a beautiful new tuque and some great gloves. So, of course my phone rang, somewhere under all those layers.

Normally I don’t answer my phone when I am out for my walk because this time doubles as my conversational time with Father. But this morning I felt compelled to respond because I am waiting for several important phone calls, and besides, it could have been my wife. Unfortunately it was none of these.

After digging down through the layers to find my phone, you can imagine my disappointment when I heard an automated message telling me that VISA had identified two fraudulent charges on my account and I only had to press one to cancel them and speak to their agent. Having had this same message before I promptly hung up. Then I heard the Spirit.

The Spirit loves to use all kinds of occasions to make a point with me. As I put my phone away he asked me, “What if it’s true?”

I chuckled, “I know it’s not true.”

“How do you know it’s not true?”

“Because I know this is not how VISA works.”

“How do you know this is not how VISA works?”

“Because I have read their policies and I have had past experience.”

“So why do you listen to the enemy’s fraud?”

Wait! What?

He left it there for me to consider because I knew what he was talking about right away. The enemy is always committing fraud against God’s children. The Garden is just an example of what he has been doing throughout the history of humanity. He promises to us what we already possess and he tries to trick us into thinking we are opposite of who Father says we are. You know those lies. His great desire is to separate us from Father.

Those lies are those disturbing thoughts that wake you up in the middle of the night. They tell you that there are charges against you on Father’s account. There aren’t. They have all been removed by the blood of Jesus. Yet, those seeds are enough to start a stream of doubt that we allow to become a river that undermines our incredible relationship with Father through Jesus. They convince us Father won’t provide, or forgive, or heal or any of the many things he has promised us.

How do we protect ourselves?

I knew the phone call I received was fraudulent because I knew the company’s policies, how they operate in this matter and also have personal experience. I have received phone calls from VISA to check on charges when I have been traveling in places that were not usual for me. Most of us have. So I know they do not use automated messages that tell me to press a number to get an agent. It is no different with Father.

I shouldn’t be able to fall victim to the enemy’s lies. I know my Father. I know his promises. I know how he operates. When he needs to bring correction he does not do it with disturbing thoughts in the middle of the night. He never calls me out. He always calls me up. When I have taken a misstep he reminds me who I am in Jesus. “Hey encourager, let’s consider this here.” “Hey man of prayer, let’s take a bit of time together this morning.” He always speaks to me by how he sees me, even in correction.

I also know that he never threatens me. He is not against me. When he does need to bring correction it is not to punish but to build up. His desire is to see me grow, to increase, to mature. If there is shame and condemnation it is fraudulent, from the enemy of my soul. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. I should be able to tell the difference and choose to listen to the one I worship and trust.

If you are one who gets disturbed by the frauds of our enemy, do yourself a favour, give it over to Father. Yes, report the fraud to Father and leave it with him. Don’t let it rob you of a single minute of your sleep or of your day. Know Dad. Know his promises. Trust what you have already experienced with him. 

Overcoming Prejudice - The Backstabbers

We all know the axiom "Keep your friends close and your enemy closer" but most of us keep our enemies far from us. No one would blame us for being biased about our enemies; it's normal. As I continue in this series on prejudice and the Kingdom of God , examining the example of Jesus, I want us to consider our bias against those who are plotting against us, the potential backstabbers, in the light of Jesus' example.

In this period of time in our history, as the West wrestles with it's systematic prejudice, it needs to be clear for the followers of Jesus, the citizens of the Kingdom, the only systematic anything in the Kingdom is systematic love. There is no room for a system of thinking and actions where we lift up one group of people above another. Jesus sees all of us in the same relationship as the children of Father.

In the Kingdom culture we are taught by the Spirit to apply love to everyone in the same measure and that measure is extravagant. Jesus taught us with his words to love our enemy and then he demonstrated what that looked like. We recognize this with the Cross and the prayer of forgiveness for his abusers but do we recognize it in his selection of Judas, the Zealot?

Zealots were haters. The object of their hate was Rome and her soldiers. Zealots were violent and plotted to overthrow by force Rome's dominance over Israel. Judas was a Zealot, in direct opposition to the message Jesus was presenting to Israel. Yet Jesus chose him. To my thinking, Jesus chose him understanding Judas had the potential to be the one to betray him.

This is a problem for any of us who subconsciously consider people a commodity. We evaluate, probably without realizing it, who can best contribute to our lives. We surround ourselves by friends who make us feel good about ourselves and soon kick to the curb anyone who becomes a non-believer in us. A little criticism can be absorbed but too much becomes something we want to avoid so we avoid the person.

Judas was not a great addition for Team Jesus. He was a thief and he held on to the belief that the objective was more important than the people. When Jesus failed to live up to his expectations and when he failed to provide maximum profit, Judas cut his losses and tried to cushion his future. Perhaps the disciples thought this was obvious, but Father holds no bias against anyone. He is the God of the "Whoever" and desires everyone to be saved from a disastrous end like Judas.

Now consider Jesus' behaviour toward Judas. He did not exclude him from the others. He too was sent to his home town with the authority to heal the sick and cast out demons, preaching the Kingdom message. He too returned excited that demons had obeyed him. He journey with the Master every day, ate with him, heard the lessons, asked the questions.

Consider this: he was still in the upper room when Jesus washed his disciples feet with the purpose of demonstrating what sacrificial love for each other looks like. Judas had his feet washed by Jesus who he was already plotting against. Jesus knew this and still loved on Judas. He knelt in front of him, in the position of a servant, took his dirty feet into his yet-to-be-pierced hands, and tenderly washed the dirt away. I wonder what that felt like for Judas.

One of the worse things about prejudice is when we deny a person or a group of people the potential of victory in their lives because of some ugly thought in our head. Many people feel justified in their choice to not include everyone. They evaluate the potential based on their own prejudices, thoughts and unproven opinions. Jesus could have looked at Judas and rejected him because he was a Zealot, opposed to his message and brand. But then again he could have rejected Matthew for being a traitor to Israel. He could have rejected Peter for being a Galilean. He could have rejected Mary or Martha or Mary Magdalene because they were women. But he didn't because that is not Father's heart.

The Kingdom of God is a wonderfully radical place to those looking in but it is the norm, the reflection of our King's attributes to those who have been birthed by the Spirit into the Kingdom. This world may measure the worth of a person by their contributions but in the Kingdom the contributions are the fruit of the worth the King places on us. We are a peculiar people, unbiased in love and energy that we invest in all people. 

We recognize that the Kingdom is by invitation. Some will accept this invitation and some will reject it but that does not give us an excuse to be selective in the application of Father's love. We are empowered by the free flowing grace that is sourced in our relationship with our King. And it is our King who strengthens us in the grace to represent him in every person we are connected with, friend or potential backstabber. 

