Knowing When To Battle

Today I was thinking about the need for direction in spiritual warfare amongst believers. There seems to be much interest in this area. I believe it is because we have this inner knowing that we are meant to battle and that we will face battles. Perhaps it is because we know that we frequently have events in our lives that occur that are not pleasant, or not as we feel they should be. It seems we are not alone in this. David often inquired of God about the battles that he was about to enter, when to move forward and when to hold.

1 Chronicles 14:9 And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
10 And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? and wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand.
11 So they came up to Baal–perazim; and David smote them there. Then David said, God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters: therefore they called the name of that place Baal–perazim.
12 And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.
13 And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.
14 Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
15 And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
16 David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.
17 And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.

We see here that David knew he had the promise of God. However, David still prayed to God to know what to do when and where. This is an important key for us if we are to be victorious against our enemy. Yes, when spiritual darkness descends upon us we should respond if we need to immediately. But there is also the case for waiting until the right moment for God to show us the path to victory.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High God. This earth and the heavens belong to You. Let Your kingdom reign in them today. Send us Your overwhelming provision today Father. Let Your Spirit guide us and deliver us from temptations. Forgive us when we fail to resist. Heal us from within. Deliver us. In Yeshua’s 9Jesus’) name. Amen.

Hearts Hold On

When we battle our enemy the devil and his minions, we are fighting for something. There is a reason this war exists. It exists because there is a prize to be won, or so our enemy thinks. The prize is creation. You, me, our families, the planet – all of these things he wants to take or destroy. Our God has never, is not now, nor ever will lose to our enemy.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

This is what Jesus (Yeshua) was referring to when he spoke of the thief. A wise warrior, knowing the battle is coming, will prepare for it. God promises wisdom to those who ask.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

As I sit here this morning, the truth of one of our Messiah’s teachings is hitting home for me. I seem to have a more real understanding of it today than other days. It is about where the battle is really, although He does not say it that way.

Matthew 6:19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You see, if the enemy can win the battle to draw our hearts away, he wins. At least for that moment. We must be strong in the power of the might of our God, Yehuah (LORD). Our Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus) took on the challenge of the heart and won. We are mere mortals alone, but with God we too can learn to win this battle.

We need only ask for His help and His heart to be with us and in us. Then we win.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. Today Your kingdom is needed here in the earth. Let Your kingdom reign today. Send us Your overwhelming abundant provision today. Dislodge the enemy in our lives and hearts today. Forgive us our sins. Please, hold us. Heal us and deliver us today. Help us to be Your ambassadors here. In Yeshua’s (Jesus). Amen.

Set Free

Two words. They seem small, yet for many they convey much. To the hostages held in foreign lands for long periods of time, these are tearful thunderous words of joy. Possibly served over fast food. To the prisoner they represent hope, and perhaps some fear of failure once free. To the believer, they mean something very great as well. These words were spoken often by our Messiah.

John 8:30As he spake these words, many believed on him.
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Jesus (Yeshua) said knowing the truth will cause the truth to set us free. For the believer it is freedom from the oppression that comes with sin. Free from sin. Set free. But what is sin?

1 John 3:4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Jesus (Yeshua) said we need to know His words and continue in them. That means to do them. We are human and will get that wrong, but He already dies for our sin and will help us to be free from each failure. That is what He died for – our freedom.

John 8:33 They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.
36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

One of the great things we can do to fight the enemy of our souls is to continue in Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) words, to do them. In that way we will know the truth and be made free.

Today, let’s all be set free.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You as the Most High. Please watch over us and guide us through this world. Let us be a part of Your kingdom coming to this earth. Send us Your overwhelming abundant provision today, Father. Forgive us our transgressions. Heal us and deliver us and our loved ones. Set us free. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Never Left Behind

Believers have an awesome promise. It is awesome for two reasons. The first reason is the promise itself, that we will never be left alone as in deserted forever and abandoned.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

This leads to the second reason – the one that promised. God is the all powerful Creator of the universe and has never failed. We are promised here that He will not only never leave us but also never fail us. If we stop to think about who He is, that makes the promise even greater.

Psalms 68:3 2Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the Lord; Selah:
33 To him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, he doth send out his voice, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye strength unto God: his excellency is over Israel, and his strength is in the clouds.

We have all our promises from God, who never leaves us or fail us. He is all powerful.

Prayer
Father, we love You and exalt You as the Most High. Thank You for all You do for us and for never leaving us no matter what. Send Your kingdom today, and Your overwhelming provision. Send the provision today. Forgive us our mistakes. We so want to get it right. Help us, heal us, and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

From The Dawn

The battle we face is not distant. It is not even at a time of convenience. Our battle takes place wherever we are, and can be at any time. This is because we have an evil enemy that is spiritual.

Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

This enemy is on a clear mission. It is to destroy us.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

But even as he tries to destroy us, Jesus is there to protect and fight for us. We can count on Him to be there at all times. This battle even happens as we fall to sleep or as we wake. This is why David called to God at all times, and why God answers at all times.

Psalms 121:1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Isaiah 26:9With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

If you find yourself under attack whether in your body or mind, whether morning, noon, or night, call out to our God and He alone will rescue.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You and thank You for coming to our rescue at all times. You alone are worthy of all our praise. Let Your kingdom reign in this earth. Forgive us when we transgress Your commands, and teach us Your ways. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

In The Frey

Today was a challenge for me. We are faced with living and at the same time realizing we are in a battle. But this is not new in th euniverse; new to us. It has always been so.

2 Chronicles 20:14 Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the Lord in the midst of the congregation;
15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

We must realize we stand in this world and God stands against our enemies on our behlf.

