Wednesday 17 February 2016

WARFARE

Have you seen the movie entitled "War room"?

If you haven't, well, do yourself a favour...

WOW!

In war, or any battle, especially spiritual warfare, you need a few things:

You need to know your enemy;
you need to know what the battle is all about;
you need to know your strength;
you need to wear your armour;
you need to know your weapons and how to use them;
you need to know and trust your Commander;
you need to fight in unity.

Eph. 6:12 says :

             "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."

The enemy identified.

1 Peter 5: 8:

              "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like
               a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."

His aim and purpose exposed.

Hab: 3:19:

               "The Lord God is my strength, He will make my feet like deer's feet,
               and He will make me walk on my high hills."

Your strength is declared.

Eph. 6:13:

               "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you my be able to withstand
               in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Your protection and strategy.

Eph. 6:14-18:

               "Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breast-
               plate of of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the
               gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be
               able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of
               salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always
               with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
               perseverence and supplication for all the saints-"

Your armour and weapons are explained and always available.

Col. 1:18:

                 "And He (Christ) is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning,
                 the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence."

He is your Commander.

John 17:20-21:

                  "I (Christ) do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in
                  Me through their word; that they all may be one as You, Father, are in Me,
                  and I in You; that that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe
                  that You sent Me."

Unity.

Matt. 20: 18-20:

                 "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to
                 Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations,
                 baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
                 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
                 with you always, even to the end of the age."

Your mission.

When you watch the movie "War room" you will observe all the above principles taking place in so many easy steps for you to follow. Go and triumph. The battle is God's; the victory yours!

Thank You, Lord God, that Your word is explicit in its explanations and orders; trustworthy and easy to obey!




Tuesday 2 February 2016

TO BELIEVE AND CONFESS

Under the heading "Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic" we read in Matthew 9 from verse 4:

                 "But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your
                 hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you.' or to say,
                 'Arise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power
                 on earth to forgive sins' " - then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up
                 your bed, and go to your house".

We learn a number of things from this passage of Scripture:

One: Jesus, the Son of God, knows our thoughts - the thoughts of all people.
Two: He is capable of healing the sick.
Three: He has the power to forgive sins.
Four: He desires to do both.
Five: He uttered to words : "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house" to the paralytic - and he was healed.

Jesus Himself believed and knew that He was able to and had the power to heal and forgive.

In the same chapter, from verse 18 we read of two more miracles. In verse 20 we read:

                  "And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years
                  came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to
                  herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."

Again we learn a few things from this woman:

One: She believed that Jesus could heal her.
Two: She said so to herself. She spoke the words; she confessed her faith.
Three: She extended her faith, her words, into action - she touched His garment.

Many of us believe....

We believe that we are sinners;
we believe that Jesus is Lord;
we believe that He can and wants to forgive us;
we believe that He can heal us;
we ask for His forgiveness;
we ask for healing;
we may even believe that He has forgiven us, healed us, but we fail to confess it and so we hinder our faith from going into action.

Believe it, say it, see it - act upon it!

Thank You, Lord, that You and You alone are able and willing to forgive our multiple sins and heal us and create in us a new man/woman to Your glory.