  

Overcoming Prejudice - Our Enemies

Continuing in our series on prejudice in relation to the Kingdom, today I am considering prejudice against our perceived enemy. This is a really big subject. We all will admit that it is wrong to have bias against an innocent person, or group of people, who have never done anything against us. Unfortunately, many of us will excuse any similar bias against people who have harmed us, who we consider to be our enemy.

The Kingdom of God is a very odd thing compared to this world. Our King very specifically told us that love is beyond anything perceived by our flesh. We have a limited definition what we perceive to be love and then project this on our King. But the foundation of the Kingdom is something otherworldly, beyond our imagination, and sometimes beyond our acceptability. It is a love that says there is nothing special about loving someone who loves you and there is something perfect about loving those who hate you.

The apostle Paul was so convinced of this incredible thing that he said that unless it is the motivation of everything we do, the things we do have no power and are useless, having no value. The power is found in the love that provokes us into action because that love is sourced from Father himself.

Jesus was interrupted one day by a servant who said that his master needed his help. It turned out that this man's boss was a Roman centurion, the enemy that currently occupied and dominated the land of the Jews. They were cruel, hateful and often sadistic in the way they treated the enemies of Rome and there was no doubt the Jews considered themselves enemies of Rome.

Understand this : when Jesus showed preference for the Jews it was because they were the focus of his mission, not because he lacked any love for the other nations. Scripture said that salvation would come to the world through the Jews and Jesus had come to fulfill these scriptures. Paul repeated this often : first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. But Jesus made it clear that salvation would be for everyone who believes.

Now Jesus is faced with this need from an enemy of Israel, a worshiper of multiple gods. We would have considered him justified if he had ignored this need. But he didn't. He responded to the one who considered his people to be the enemy. Note that Jesus came to demonstrate what life looks like as a citizen of the Kingdom. He came to reveal the heart of Father. He came so that we could see the Kingdom in his actions. He answered the prayer of his enemy.

Consider his own prayer as these same Roman soldiers drove the nails through his body and hung him on a tree in public disgrace : Father forgive them, they don't know what they are doing. Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you. What's so special about loving those who can return that love. The real power is revealed in loving those who can't return that love because of the hatred or fear that blinds them.

It is easy to be prejudice against those who we perceive are hating on us, being biased against us, mistreating and denying us. It is easy to focus on our rights in this world. It is easy to decry the injustices and make demands on others. But as citizens of the Kingdom we have been called to something greater, something beyond ourselves, something rooted in our King, flowing through us by the Holy Spirit. You and I are not capable of this otherworldly love that would have us love our enemy, but we are capable because of Jesus who gives us the strength and power to live it. 

Any of us can say we believe but faith is shown in our actions. Faith is living according to every word that comes from the mouth of our King. Faith is trusting that there is purpose and truth in Jesus' instructions even if it is contrary to our own thinking. Jesus says that it is possible to obey him because love empowers us. We cannot obey him from willpower. We cannot obey him from repetition. Obedience is empowered by love. That is how things work in the Kingdom and that is how we overcome our prejudice toward our enemies.

What Does A Kingdom Of Honour Look Like?

So the Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of honour. We see it in everything our Father has said and done as recorded in the Bible. We see it in the Law he gave to Israel. We see it in the interactions Jesus had with everyone. We are taught it in the Epistles of the Apostles. But what does that look like?

How do we honour those who do not love us? How do we honour those who hate us and persecute us? How do we honour those who live in rebellion against Father? First we start by understanding honour.

There is an honour that we give to people in our society when they do something incredible. Recently we have seen the frontline health care workers honoured because of their daily sacrifice and risk on behalf of the sick and suffering. Then there is the honouring we do when someone has gone through unmerited suffering or death, such as those killed recently in Nova Scotia. WE also honour leaders we consider to be great. But a society of honour goes beyond spotlight honour.

A culture based on honour gives honour to everyone who is part of that culture. It comes in the form of attitude, actions and words. We show honour to people simply because they exist, breathe, dream, work, laugh. We recognized they have worth simply because they were created by Father.

In the KIngdom we recognize that everyone is the object of our Father's love. They have the freedom to accept or reject that love but it does not affect Father's love for them. We honour them because of that love. But in what way do we honour them? Is not honouring lifting up their actions and saying their rebellion is okay?

We honour people by recognizing their value to Father. Considering this value, we honour them with the various manifestations of Father's love. We are gentle with them, showing kindness and goodness. We forgive their offenses even if no apology is offered. We are patient with them, refusing to see ourselves better by realizing what we have received from Father when we have not deserved it.

We can start with the very basics: we were all created in the same way by our Father. We all bleed when we are cut. We all have the same insides, have the same need for oxygen, food, water. We all need shelter and clothing. We all need to be loved and to love. We need a sense of belonging, of being needed, of being useful and appreciated. 

Those of us who are willing will also recognize our rebellion against Father and our need for forgiveness and restoration. We recognize that while we were still in this rebellion that Jesus paid the price so that this rebellion could be forgiven and we could be restored to Father. This is not for a select few but everyone who decided to believe and enter into the fullness of that relationship. This is the part that becomes important when it comes to honouring.

The only difference between me and my rebellious neighbour is that I decided to surrender my rebellion and align myself with Father's heart through Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. I am a new creation birthed by the Spirit but none of this was because I deserved it or because I worked for it. This was a free gift offered by the grace of my Father. It is because he loves me in the same way he loves my rebellious neighbour which means that free gift is still being held out to my neighbour.

My Father created me the same way he created my neighbour. He loves me in the same way he loves my neighbour. That is not affected by race, colour or creed. When James tells us to honour everyone it was because we were created and are loved in the same way and it is not affected by race, colour or creed. It is given to me, as a citizen of God's Kingdom, a child of my Father, a bearer of his image, to honour everyone.

If this is true then how much more is it my responsibility to honour a fellow citizen? How much more is it my responsibility to stand with them, to pray for them, to celebrate them, to forgive them, to rejoice with them? They are my brothers and sisters and I must honour them at all times.

No matter how you look at it the Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of honour and we are citizens of this Kingdom who honour each other and even those who are not yet citizens. We do not judge, we honour, trusting Spirit to teach, mature and guide us in these his ways.

A Pastor's Heart

The desire of every leader in the Body of Christ is for you to grow. It may seem like we are preaching the Law, lots of do's and don'ts but that is not our intention. We simply desire to help you avoid common pitfalls and to grow into the fullness of Jesus. There are so many traps, so many distractions, so many things the enemy uses to tear you away from Christ. Even leaders are vulnerable and need accountability.

Perhaps the words of the apostle Paul best describe how we see our desire for you:

But I’m afraid that your minds might be seduced in the same way as the snake deceived Eve with his devious tricks. You might be unable to focus completely on a genuine and innocent commitment to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

We see the relationship Jesus intended for you to have with him and the Father. It is the reason he sent us the Spirit so we could be joined with them, have rich fellowship and to enable the transformation process to continue. Everything that is contrary to the character of Jesus works like acid against this intended relationship.