Prayer
Father, you are King. Send Your kingdom and Your defenders. Give us Your provision. Forgive us our inabilities. Defend us. Defeat our enemies. In Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Assistance Please

You may have heard the phrase, “I am not my brother’s keeper.” As believers we have a different perspective. We are our brother’s fellow warrior. We are to battle evil together, shoulder to shoulder. We do that by being committed to God and His ways. We need to have the resolve to pursue righteousness. We need to be committed to praise and worship of our God. Interestingly enough, the strong pursuit of God destroys the works of the enemy. This is the power of light. It instantly dispels darkness. We can dispel the darkness by getting closer to God, who is Light.

1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we are close to God the enemy must flee. He and his darkness will be dispelled. Acting together as one, we can do this.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You are the Lord of Light. Let the light of Your kingdom come to our world today. Give us Your abundant provision. Forgive us our transgressions. We want Your will to be like a wave of change in the earth. Heal us and deliver us. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

A Common Battleground

We need to be aware as believers that we all have a common battleground. We find this indicated by Jesus as recorded by John.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Our enemy is out to take everything from us, even our very lives. But Jesus said that He came to give us life, abundant life. As we read this scripture, what is the battleground? It is us. It is each one of us and we are in this battle at all times, whether we choose it or not. Our enemy is relentless. The good news is we serve an all powerful God. Our enemy was already defeated at the cross by the work of our Messiah, Jesus.

We are meant to live lives that show this victory. Yet, there are times when we are faced with what may seem to be overwhelming challenges. What are we to do? Regardless of what happens around us, we get to choose. We can choose to trust and believe, or not. I do not say this lightly or as someone that always gets it right. On the contrary, I say it as an observer and as a student of Jesus and scripture.

Perhaps the most important thing any of us can do is to pray for ourselves and each other that we can have the courage to trust and believe that God is on our side.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our King. We need Your kingdom in the earth. Send us today Your abundant provision, Your abundant life, both for us and for all who believe. Forgive us for our transgressions. Heal us and deliver us. We need Your will to be done in this earth. Guard us and keep us as it seems to spin out of control. Help all of us to trust and believe that You are on our side. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

A Child Is Born

This is a portion of a scripture that foretells of the birth of the Messiah. It is from Isaiah who prophesied about the one that would come and be born of a virgin.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

This truly is a beautiful description of our Messiah’s birth and mission to us. You may wonder why I have selected this scripture today. It is because we are about to enter the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast has a several points of importance. On of these is that this feast must be kept after Jesus returns and is reigning on the earth. Once he has defeated the enemies of Israel and is ruling in Jerusalem, Zechariah says we must keep the feast.

Zechariah 14:17 And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
18 And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.
20 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE Lord; and the pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.

It is also important for another reason. John tells us something of this day.

John 14:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The word “dwelt” here is actually the word “tabernacled”. So Jesus tabernacled among us when He became flesh. It is very interesting to understand the time frame of Jesus birth. This can be traced to when Zacharias was in the temple ministering to God and the angel appeared. He did this according to his lineage, placing him there at a certain time of year. His wife becomes pregnant with John the Baptist. Mary is visited by the angel and the Holy Spirit overshadows her. Jesus is placed in her womb and she goes to visit her cousin Elisabeth who is pregnant with John and John leaps in his mother’s womb at six months, which would be about December. Forty weeks later our Messiah tabernacles among us, making it about the September-October time frame. The September-October time frame is the Feast of Tabernacles which is seven days long, begins with a high holy day, and then has another high holy day tacked on the end. If Jesus was born on the first high holy day, he would have been circumcised on the eighth day, another high holy day. All of Israel would know of this, and it would explain why Mary and Joseph were making the journey to Jerusalem with her so far along – all men had to be in Jerusalem on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles.

Looks like we are about to have a birthday party for our King!

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. Thank You for sending to us Your Son to tabernacle among us. Let Your kingdom reign today Father. Send Your overwhelming abundant provision. Give us Your forgiveness for our iniquities. Heal us and deliver us. Bring quickly the times spoken of by the prophets that we talk of here. Show us a token for good that all men might know that You alone are God. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.

Through The Glass Darkly

Paul was very big on the need for the power of God in our lives. He often demonstrated this power and lived in this power as we see the miraculous and the deliverance of God regularly in His life. One of these things he spoke of was the gifts of the Spirit used to build us up (which of course fights off the enemy).

1 Corinthians 14:14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

Paul encouraged us to do this often.

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

We are also told that if we pray in the Spirit it builds us up.

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

When Paul was explaining the need for the gifts of the Spirit, more specifically speaking in tongues and/or prayer in tongues, he spoke about where we are now versus where we will be. He said that now we only can know God partially but one day we will know Him just as He knows us now. This is difficult for me to comprehend because God knows everything, including our thoughts. But it is what the scriptures say.

1 Corinthians 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

And it was so important that Paul made a point of saying specifically not to forbid it.

1 Corinthians 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.

Today, take a moment to pray with your spirit and not with your understanding, and let God’s Spirit help you to ask for yourself and others those things of which you may be unaware. This is yet another way to battle our enemy with powerful spiritual warfare.

Prayer
Father, we exalt You. You alone are our God and King. We are blessed above all people that you have given us Your commands and statues for wisdom, writing them in our hearts and minds. Let Your kingdom resonate in the earth today Lord. Give us abundant provision, overflowing that we might bless others. Forgive us when we go against Your ways, and guide us back gently. Heal us, and we will be healed. Deliver us, and we shall be set free. Let Your people be a token for good that all may know You alone are God. In Jesus’ (Yeshua’s) name. Amen.