It is more than just understanding what pleases and displeases Yahweh, we have to desire to want to live to please him, to desire to reject everything he rejects and to lift up everything he considers important. It is the reason Scripture points out that even if everything were permitable not everything is beneficial. If activities in our lives are not moving us toward Jesus then we should be glad to get rid of them to make room for what does benefit us.

The enemy has been seducing the children of God for a long time and he is very good at it. He knows what works and what doesn't work. It is the reason the Scriptures tell us to stay alert because he is light a prowling lion looking for the weak to destroy them.

It is the reason Yahweh left no room for anything else when he told us to love him with our all, and Jesus told us that this one command is greater than anything else. That is what we should be spending our days learning to do. If we did we wouldn't be so concerned about a list of do's and don'ts because it is on the tender hearts that the Spirit is able to write the Law. Then we would never desire to do what is contrary to Jesus.

Love is not an abstract feeling, it is a concrete substance with tangible actions. Jesus said, if we loved him, truly loved him, our desire would not be to find loopholes to do what we want, but instead our desire would be to obey him, no matter the cost. This is the reason your pastor and elders spend their days keeping a watchful eye on you, desiring to train you in the way you should go. Next time you see them, thank them.

Peace: The Great Weapon Of War

I was confronted by a thought yesterday that has me still working it out today. Maybe it is something you are well aware of but it is something I had never really thought about, and it has put a smile on my face and a cheer in my heart. And it is simple.

How does the enemy try to keep us off balance? That is what he is doing because the last thing he wants us to do is get any traction in our relationship with Jesus. He won't stop us from going to church or reading our Bible but he will do what he can to make sure those activities do not have a lasting effect on us. The last thing he wants us to know is our true identity in Jesus.

The tools he loves to use is fear, anxiety and worry. These things will keep our mind distracted and keep us busy trying to rescue ourselves. These things keep us awake at night, effect our health and keep us moving in the opposite direction to Jesus. The he does not want us to understand that the peace of Jesus, a free gift to us, is a great weapon of war.

Yes, that is the thought I was confronted with yesterday: peace is a weapon of war. Seems a bit strange right? As long as we are fearful the enemy is winning. As long as we are worried and anxious about our problems he is dancing about with glee. But the moment that the peace of the Lord is established in us, any foot holds the enemy had are lost and he must flee from the presence of the Lord in us. Powerful:

"Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid." (John 14:27)

This peace cannot be manufactured by us. We don't produce it by happy thoughts or positive thinking. This is a supernatural peace that shields us in all circumstances. It protects our heart, mind, spirit and soul. It protects our relationship in Jesus. It is a shield that the enemy can only throw mud at, he can't overcome it, but he will try to make us let go of it. It frustrates him when we hold on tight.

We have this peace in our relationship with Jesus because ours is a reality not understood by the flesh but dictated by the Spirit:

"I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world you have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)

This great weapon of warfare defies all human logic and understanding. It goes in the opposite direction of where our natural self wants to go. We have to make the decision that we are people of faith, that we trust Jesus and that we will give all peace-disturbing things over to him:

Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Safe! There are no short cuts, no pills to take, no 7 step systems: there is only faith. Faith says I trust Jesus over the obvious reality of this world and I know through him I am already victorious. Faith says I accept your gift Jesus, my Lord and my King. I encourage you to meditate on the truth of Scripture and to defeat the enemy of your soul today: Peace be with you.

How Do You Know There Is A God?

"How do you know that there is a God?" Not an uncommon question and yet one that earlier civilizations didn't seem to have a hard time answering. Every civilization has always found something to worship because we recognize that we are not complete, that there is something greater than us. Yahweh created us for fellowship, that we would have a freewill to choose to love him.

Without Yahweh there is an emptiness in us that we we can't fill. We try to with all kinds of things like people, work, goals, education, sex, drugs, entertainment and sometimes idols. We have always worshiped something, sometimes ourselves, because we have a need to worship. The earlier civilization did not know what to worship because Yahweh had not yet revealed himself, so they made it up. Certainly he could be seen in nature, in all of creation, but after Adam and Eve no one really knew him. Not until Moses.

A lot of things changed with Moses because Yahweh was ready for creation to know him. He had decided to go beyond his fingerprints in creation and he wanted the world to know him personally. He had chosen Abraham and his children to become a mighty nation through home Yahweh would make himself known. But even Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not know Yahweh as Moses was about to know him.

In Exodus 4 we find that Yahweh is going to introduce himself with signs and wonders. He is not going to leave doubt in anyone's mind. He was not going to allow them to think that this was just Moses pulling a con. The evidence he was going to give them as eyewitnesses would last for generations to come. Things were about to change forever.

He gave Moses three things to do so people would know that he had sent Moses and Moses stood in Yahweh's authority. He demonstrated to Moses how he would turn Moses' staff into a snake and back again. He showed him how he would turn his hand leprous and then restore it to health. Then he told Moses that he would turn the river of the Nile to blood. Perhaps compared to what we know Yahweh ended up doing, these are small and forgettable things, but at that time they would have been very effective. Moses was going out feeling equipped for his responsibility.

I find it interesting how the enemy was there to mock Yahweh's power. When Moses performed these three signs of power and authority, the court musicians copied them with their trickery. The enemy desired to rob Yahweh of his glory. But later, they were blown off the stage when Yahweh started in on a greater display of his power as he brought in the plagues that mocked the various false gods of the Egyptians, almost destroying Egypt.

It is no different today. Jesus Christ brought in a fuller understanding of Father's heart, revealing his great mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Jesus came in authority and power. He did things that could not be explained by eyewitnesses. He revealed the glory of Yahweh in himself and he promised this same power would be in every person who followed him. But the enemy was present to mock. Throughout the ages the enemy has been present to muddy the waters, cause confusion and mock the power and authority of Yahweh.

To this day the enemy copies the message of the gospel but twists it to his own delight. He has caused people to doubt signs and wonders to the point where preachers and teachers are mocked by the world. He has made sure that there is a "church" that has the appearance of godliness but lacks the power. He has made sure that this is the respectable "church" and everything else is just a bunch of crazies. Anyone who actually follows Jesus, filled by the Holy Spirit, doing what he did, trusting, believing, walking in his righteousness is dismissed by this world, not understanding that these are the authentic followers of Jesus; those who love him enough to be obedient to his word.

Yahweh has always revealed himself in his creation. He then allowed people to know him, starting with Moses. He completed that revelation through Jesus Christ. We are now without excuse. Anyone who wants to know him can do so by simply seeking him. Jesus has made it possible to know Yahweh in great intimacy. By the Spirit it is possible to walk with Yahweh as Adam did. I know there is a God because I know him and speak with him by name. The enemy will be there to distract but if a person is honest in their seeking, they will see the face of Yahweh.

His Compassion Never Fails

The compassion of Yahweh is something that we are thankful for but yet do not totally grasp. It is difficult for us because we can't fully understand our condition or situation in relation to our Creator. Most of us are not bent on death and destruction. We are fairly decent people, trying to be good to others, living a fair life. We don't see ourselves as evil or rebellious. We struggle to see that we were once the enemies of Yahweh. But we were.

Jesus once asked the question: Who would love most, the person forgiven a little or a person forgiven a lot? The answer of course was the person forgiven a lot because their wrong doing defined the quantity of the forgiveness, meaning, they owed more love to the forgiver. The darkness of our evil reveals the brilliance of Yahweh's compassion for us. Let's go back to the garden.

Yahweh had given Adam and Eve everything including his friendship. They had much joy just being with him. He also gave them only one simple rule: Don't eat from that one tree. There was only one way that they could mess this up, and that was by defying Yahweh by breaking the one rule. Of course that is what they did and as soon as they did it they became enemies of Yahweh. They had rebelled against him and brought chaos and destruction to all of creation. Because of their one act of rebellion, the brilliance of creation was suppressed and the relationship with the Creator was forever changed.

It is hard for us to relate to this because we never stood in that garden. We never walked with Yahweh in the cool of the evening. We never knew what it was to be innocent. It is hard for us to understand what was lost because we never knew what it was to be a friend of Yahweh. We cannot fully grasp how man's heart became redefined. That is why we need Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who put all these things in perspective and give us a glimpse of the conviction of our sinful rebellion. Why did Yahweh give us Jesus and Jesus the Spirit? Because of his great compassion.

There is something that stands out for me in the account of the Fall of man. We had become the enemy of Yahweh. He had passed sentence on Adam, Eve, and the serpent. He was removing us from his presence but not before he gave us a tiny glimpse of his wonderful compassion:

"Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them." (Genesis 3:21)

What? Why?

Yahweh, in his compassion, loved his enemy and clothed them before removing them. He didn't have to do that. He could have sent them out into the world naked and ashamed. He could have just turned his back and let them suffer their fate because of their hurtful rebellion. But despite the evil they had done; despite the hurt they had caused his heart; despite the fact they were his enemy, he took the time to care for them by clothing them. Look at this and realize the same heart that sent his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life, which is the opposite of the curse of their rebellious act. God is good, all the time. His compassion never fails.

You Are Not Insignificant To Our Enemy

Do you sometimes feel insignificant, as if whatever you do will go unnoticed by everyone? If you are a child of Yahweh don't you believe it. There are more eyes on you than you can possibly understand. You see, the enemy knows what kind of influence you have and he looks for every opportunity to diminish that influence. Meanwhile, the world is looking for someone who actually believes and lives by the words of Jesus. The world wants to see if there is any sincerity left. You have more eyes on you than you can possibly know.

The enemy hates sincere believers; those that trust and live by the words of Jesus. He hates those who desire above all else to know Jesus and to walk in his footsteps. He hates and wants to destroy a powerful testimony. So he will push and prod and lay down traps to try to destroy you. His biggest tool is fear. He may not cause situations but he will try to use the good things Jesus is doing in your life, twisting them to produce fear. A glaring example of this is found in Nehemiah.

Nehemiah had come back from captivity to give oversight and encouragement to the rebuilding of Jerusalem but there were many enemies who wanted to stop him. However, Nehemiah was there under the authority of the king of Babylon. He had full authority to do what he was doing so the enemy had to be crafty in their discouragement. Sound familiar? We have full authority under our King to do what we do but the enemy does all he can to bring in discouragement.

In this case, the enemy tried to use an informer, a traitor in their midst, to produce fear in Nehemiah. He told him that his enemies were going to do a sneak attack and kill him. He advised him to go into the temple and lock the door to stay safe. He wanted to produce fear in Nehemiah so Nehemiah would take a cowardly act to preserve himself. This would have brought a halt to the work, discouraged the people and showed a lack of faith. But the enemy forgets that we are well equipped in our relationship with Yahweh to see through such traps:

And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me. (Nehemiah 6:11-13)

Jesus has given you a testimony so he may be glorified through you. Your life is no longer about you but about everyone Jesus can influence through you. Often the difficulties we go through are not about us but about Jesus using us to show sincere faith to the world. He is shining through our weaknesses, our circumstances, as we hold to our faith and trust, not complaining but praising. When people see us in our trials giving praise to Jesus it confuses them. But when they see Jesus answer our needs they begin to see the quality of his love for us. This is the thing the enemy wants to destroy.

There is a reason we are told to put on the full armour of God; we need it. The reason we need it is because on our own we cannot stand up against the fierceness, boldness and trickery of the enemy. The armour and the position we are told to take is all about defense. We are told that after we have done everything we can to stand, we are to stand. We have been given a testimony; stand in it. We have been given territory to defend; defend it. We have been given instructions from Jesus; follow them. Don't turn to the right or to the left. Don't listen to the little whispers. Pay no attention to the rumours that produce fear. You are a fierce warrior in the Lord's army so act like it as you place all your trust in the King.

No matter how insignificant you feel at times, you aren't. So many eyes are watching you, trying to decide whether you are the real thing, a real believer, a real child of Yahweh. Do not allow the enemy to steal that from you. Don't give your testimony away. Even if you have to lay down your life to preserve it, understand, Jesus is able to keep what you have committed to him. I leave you with our brother Paul's words:

For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Timothy 1:12)

Fight on!

Beware Of The Whisperer

Beware of the whisperers in your life. They are like the snake in the garden, coming alongside to whisper doubt into your life. They can take a human form, a book, a movie, anything at all. The whisperers can come through parents, teachers, best friends. It is anything that says, "Did God really say ..." twisting the Scriptures and the clear doctrine that forms the foundation of your life.

It may be somebody who plays a minor part in the story of your life; only present for a very brief period and then gone again. This is what happened in king David's family. An insidious person named Jonadab was a friend of the king's son, Amnon. Now Amnon had some unwholesome desires for his half-sister but he had not brought it to life; it was just something that was there. But the whisperer came alongside and encouraged Amnon to act on these feelings:

So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” (2 Samuel 13:5)

Notice Jonadab did not tell him what to do after that but it was enough to nudge Amnon into a course of action that would bring terrible grief on the entire nation. The enemy did not care about Jonadab, Amnon or Tamar; his sights were set on the throne and causing as much pain as possible. Amnon violated his sister which led to the bitterness of her brother Absalom. In the end it left Tamar in disgrace the rest of her life, Amnon dead, a kingdom divided, hundreds of innocent people dead along with Absalom and caused untold grief to David. All from a simple whisper.

In our age the whisperers are increasing to the point of being shouts. There are a lot of sources that are trying to plant doubt into the hearts of Yahweh's children, causing them to question the King, making them turn aside in rebellion. Open your eyes and take a look. We have preachers teaching there is no hell. We have whole churches accepting and defending immorality (sin) in their church. We have atheists mocking the Bride of Christ and setting up mankind as an idol. We have legitimate followers of Jesus being seduced by the culture of our day. We have immorality splashed across our television and computers screens, contained in every cell phone, in novels and magazines. There is a huge wave of rebellion sweeping across our nations and the whisperers say to the faithful "it's normal, join in".

Beware of the whispers in your life because they are out to destroy you. Their source is the enemy of our soul and he has been working his great deception for thousands of years. I have no new words to encourage you with but I can encourage you with the only Word that matters:

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Ephesians 6:10-13)

It is not a new war. In fact, it is a very ancient war and our part is to stand against it, not in our own strength but with that which our LORD has equipped us. Take a good look around, it is only going to get worse. But take heart and be encouraged in the LORD because we are on the winning side. Do not allow yourself to fall victim to the whisperer and do not make alliances with anything of this world. The world has nothing to offer us because Jesus has already given us everything. Shout his praises from the roof top in the face of the whisperer and stand your ground.

Are We Still Falling For The Lie?

Many of us in the Church are victims of the enemy's lies without even knowing it. In fact, he has done such a good job that we defend his lies as being good for us. We have gone so far off of God's path for us that God's ways have become something foreign to us. The thing is, the enemy is still using the same old trick and we keep falling for it.

From the very first day God desired to have a rich relationship with us. Many of us consider the walks Adam had with God something precious and for which to long. It wasn't complicated with God in the beginning; there was only one simple rule. But that one simple rule was enough for our enemy to use to separate us from God. Do not eat from this tree, was all God stated, and then all the enemy had to do was plant a seed of thought.

Eve did a good job in correcting the enemy when he tried to twist God's words. Eve told him that it wasn't what God said and then repeated back to the enemy what God had said. She did better than many of us do today. She did exactly what Jesus did when he was tempted by the enemy. But then the enemy planted a thought that Eve found hard to resist; he promised her knowledge. We bear witness to the progression of thought as Eve faced this temptation and in it we see the logic of our own thinking.

First Eve actually took the time to look at the tree, which was her big mistake. The enemy actually got her to consider what he was saying, even though he was accusing God of lying. She looked at the tree and considered that it was good for food. We reason away our disobedience. God didn't say it wouldn't be good for food but it was never about the benefits of the tree and always about obedience to God. But she looked and her intelligence told her it was good for food.

In looking she discovered that the tree was a delight to look upon. It was a thing of beauty. Surely something that brought so much pleasure to her senses could not be bad. Even as the thought settled in she was subconsciously saying God was indeed a liar. It stopped being about obedience to God and became a thing that made her feel good.

In accepting the pleasure it brought, her logic then took her to the great benefit it would bring. It was a tree that would give her wisdom, making her better than she was. After all, isn't wisdom a great thing to have? She placed her desires above the thing of singular importance in her relationship with God; obedience.

I am sure you can see how this applies to this continuing lie of the enemy. We place obedience to God as secondary importance to many other things in our life. Human logic prevails. Anything that doesn't seem to make sense in God's commands and desire for us we simply dismiss and replace it with rational thinking. Anyone who does not have a relationship with God would find my words foreign and silly. Of course rational thinking is what we should be seeking. Knowledge is what we seek. Even if it takes us to places God told us not to go. Or, at least that is where our thought process takes us; our human wisdom.

No one would deny our focus on pleasure these days. We once worked for fulfillment but now we work so we can afford our pleasures and it is the pleasures that give us fulfillment. Everything is focused on what makes us feel good. It doesn't matter that any of these things go against God's morality and will; all that matters is that it makes us feel good, so it must be good.

Logical thinking sees a pastor and congregation support homosexual marriage and keeps us silent on everything else. But homosexuality is not the big sin we make it out to be because it is the denial of Jesus for which we will be judged. Many of us, if not all, deny Jesus in many ways as we disobey God in our hearts as we seek after the lies of the enemy. We can confess him with our lips but deny him in our disobedience to his will. It doesn't matter what we consider to be good. The only judge on that matter is God and it is why we cannot obey without trusting that he is good.

We should be very thankful for this age of grace because all of us would be lost without it. However, falling for the lies while relying on grace is not going to see our relationship with God increase. We are not going to discover the wonders of spiritual maturity. We are not going to progress in what matters most. No, in order to enjoy the rich fellowship of our God we need to foster the desire to be obedient to him. Not obedience in a cold religious way but in a deep fellowship of love, where our every desire is to live the will of the Father, just like Jesus.

To progress in maturity we need to discover the spiritual strength of denying the enemy by denying ourselves.  Our pleasure is not found in the things of man's thinking and imagination; it isn't found in rational thinking; it is only found in the rich relationship that fosters obedience. At least ask the Father to open your eyes to your true spiritual condition under the influence of the enemy.

Don't Give Satan Power Over You

Have you ever been told to be careful of what you say? Have you been told to watch what you confess with your mouth? Often people say that you will bring life to whatever fear, worry, lust, longing that you speak. Your words give it life. The Word of God is filled with warnings to be careful of what you say. There is a reason for all of this: It is with your words that you either defeat or arm your enemy against you.

So let's understand this: Satan is not God. He is not an equal force fighting against him. He is not arm wrestling with Jesus over souls. Jesus sent Satan packing with a few simple words and, with the authority given to him by the Father, he sent the servants of the enemy scurrying away with the simple command to "Go!" God is God and there is no other. Evil cannot overcome him and there is no foe that can defeat him.

Now understand this: Only God knows your thoughts. No one knows what you are thinking, except for our Creator. He knows our motivations because he knows our mind and our heart. Don't worry; he knows and he has still chosen to love you. That's how great his grace is. The Word tells us:

You know when I am resting
    or when I am working,
    and from heaven
    you discover my thoughts. (Psalm 139:2)

 Don’t say, “I didn’t know it!
    God can read your mind.
He watches each of us
    and knows our thoughts. (Proverbs 24:12)

When king David was preparing his son, Solomon, for the great task that awaited him, he told him:

Solomon, my son, worship God and obey him with all your heart and mind, just as I have done. He knows all your thoughts and your reasons for doing things, and so if you turn to him, he will hear your prayers. (1 Chronicles 28:9)

The problem is when we turn around and credit Satan with the same attributes as God. Satan does not know your thoughts. He cannot hear what you are thinking. He does not know your words before they are on your lips but when they are on your lips he knows, and that`s the point.

Satan is a great student of human behaviour and character. He has servants who watch, take notes, and listen to your words to know your heart. He has no other way to know you then to study your words and actions. It is the reason we are warned:

Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. (1 Peter 5:8)

How does he know who to attack? Is he going to attack those who stand strong in the authority of Jesus; who worship and praise all day long? Is he going to attack those who proclaim the promises in every situation? Is he going to attack those who have developed faith muscles by declaring the goodness of Jesus in the face of all circumstances? Or is he going to attack those who show their weakness by the confession of their mouth? Those who grumble, complain, back bite? Is he going to attack those who confess (not to God but the world) their illnesses, lusts and desires? Is he going to attack those who expose their plans and who curse the good things that God is doing through circumstances?

We have nothing to fear from Satan unless we give him the power over us; unless we leave the pasture of our Shepherd and tell the world of our fears. As long as the Lord is our strength, our sword and our shield, as long as his praise is sweet on our lips, as long as we make sure our words, the confessions of our hearts, are seasoned with his grace and love, the enemy will never be able to touch us. But the moment we start confessing our fears, anxieties, anger, bitterness, hatred, discontent, he will know exactly how to work on us until he succeeds in separating us from the Lover of our Soul. Like a knife in an open wound, he will continue to twist on the nerve of our emotions.

Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8)

And let your words flow from such things. Even if you are struggling with a wrong attitude, confess it to God but be silent before your enemy. In fact, know what is best for you and despite how you may feel, let the praises of our Lord fill your mouth and the air around you simply because you know he is good. May the atmosphere of where you are change from whatever it is to the sweet awareness of God's presence and may others be blessed by you instead of cursed as a result of your close walk with Jesus.

Satan Knows How To Destroy You

The enemy of your soul wishes to destroy you today. He won't be in your face about it but instead will use the natural weakness of your flesh against you. He will initiate something that you will continue with and he is good enough at it to make you think it is God's will. Consider Eve.

Eve's big mistake was answering the serpent but she did handle herself well. When you read this passage realize that Eve responded to the serpent's twisted truth in the same manner as Jesus did, with the exact words of God. But little did Eve know that by continuing to entertain the serpent she had already started down the slippery slope. I am sure the serpent had studied Eve and knew that her weakness was her curiosity which he worked on to overcome her obedience to God. All Satan had to do was nudge Eve's curiosity enough to get her to look at the fruit, then Eve did the rest. This is what Satan did to King David.

Often we consider David's biggest sin was his sexual sin with Bathsheba which led to the murder of her husband but there was another sin that resulted in the death of thousands of innocent people. It started off with Satan:

Satan decided to cause trouble for Israel by making David think it was a good idea to find out how many people there were in Israel and Judah. (1 Chronicles 21:1)

It is only natural that a king would want to know the strength of his army. All it took was a little nudge from Satan to push David in that direction. But God had ordered from long ago that Israel was never to take a census of its strength. The reason is a simple one: the strength of the army was never what the king of Israel was to rely upon. His true strength was found in his relationship with God, who is the defender of Israel. David did wrong and thousands of people paid the price.

Satan hasn't changed. He still uses his little bag of dirty tricks because they still work. He is very good at separating us from dependence on God. He is very good at working on our weaknesses. He is very good at nudging us in the direction of relying on our "armies" instead of God, and it keeps us weak. He does it in such a way that we think it is normal, natural. After all, it is only natural that we would keep a census of our wealth. It would be crazy not to. How else would we know what we need to pay our bills?

Yet Jesus told us to have nothing to do with fear or worry. He said not to chase after the values of this world as the people of this world do. In other words, we do not conduct business with the same set of values as the world; we have Kingdom values. We do not use the same wisdom or approach; we have God's wisdom. Whatever we have that comes from this world we give it away so we can receive Kingdom riches. We rejoice when we look weak in our finances and health because God is about to glorify himself in our weakness. We are a crazy bunch according to the principles and practices of this world, and that is what Satan wants to prevent. He does not want us discovering the Kingdom principles. He does not want Jesus to be our strength.
 
It comes down to this one basic truth: Your strength is found in your relationship with God. Anything else is a lie and will end up being your death. You will die on the riches of this world. Your bank account will be a dry twig and when you lean on it, it will snap. Your health is like the mist, a strong breeze will blow it away. Your family will be scattered with one simple crisis. The only true strength you have is Jesus Christ and that strength preserves finances, health and family. Without him you have nothing and you are nothing.

If the enemy of your soul comes whispering today rebuke him with the Word of God and press in to Jesus.

My body and mind may fail,
    but you are my strength
    and my choice forever. (Psalm 73:26)

You Can Burn Our Churches But You Can't Touch Our Faith

I came across a photo today as I was updating some of my social networking sites. It was of some Egyptians holding up a sign that read "You can burn our churches but you can't touch our faith". I guess some could even write, "You can take my life but you can't touch my faith". That's fairly challenging for us whose faith gets overwhelmed by financial and relationship problems. We need to get over it. We need to get over the inconveniences of our life in this world and understand the priority of the Kingdom to which we belong.

I am telling you today that every force that the enemy of your soul has available to him, he will use against you. He will use circumstances, emotions, sin to provoke doubt, fear and anxiety. He will use the culture of our society that he has manipulated for his own purposes and he will use every temptation that plays upon your old sin nature which is still trying to regain control over you. He hates you and wants to destroy you, because he hates God but can't even come close to touching him; except through you.

The great news is you don't even have to give him a second thought as long as you are centered on Jesus. Christians throughout the world are facing angry mobs, hateful governments, and life-ending situations. Seventy thousand are jailed in North Korea. Let me write out the zeros for you; 70,000. Only God knows how many are jailed in China. I wonder how many pastors were forced to watch theiir homes burn and their families beaten in India. But yet you face even greater danger because at least they can see the persecution they face; you can't.

The enemy is easy to deal with though.There is one thing that will always cause your persecutors to pause and will put the enemy of your soul to flight. David understood it because it is what he had learned to do since being a shepherd with his family's flock:

With praises from children
and from tiny infants,
    you have built a fortress.
It makes your enemies silent,
    and all who turn against you
    are left speechless. (Psalm 8:2)

Worship is our greatest defense because it lifts our eyes from the illusions of our enemy and helps us focus on our reality. Don't think for a moment that the shadows we call life is our reality. Far from it. We belong to something far greater than any of this. A bullet to the head is not reality but something to provoke fear. The nails in the hands and the empty grave, the out pouring of God's Spirit and our oneness with Christ is our reality.

As we lift our hearts, minds, eyes, and voices to what is "above" we are reminded of who our Father is and what Jesus has done for us, and what we have become. As we lift up the name of Jesus the enemy of our soul is reminded as well. "You can burn our churches but you can't touch our faith". You can confuse my finances, manipulate my circumstances, provoke the world into hatred against me but you can't touch my faith. You can try to provoke my emotions, accuse me of past sins, have the world call me names but you can't touch my faith.

Praise will make your enemies silent today. Anyone who has turned against you will be left speechless in the face of your trust in Jesus. Your heart will be emboldened and your spirit lifedt as you wave the banner of Jesus' love for the world to see. Remember who our God is so you can be reminded of what you have become and where you belong.

Good Morning Monday

Do you know what always greets me Monday morning, besides the cat? Emptiness. Doubt. Fear. Worry. Anxiety. Discouragement. Maybe you are surprised by that. Maybe you know exactly what I mean.

It's not that those things belong to me or even are generated in me. They belong to and originate from the enemy of my soul. You see, he hates me. He hates the fact that I received such great sustenance from the Lover of my soul on Sunday. He hates that I was encouraged in the Spirit and received new strength. He hates that, whatever plans he had for me last week, were washed away as I stood in the presence of my God. He hates that a feast for my soul was laid out for me right in front of him and that I ate and drank until I was overflowing with the blessings of the Lord.

So he was here to greet me this morning with his tired old tools that still work if we are not alert to his schemes. But I am alert and will have nothing to do with it. I know what he is up to and more importantly, I know that yesterday's experience with God is my same experience today.

Jesus does not occupy a temple. I do not have to go to a special place to meet with him. I do not have to have a priest mediate on my behalf. I don't need the trappings of a religious system to be in his presence. He is with me now, here, and I am with him now, seated on the right hand of the Father. All I have to do is turn to him, take his hand and begin my day.

The enemy used to trip me up on Monday mornings, when I was young and not yet wise in the Lord, when I did not know the Word. But now the Spirit has equipped me to walk all over the enemy's schemes because I know the Word:

But a time is coming, and it is already here! Even now the true worshipers are being led by the Spirit to worship the Father according to the truth. These are the ones the Father is seeking to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship God must be led by the Spirit to worship him according to the truth. (John 4:22-24) 

I am nothing without the Spirit. My job today is to remain sensitive to him. These are the Words of Jesus, who taught a great deal on the Spirit; teachings much of the Church overlooks. He also told us plainly:

I am one with them, and you are one with me, so that they may become completely one. Then this world’s people will know that you sent me. They will know that you love my followers as much as you love me. (John 17:23)

Jesus is in us and we are in him, and we are one. No wonder the enemy is so scared. No wonder he hates us so much. No wonder he will do whatever he can to convince us of his lies which are designed to trick us into leaving the oneness with Jesus.

Did you wake up to his greeting as well? Was the first thing you faced this morning a thing that washed you in discouragement? Don't let it turn into despair and then depression. Those are all tricks of the enemy of your soul. Instead, crank up the worship. Dance before the Lord and take your delight in him. Confess your trust in him and do it out loud. Put voice to your faith and put the enemy to flight. Drink deeply from the Word before you start your day. Renew what took place yesterday. Renew the teaching you received. Renew your love for the Lord.

Don't let the enemy have his way with you this morning. Put him in his place, which is under your feet. Have a glorious day in the Lord. Sing. Dance. Shout the name of Jesus so nothing else can possess your soul.

Because You Are My God!

I hate to be hated. I have a problem with people disliking me; it bothers me. My wife is even worse than I am. She will go way out of her way to try to win over anyone she senses has a problem with her. But the fact is that there will be people who dislike and even hate us, even though we have done nothing against them. They will hate us because of Jesus in us. They will hate the righteousness that we represent. I did not say they will hate our perfection because we aren't there yet, but they will hate our desire to do what is right and to shun what is wrong. They will hate our love of Jesus Christ. How are you going to handle that?

King David had a lot of enemies. One of his sons turned against him and stole the kingdom from him. David had to run away, fleeing from his own flesh and blood. And there were many who stood with his son, against him. David stated to God:

I have a lot of enemies, Lord.
Many fight against me and say,
    “God won’t rescue you!” (Psalm 3:1-2)

There's the kicker; when people attack your relationship with God. Understand the source of it. The enemy of our soul, the enemy of our God wants to destroy our faith. It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with inflicting pain on our Father. He hates our Father and tries to get at him through us. If he can steal God's child away and bring him into his own camp he knows he has inflicted pain on the Father's heart. So he tries to scare us:

"God won't rescue you."

"This is your mess. You caused it. God won't rescue you from it."

"Sure God loves you but you messed up. This is your punishment."

Whatever it takes to scare us away from our faith, to cause us to doubt our Father's love, to make us give up because he wants us to forget that nothing can separate us from God's love. Nothing. But David knew, refused to forget despite his circumstances, who his saviour was. He refused to doubt God. He refused to turn to any other source for rescue. He knew and refused to let go:

But you are my shield,
    and you give me victory
    and great honor.
4 I pray to you, and you answer
    from your sacred hill. (Psalm 3:3-4)

It doesn't matter if you created the mess. It doesn't matter if you have given people just cause to hate you. It doesn't matter if you made them your enemy; our Father will not abandon you. David created the mess he was in. He provoked his son by his inaction. He also refused to take steps to prevent what happened but his weaknesses did not cause him to deny God's strength or character. In this age of grace, when God has freely poured out his love upon his children and leads us by the hand, why do we doubt him and fear abandonment? David did not have what we have and yet he knew God well enough to be able to sleep at night and declare he was not afraid:

I sleep and wake up refreshed
    because you, Lord,
    protect me.
6 Ten thousand enemies attack
from every side,
    but I am not afraid. (Psalm 3:5-6)

But we fear everything. We fear our enemies, our finances, our health, our schooling, our future. We fear we will not get what we want because we are more interested in that than in the Father's will. What a crazy mixed up bunch we are, singing the praises of our God one minutes and not able to sleep because of fear and anxiety in the next.

I invite you to declare with me right now, ``You are my God!" and accept everything that comes with that declaration. Now put what you need in front of that declaration:

"I will not fear because you are my God!"

"I will rejoice because you are my God!"

"I am victorious and triumphant because you are my God!"

"I will sleep tonight because you are my God!"

"I will love those who hate me and show kindness to those who persecute me because you are my God!"

"I will bear witness to your love and grace by my actions and words today because you are my God!"

Because you are my God. Exercise your faith today. Trust. Allow his peace and joy to flow through you today so that it becomes infectious all around you. You are a witness so let your testimony be one of faith and trust today, even in the face of your enemy, because he is our God!

Rescue The Perishing, Care For The Dying

Why do people need Jesus? What is in your head when you are thinking about presenting Jesus to someone? Is it to save them from hell? Is it to point them in the direction of heaven? Perhaps it is to lessen some of their suffering in this place? What is your motivation and what do you see the root cause to be?

I ask these questions because it is never good to go into battle with some vague notion of what we are doing. Unfortunately for some Christian warriors, they don't even get as far as to consider these questions. They are so caught up in their own life, their own problems, that they aren't even in the fight. But life here isn't about us; not any more. It is about Jesus and his mission to save as many souls that are willing to be saved.

I find it important to remind myself what we are engaged in. Part of it was exposed in yesterday's scripture:

"and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:26)

I find this to be one of the most revealing scriptures as to what we are involved in. It is more than just trying to get people to come to church. It is more than wanting to see their self-destructive behaviour change. It is more than wanting to see them enter into God's glory. These people are prisoners, taken captive by the enemy of our King. These people need to be freed.

They have been in captivity so long they identify with their capture. They are more familiar with his ways than they are with God's righteousness. They don't even realize what a terrible position they are in. We are involved with God's rescue plan to rescue them from captivity so they may again have the freedom of choice. Believe it or not, some will choose to go back to captivity, but praise be to Jesus, some will be rescued.

Our role is pivotal. Our Father planned it; Jesus completed it; and the Spirit is here to equip us to present it. But as I said yesterday, salvation belongs to God. It is his work. What he has called us to partner with him in is the presentation. The good news must be presented. People must be told about Jesus. They need to hear the reality of their situation. They have to hear why they need to be rescued.

We are not in this to win brownie points with God. This is not our way of earning a ticket to heaven. This is a calling of love, filled with compassion for a people who are lost just like we were. They are trapped by the devil but in such a way that they can't even see the trap. They are not only held in captivity but they willingly do what the enemy directs them to do. It is a horrible situation and we need to be reminded about it every day.

It is unfortunate that we have spent so much time building community; so much time building a sub-culture. We put tons of time and energy into our music and literature industries. We are back to building wonderful cathedrals to man's great success at building community. There is so much time and energy that goes into teaching, with class after class and seminars galore. We have great women, men and youth conferences. We really live as a world within a world, but what impact is there from all of this. How is Jesus' spiritual uprising transforming the lives of the people of this world? We have this great community but yet, all I can hear Jesus saying is, go.

We talk the talk but I am not convinced that we are convinced that salvation is urgent. I don't think we have a good mental image of what we are involved in. I think we are more interested in conformity over the need for full transformation by the blood of the Lamb. Honestly, is there any sense of urgency? Do we see our friends and family in captivity by the enemy? Is there any compelling by the Spirit to get into the trenches and get into the fight?

If we don't care we should at least be obedient because we love Jesus. Jesus told us to go. But at the same time, I think we should be concerned if we don't care. How can we not have compassion for those who are stuck in the same ugly place that we were rescued from? May the Spirit press this matter on us until our eyes are re-opened to the condition of our neighbour. Come on warrior, we have been called by the King.

If You Are A Christian ...

Are you a Christian? Are you a Christian in name only? Do you know Jesus or know of Jesus? There is a difference. Do you have any idea what you are proclaiming when you take on the name Christian? You aren't saying that Christianity is your religion, you are telling all of creation that you are a little Christ, a little Jesus; you are proclaiming that you are like Jesus.

Christianity is not something you are taught; it is something you are. Yes, you can be taught Bible passages and what they mean but the Bible is not a rule book to which we conform; it is an explanation of who we are. It shows us, reveals to us what we have become because of Jesus Christ; because of the cross; because of the empty grave; because of the Holy Spirit. The Father's love, when accepted, transforms us through the Son so that our pattern of thinking and behaviour changes. It is not our determination that changes us but God who changes us.

So when Jesus taught us to love our neighbour, it wasn't a rule but an explanation of what happens with the transformation of our heart. He showed us what it is to love your enemy when he was nailed to the cross. Jesus was not a victim. Don't rob him of his glory by thinking that he was powerless concerning what happened to him. Jesus went to the cross by choice, to save the enemy of God; us.

The Word tells us that it was while were were still sinners Jesus died for us. It was the only way that we could be freed from our sin nature. But as sinners we were the enemy of God. Sin separated us. Rebellion, self-determination, independence turned the creation into the enemy of the Creator. I can't stress this enough because it is incredible what God did for those who wanted nothing to do with him:

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. (Colossians 1:21)

People today believe there is good and evil in all of us but it doesn't matter. One act of rebellion is enough to separate us from God and turn us into his enemy. Imagine how many acts of rebellion we go through in a day, but those who have chosen life in Jesus are covered by God's grace. He has reached out to his enemy and made it possible for us to become family:

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. (Colossians 1:22)

He has covered his enemy, transformed them into his children and has covered them by his grace so that now we are presented before him as holy, without blemish and free from accusation. That means right now, today, at this very moment, you are blameless and innocent, covered by the blood of Jesus. Your rebellious acts from yesterday are covered by his grace. It is so incredible and that is why the Word tells us not to abuse this grace because it can be abused. You, who were once the enemy of God have been reconciled to him, adopted as his child and covered by his grace.

So when we read the words "Love your enemy" we can understand they are not just words to Jesus. It cost him everything to love his enemy. When we take on the name Christian we are stating that God's love has transformed us so that we too love our enemy. Not a choice we make but the action we take compelled by the love of Jesus. Not self-determined but Holy Spirit shaped by the love of Jesus. Not a rule to follow but a pattern embraced because of the love of Jesus. "Love your enemy"; not a command or rule but the nature of Christ's character in us.

Understanding The Nature Of The War, Mighty Warrior

Everyone wants world peace but it isn't going to happen. As long as the enemy is here we are going to be involved in this war with many battles ahead of us. What is important for us is to understand the nature of this war and the battles we are engaged it. How can we be effective if we don't understand what we are doing and what we are up against? The nature of it is this:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

There is more to it than what you see. To the enemy people are nothing more than pawns in his battle against God. He uses everyone who belongs to the dark as pawns in this great war but he cannot use us. We are not his pawns because he cannot control those who are covered by the blood of Jesus. He will try to scare us, intimidate us, confuse us, even discourage us but he can't touch us or use us. We are the object of God's affection and he hates that. We are filled by the presence of God and he hates that. We smell like Jesus and he definitely hates that.

As we are engaged in battle it is important for us to remember that those who are lost in the darkness are still the objects of God's affection. Jesus died for us while we were still sinners and he died for the entire world. Each person is a potential Kingdom dweller. We are not out to kill them or even destroy them but the dark influence that is over them. In fact, their salvation is the reason we fight. They are just puppets and they have no idea what is going on. But we do.

We need to grasp this picture of a great realm of darkness at work in this world. We do not fear it. We stand against it. We fight for people not against people. We use the full armour of God to take our stand in the place God has given to us and we fight for the people God has placed in our lives. We do not pray for the destruction of governments but instead we pray for their salvation. We never pray against a person but for a person. We pray against the darkness as we hold out the Light and Hope to this world.

Just be aware that the enemy is always looking for ways to discourage you. You must be aware of this in order to defend against it. This morning I woke up to the thought of setting aside my writing and preaching, of quitting, just walking away. There was a great spirit present trying to discourage me when I was the weakest, when I wasn't fully awake and when tiredness creates openings. It is only as I turned to the Word this morning that such thoughts were sent fleeing as I encourage myself in the Lord. With the Sword of God in my hand I remembered who I am in the Lord. Those thoughts did not belong to me but were ploys of the enemy.

Pay attention. Be aware. Be on your guard. Stand your ground. Fight, warrior of God! Fight against those dark realms. Pray without ceasing.